Rocking chairs are unique in the way that we interact with them unlike most furniture. Rocking Chairs are often associated with rocking a newborn to sleep, rocking on the porch with a loved one, or simply being used for the soothing effect. Through these memories and motion associated with the rocking chair, it becomes a piece of furniture with sentimental value, one that is more than just a piece in your house, but it holds within it these experiences. 

When first thinking of a rocking chair, a classic image often comes to mind. I wanted to push the idea of a rocking chair, and investigated other kinds of rocking chairs. I began to question what a rocking chair was, thinking of a soothing place for a baby I began to associate it with a nest. Which brought me to the egg form and thinking of enclosures. 

after doing many sketch models and ideations I still did not understand the limitations of my material. I found an old wheel and altered it some to make a jig. I then steam bent pieces of ash to construct based on how the material acted. Rather than trying to force a design upon my material, I decided to do a material investigation and see what it wanted to do with my concepts in mind. 

after bending the wood, I constructed the pieces in an egg form similar to many of my sketch models. In order for it to be inviting to the user to sit in, a counter weight had to be added. I first cut and welded a piece of steel which was then drilled and tapped to have the hardware go straight through. However, I decided on an aesthetic that went with my design more, so I took several thin pieces of steel, bent and stacked them together to add the same amount of weight. 

attention to detail: all hardware was considered, and spraypainted a deep blue color

User testing in the process! Relaxing and Comfortable!