A new concept from Conscious Design, the Tio Lounge Chair has interchangeable covers designed by some of New Zealand's preeminent fashion designers. Balanced between product and fashion design, it won the Design Institute of New Zealand's BeST Award in the "sustainable product" category; the sustainable product category was added to the Institute's awards this year in order to create a higher profile for sustainable design within the New Zealand design industry.. According to the designer, "Good design embraces the realities and limitations of the environment", which is at least part of the reason that Tio is made from local materials using pine wood sourced from sustainable plantations in New Zealand. The user is encouraged to "think of it like your wardrobe for your living room" -- with so many "outfits" to choose from, there aren't many interiors that this chair couldn't mesh with, and when you get a new couch, Tio could change right along with it. No reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater, after all. Tio is available for sale in New Zealand via the stockists on their site. ::Tio and ::Conscious Design via ::Core77

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