Meet the Bacana chair, your new favorite chill spot. Bacana, slang for “cool” in Brazil, is our latest collection of spacious, laid back lounge chairs perfect for long summer days. Inspired by mid century Brazilian wooden furniture and Afra & Tobia Scarpa’s Monk chair, the Bacana lounge collection combines our passions for intentional design and craftsmanship with eco-friendly practices. Keep reading to learn about the creative process behind the Bacana chair, including insights from the designer who brought it to life.

Why the Bacana chair is worth lounging in

Let's look at the features that make the latest Bacana chair live up to its “cool” name.

Made with intentional craftsmanship and design

The Bacana chair may have a simple, relaxed look, but its design is far from an afterthought. Our Bacana collection pulls inspiration from mid-century Brazilian furniture, known for the intentional use of local materials and beautiful, clean craftsmanship. The Bacana chair features flat-pack and smooth designs perfect for lounging and can be assembled with or without arms. It also features FSC-certified maple, which guarantees the wood is sourced responsibly and with minimal damage to the environment and the local communities from which it’s sourced. But enough from us: let's hear from Jess, the designer behind the Bacana chair. 

Chatting with our Designer, Jess 

Q. Could you walk us through the process of selecting and sourcing the wood color? What factors influenced your decisions, and how does the color choice enhance the overall design?

Jess: We wanted something that felt midcentury, like an aged teak furniture that you inherit and the wood has warmed in tone. It was also important that the wood stain could live next to the other wood options in our collection without being too matchy or not complementing them. Our stains are custom developed to be waterbased. For the Nutmeg color, we used our Sienna stain on cherry as a starting point, and with the natural lightness of the maple wood on the Bacana frame, the stain appears brighter and has more warmth.

Q. How did you strike a balance between keeping the design simple, individual, functional, and all-natural? Were there any particular challenges you faced in achieving this?

Jess: Typically the design brief starts with a given function and an aesthetic direction - for Bacana it was to create a super comfy chair with an exposed wood frame. Through sketching and 3D modeling we look for the right fit for overall aesthetics, which then the design gets engineered to be functional components, this is where the simplification and materials become very important. You start to balance the material restrictions, manufacturing costs, and the design look you want to get to the final product.

Q. The cushions on the Bacana chair look incredibly inviting. Can you tell us about the materials and filling you chose for them and why?

Jess: It was super important to get the cushion right on the chair, because it softens the hardwood frame and is the adds personality that makes the Bacana so unique. We use a natural latex foam inside the cover and the removable cover has a recycled fiber padding to give the soft tufted look. Getting the cushion to look and fit and look perfect was the longest part of the product development!

At Sabai, we thoughtfully design furniture that can grow with you. Our modular, easily assembled Bacana collection provides easy comfort and elegance to any space year-round. Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and browse our latest pieces. 

Shop the Bacana Chair

The Bacana Armchair in Recycled Velvet

$945.00