The Barcelona stool was presented to the public at the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition together with the famous Barcelona chair. Both the chair and the stool were designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich and therefore share the same design features. The appearance of the stool is very simple but luxurious and sophisticated. The ottoman consists of two main components: a stainless steel frame and a tufted leather cushion. The frame consists of two x-shaped sections that serve as a support for the pillow. Its unique X-shape is achieved through the use of bent steel strips welded at the intersection. The welds are ground and polished, giving the frame a smoother appearance and looking like a single, seamless piece of metal. The cushion is made of cowhide. After being cut into square sections, the leather is tufted and framed into a rectangular cushion and placed on leather straps which are riveted to the stool’s frame. The stool is made with great attention to detail, which makes it simply stunning. The stool, along with its better-known relative, the Barcelona Chair, set a new standard in 20th-century interior design.
