Automotive enthusiasts and racing fans are always looking to inject a little octane into their everyday lives. For some, that could mean carrying a carbon fiber briefcase to work. For others, it could mean sitting on chairs modeled on racing seats. But if you're looking for something a little simpler, a little more low-key than the racing-bucket office chairs we reported on earlier, the Formula.Chair by Matthias Demacker could fit the bill. The award-winning German designer styled these chairs – available in a variety of configurations, colors and trims – after the molded bucket seats found in F1 racing cars. Its simplicity is its beauty, and suddenly other chairs look like they belong in the slow lane.

Wow, this looks like a comfortable chair -- nothing like a big luxe beanbag for relaxing in after a long day at work (that guy modeling looks totally passed out). The ROO chair is part of Woodnotes' Spring 2009 collection, and although it looks and feels like a beanbag it's filled with a material that's guaranteed to maintain its shape. There's also a smaller version, the MY chair, that's more for sitting comfortably, as opposed to lounging or laying down on the ROO. MY $1,500, ROO $1,900.

Via ForbesLife

More than just the La-Z-Boy for the wealthy, Inada's Sogno massage chair (above) can give you a healthier back -- and shoulder, arm, and fingertip.

The Sogno chair (pronounced "SOHN-yo") was the winner of the CES Innovation Award for 2009, for its impeccable balance of comfort, functionality, and design. Songo, which means "dream" in Italian, can massage over 1,200 square inches of you as you sit in it, including from your shoulder to your fingertip. That's more than any other chair on the market. Doesn't that sound nice? It gets better:

"Every Sogno massage begins with an infrared body scan that compares a user's profile to 106 stored body profiles. Advanced robotics and differentially applied then mimic the hand movements of a human massage therapist, providing the widest range of variation and choreography in kneading, tapping, and sophisticated stroke combinations." -- Inada

$6,000 doesn't seem like too much to pay for an infrared scan and a full-body massage every time you sit down to watch TV. You can purchase the chair from HealthyBack.

What do you sit in after taking off your $150,000 Hermès crocodile peacoat? A $24,000 Hermès crocodile chair, of course. The newest incarnation of the French luxury goods house's classic Pippa folding chair design is finished in the world's finest matte black crocodile skin, with an ebonized maple frame and nickel plated hardware. The limited edition crocodile Pippa is based on an original designed in pear wood and saddle leather 20 years ago by architect and designer Rena Dumas, wife of Hermès President Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermès. It has now expanded into a collection of elegant foldable indoor and outdoor furniture.

[via JustLuxe]

I'm somebody who loves to switch things up pretty regularly, but with most furniture there's only so much you can do, like put it on the left side of the room or the right, under the window or across from it, etc. The swiTCh Table & Chair by Ellen Ectors, however, opens up a whole new world of function and design possibilities. Created to serve the multi-purpose needs of today's modern consumer, swiTCh can be a table, a chair, or a table and a chair at the same time. It combines cube and sphere with hard and soft to be a truly versatile and interesting addition to a room. Each set is 100% Belgian, 100% handmade, and numbered to be 100% individual.

Via cut 'n' paste weblog

It's a sausage link! It's an intestine! It's a ... chair? It's called The Buldang and it's a 30 foot long plush tube that's designed to be molded into any number of comfortable seating arrangements like an enormous sausage-shaped beanbag (although it's not filled with beans or beads). It does look comfortable but it also looks hilarious -- I don't think I could take it seriously unless it was in a kids room (think how much fun that would be!). Created in Asia and produced by Dupont Neotis Studio, the name stands for "modular armchair-sofa." It's covered in a specially ventilated "climate control" cloth and is selling for $2,380 (no word on other color options).

Via Design Mind

The cool design and home blog Apartment Therapy (AT) always has a fresh idea. I've been reading it periodically for a few years, and every time I do, I vow to completely redo my space. Anyway ... The site recently featured a summertime-appropriate post on the Disk Chair, designed by Karim Rashid and made by Ferlea to look like a "spoon folded." AT noted it would be great for poolside or patio, as it's made of fiberglass over a steel frame, but AT commenters had a good point: seems like a sweatfest waiting to happen on a hot day. I think it looks fun and comfortable, albeit maybe with a cushier seat or a towel. Available in black, yellow or white; includes a single foam and polyester cushion. Owo Italia has it for a bit more than $2,000 (European pricing).

The Chubby armchair by Marcel Wanders is an interesting combination of cute, sleek, and modern all wrapped into one design. Looking like it was formed out of colorful Play Dough, the chair is smooth and round and looks outrageously comfortable -- although for real relaxing a higher back would probably be nice. It's available in 5 colors (white, black, green, red, and orange) and there's also a coordinating footstool called Chubby Low (see it in the gallery below) that looks like an overgrow piece of chewing gum. Good times.

Via Denzeen

I appreciate art just as much as the next person, sometimes even more so than average I think, and although these "Him" and "Her" chairs by Fabio Novembre are definitely interesting, there's just something about them that make me think eeeew. Maybe it's the idea of a naked person sitting on a chair? They kind of remind of this creation by Pharrell Williams.

Anyway, they're available in black, red, and white, and if you've got the right place to put a set they'll be sure to get a second look (and a third even) plus it might be fun to mix and match colors and make an even deeper statement?

The RD4 Chair ("roughly drawn") is a great example of form meets function. Originally created by Richard D. Liddle back in 2006, it's now been revamped for a special limited edition series. The RD4 LE* has all the open-weave airiness of the original design but with more defined legs and what looks to me to be a slightly tighter or thicker composition. Made of 100% recycled plastic waste this chair is just as good for the environment as it is for your decor. 100 LE* chairs are available total, 50 in green and 50 in black. $1,548

Suitable for either indoor or outdoor use, the Gownchair takes its inspiration from both the fashion are art worlds. It has a sweeping flowy shape that has it looking just as much a sculpture as a chair. Certain to be one of the boldest items in any room, the Gownchair is bright red with an eye catching glossy finish and it's made 100% of fiberglass that is painted using the same technology used in the automotive industry to paint cars. Available in limited edition (each is numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity) only 2 remain for $2,105 each.

The Vermelha Chair would certainly be a unique addition to your home as it looks like a strange mess of string that happened to land in the form of a seat. It starts as a steel-framed wrap-around armchair form, which is then covered meticulously by hand with 500 yards of a special rope. The rope has an acrylic center and a cotton surface, and it's woven intentionally to look haphazard. It looks like the Vermelha Chair only comes in this one shade of bright pink though, so fitting it into your home's decor may be a bit of a challenge. $6320

Via Wists

Designed by Philip Starck, the Ero |S| Swivel chair is modern functional simplicity at its finest. I'm not quite sure what the naked models do for the advertising (other than make you feel like you need to clean the chair before you sit in it) but despite them I think these egg-shaped chairs look cool and relatively comfortable. They come in this pedestal version that swivels, in a version with legs, and one that has wheels. Plus there are lots of color options (both transparent and opaque). Polycarbonate and chrome, $485-$700.


Via Wists

Sometimes stuff just catches me a certain way and I can hardly stop laughing, and this Sella Bicycle Seat Stool is one of those items. Designed by Achille Castiglioni, it's really a very simple creation consisting of a black racing bike seat on a pink steel column and (get this) a rocking base.

I totally understand that in many ways furniture design is an art form and practical usability isn't always a top priority, but if you're going to call something a stool there's at least a slight implication that it could be sat on, if you were so inclined. But I'm afraid anybody trying to take a seat on this baby is simply cruisin' for a bruisin'. Oh well, it does look nice! £336.


Via Wists

Do you have a favorite comfy chair? One that you can sink into and suddenly all your stresses seem to float away? Well Hoverit, a British company, is introducing their latest in stress relieving and lounging technology: The Limited Edition Lounger. The concept is that you'll feel like you're floating on air because you will actually be floating on air...in a sense. Powerful magnets set to repel each other make the lounger feel like a big comfy hoverboard, and as an added benefit the magnets may also help with various health issues.

The chair may look cool in a futuristic and techie way, but other than the "floating" part it hardly looks cool in a comfortable way. Why are they so anti-cushion?

Not sure what this beauty costs, but I'm willing to bet it's more than your average furniture mart recliner chair.