The chair that gives you a hug

What’s even more relaxing than sinking into a cosy sofa after a long day? Sinking into one that will also give you a hug.

Korean furniture designer Lee Eun Kyoung has created the “Free Hug Sofa” with cushions that wrap around to embrace the sitter.

Kyoung’s chair is upholstered in faux fur and has a set of steel legs and there’s a smaller “free hugs” stool. 

The chair looks like a full-size version of the Boyfriend Pillow, which makes a great substitute for an absent partner. 

The creator told A’Design that she came up with the idea when her nephew was born, and she wanted to create a seat with inbuilt cushions to support the baby while it was breastfeeding. 

She wanted  to “show the warmth of a teddy bear” and create furniture that could “hold you warm and soft like your mother, friend and a lover without feeling lonely.”

The Free Hugs Sofa, which is not commercially available, won a first place last year at the A’Design awards in the Furniture, Decorative Items and Homeware Design Category. 

The A’Design Awards is an annual juried design competition that honours the best designers, architects, engineers, design studios, brands and design oriented companies worldwide.

Nominations for this year’s competition are open now until the end of February.

Other past winners include K. Michelle Evans’ “Reflections” hand-knotted rug inspired by South American landscapes and the Airboard Ironing Board by Yasemin Ulukan.