New Seating Solution by Michael Vanderbyl Fuses Fine Craftsmanship with Design Flexibility to Create a Chair to Function Across Office, Hospitality, and Commercial Environments
HBF has returned to its roots, teaming with esteemed designer and longtime partner Michael Vanderbyl to create a work/lounge chair designed to function across any contract setting — offices, lobbies, hospitality environments, and more. The new Conexus lounge chair and ottoman collection has HBF’s dedication to craftsmanship at its core. Conexus fills the void between task and lounge, designed so that it can function grouped with multiple chairs around a table or in a private office standing on its own. Featuring a sculptural shape, elegant upholstery, and slim profile, Conexus provides a comfortable and modern seating solution for collaborative work environments.
Designer Michael Vanderbyl notes, “I strive for timelessness. Conexus plays with the shape of a classic lounge chair and transforms it into a more organic form that showcases the exceptional craftsmanship in the woodwork and the upholstery. The wood merges with the upholstery in such a seamless way that the piece takes on a sculptural quality, an engineering feat that HBF executed masterfully.”
Conexus’ most important detail is also its most elegant -- the wood edge almost disappears into the upholstery with no welt, giving the appearance of a piece made from a single seamless material. This technical feat speaks to HBF’s dedication to craftsmanship and quality, with a final product in which only paper-thin edge and upholstery are visible. The chair has been thoughtfully designed from every angle, so that it is just as beautiful from the back as it is from the front and can be used in any location.
Its beautiful form merges with function in Conexus’ unique design. The pitch of the chair strikes a balance between lounge and task, and it easily functions with tables for laptops or tablets. The chair’s high back provides comfort in working and lounging postures, and it gives a slight recline for those wanting an even more relaxed option thanks to the innovative use of custom bracketry in the back. Conexus also features self-return swivel to keep a tidy appearance.
“Today’s work environment has much greater fluidity between conversation and work,” explains Sarah Claypool, HBF Director of Marketing. “Conexus was designed with this concept in mind. Its name means ‘connected.’ Its refined aesthetic honors HBF’s heritage in a modern way, especially having been designed by Michael Vanderbyl, who has been a partner of HBF for more than 25 years.”
Conexus is available in two versions: fully upholstered or with Walnut wood back. The wood back option is especially striking, showcasing the exceptional wood found in a rare, flat-cut Walnut. The ottoman complements both of these options, available with a Walnut shell to highlight the natural wood, or fully upholstered. The Conexus base is available as polished stainless steel or powder coated black. By mixing and matching all of these finishes with HBF’s upholstery options, designers can achieve a classic, formal lounge chair look for an executive suite or a funky, colorful aesthetic for a startup tech office.
Conexus also boasts impressive environmental attributes. At the end of its life, its components can be easily recycled or composted. It is SCS Indoor Advantage™ Gold Certified and is level® 2 Certified. Conexus also provides LEED V4 and LEED 2009 Contributions.
In addition to serving as a creative guide for the HBF brand throughout its history, Vanderbyl has designed two other key collections for them: the Charlie lounge series and the MV9 Swivel Tilt Seating executive chair.
