Why are adults afraid to play? In a world that can feel increasingly bleak and gray, British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori makes a case for color, imagination, and a little silliness. Those ideas come together in Chairman, the first comprehensive book dedicated to Ilori’s furniture work.
Photography courtesy of ORO Editions
Known as an “architect of joy,” Ilori brings his signature approach to architecture, furniture, and products. Colorblocking, contrasting hues, and unexpected details are all within the realm of possibility, and these themes run throughout Chairman, which traces more than a decade of his furniture practice.
At the center of that story are vintage chairs sourced from charity shops around London, which Ilori transformed through color, pattern, and decoration. Rather than treating the existing furniture as a blank canvas, he was drawn to the histories the pieces already carried.
“For me, those chairs felt like people with stories,” Ilori says. “I became genuinely attached to them because it was so personal and so meaningful.”
That approach to furniture has parallels throughout Ilori’s broader practice. From architecture and products to interiors, he brings a playful vision to the conversation, one where expectations can be upended. Decorative elements, shiny lacquer, and detailed patterning are all a minimalist’s nightmare—Ilori frequently uses all three, a welcome release from convention, coupled with intention.
Chairman is a deep dive into Ilori’s furniture explorations. Where decoration, pattern, and color are often deployed sparingly in contemporary interiors, Ilori lets his combinations sound off with a bang. Applied to something as familiar and functional as the chair, they challenge expectations of what one of design’s most ubiquitous objects can be. A chair may be mundane—even ordinary—but in Ilori’s hands, it becomes a place for experimentation, storytelling, and play.
Published by ORO Editions, Chairman by Yinka Ilori is now available for purchase.