What do you think characterises Georgian aesthetic? What is the role of a vernacular approach in contemporary Georgia? How did European influence shape the interiors of Tbilisi’s historic residences? Is it possible to represent Georgia with one chair? What is the most common wood used here, and which “Georgia” do we want this chair to speak for? Can an object become a trigger for political consciousness? These are just some of the questions that emerged throughout the process of this collaboration.

Rooms Studio, together with Matteo Guarnaccia from Cross Cultural Chairs, collaborated over the course of four weeks to explore how Georgian culture might be distilled into a single chair. Rather than focusing solely on design parameters, the project adopted an anthropological lens during the research and production phases. One week was dedicated to research, one to design, one to making, and one to communication. Through this rhythm, a long series of conversations and observations were ultimately translated into a chair.

A central question in this discussion is the role of vernacular approach in today’s Georgia. Far from being an aesthetic relic, vernacular forms remain alive as a reference system for proportion, structure, and human-scale comfort. Whether in the timber balcony houses of Tbilisi, the stone towers of Svaneti, or the courtyard homes of Kakheti, these architectural languages reflect a deep understanding of landscape, climate, and community.

Equally important is the influence of European modernism on Tbilisi’s domestic interiors, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Art Nouveau facades, neoclassical salons, and later, early Soviet modernist apartments contributed to a rich stylistic hybrid that remains visible today. The interplay between local craft and imported aesthetics created a visual identity that is uniquely Georgian, simultaneously cosmopolitan and deeply rooted. This layered history raises the question of how a single object, like a chair, might embody such complexity.

The Blue Horns (‘Tsisperkhantselebi’) were an influential early-20th-century Georgian literary group whose symbolist and avant-garde vision reshaped its poetic landscape. Formed in Kutaisi around 1915, they aimed to break from nationalist and realist traditions by introducing European Symbolism, mysticism, and modernist experimentation. Their work embraced introspection, dream imagery, emotional depth, and a bohemian spirit qualities that stood in sharp contrast to the political turbulence of their era. Though later suppressed under Soviet rule, the Blue Horns left a lasting legacy, opening Georgian literature to new aesthetic possibilities and to a more cosmopolitan self-understanding.

Just as the Blue Horns once looked toward Europe to distinguish themselves from Russian cultural influence, Cross Cultural Chairs and Rooms Studio propose to draw from the same century-long “European breeze” to articulate a contemporary attitude toward Georgian design. By merging the cultural significance of the “Makhvshi chair” from Svaneti with echoes of European modernism, this collaboration seeks to frame a design language that resonates with Georgia’s complex present and people’s intentions.

Cross Cultural Chairs is an ongoing research project founded by Sicilian designer Matteo Guarnaccia, centred around an anthropological approach to design. CCC invites local studios around the world to collaborate in portraying cultural identity through the form of a chair. The process begins by observing the role chairs play in daily life, then analyse production techniques with a traditional approach. In 2019, Matteo traveled to the eight most populated countries in the world, spending eight consecutive months creating eight different chairs that reflect on globalisation, cultural exchange, and postcolonial narratives.

Rooms Studio is known for its poetic minimalism and deep sensitivity to materiality. Their work blends Georgian heritage with contemporary forms, often drawing from local architecture, traditional craft, and the atmospheric qualities of the Caucasian landscape. Through interiors, furniture, and collectible design pieces, Rooms Studio creates spaces that feel tactile, serene, and emotionally resonant, establishing a distinctive design language that has gained international recognition.

(Matteo Guarnaccia)