Valet Chair

I’ve been looking forward to this project for a long time. You can be forgiven if you’ve never heard of a valet chair before — especially if you work outside the suit and tie world. The idea is to provide a place to stage your next day’s clothes and safeguard the items you carry around in your pockets. Sort of a combination coat rack and night stand. A number of years back, I came across a (the) valet chair designed by Hans Wegner. It oozes Danish modern cool. And I really wanted to build one. What sets Wegner’s design apart (along with our version) is its transforming nature. At first glance you see an ordinary chair. However, the back is shaped to cradle a shirt, jacket, or suit coat. The seat flips up to be a pants hanger. It also reveals a storage tray for essentials. Photos showing the chair draped with dressy clothing came across as out of place in an “office-casual” world — even more so now when a lot of folk work from anywhere. So the idea got shot down in previous design meetings. Personally, I feel the idea works for just about anyone who could use a little help on a busy morning. Persistence pays off. Dillon took up the idea and ran with it. I’m happy to present his design here. In addition to its practicality, this project offers some solid woodworking fun in creating joinery that’s strong and adds a great look to the completed piece. Many chairs feature angles for comfort and stability, and this one is no exception. The angles here give you an opportunity to improve your skills without making your head spin. It’s time to build.

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