Keiji Takeuchi’s New Chair for Geiger Gives People the Freedom to ‘Sit the Way They Want’

Keiji Takeuchi’s first line for Geiger interprets the classic side chair for a contemporary office environment, where lifestyle-inspired furniture and interiors have increasingly replaced the formality of fixed workstations and rows of desks. Without the arm posts found on many traditional side chairs, Takeuchi’s Leeway Chair occupies a narrower footprint and frees the sitter to rotate, spread out, and move more naturally. “It has a bit of personality and functionality beyond what people expect,” says Takeuchi.

The casual warmth of Leeway Seating holds appeal outside the workplace, too. The collection also includes a barstool and a counter-height model ideal for both public spaces and domestic settings, all launching this month as Geiger’s most varied line to date.

Takeuchi observed how people interact with chairs in offices, airports, and cafés, and designed Leeway to meet the users’ needs. The simple crescent-shaped backrest that unifies the series is minimalist but multifunctional. Its vestigial arms hug the sitter in a supportive embrace, enabling the chair to suspend itself from the edge of a table or desk—making it ideal for hospitality settings. Conveniently, the curved backrest also serves as an ad hoc hook for hanging a purse or tote. A useful object isn’t designed by “adding things to make it function,” Takeuchi says, but rather by “understanding the property and the geometry and applying it in a clever way.”

The stackable side chair model comes in ash, walnut, and a range of finishes and upholsteries. “These rounded corners that you want to touch and feel are really what makes Geiger different from other wood- furniture companies,” says Takeuchi. A metal- framed version is available, along with a polyurethane seat and backrest option.

Versatile and compact, the Leeway Seating series offers an elegant yet friendly take on the humble side chair and opens up new possibilities for wooden seating. “I just wanted to give people the opportunity to sit the way they want and not have any obstacles,” Takeuchi says. “There is no difference in what a work chair should be and what a domestic chair should be.”

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