10 Ways To Beautify a Bean Bag

The bean bag — a humble, squishy, soft seat that is the cushiony cousin to the chair.

Other than being a comfy place to park yourself after a long day, it is also a versatile piece that, if decorated well, can be quirky, artistic home decor.

Thanks to the 50th Anniversary of the Sacco Bean Bag Chair, we now know that there are at least ten ways to transform a bean bag.

To celebrate the comfort, practicality, and diversity of the Sacco Bean Bag, W. Atelier and Zanotta, with support from the DesignSingapore Council, launched a competition in September this year to challenge designers to create their version of the Sacco Bean Bag Chair. The competition’s theme was ‘Urban Living the Asian Way’, so local designers tapped into inspiration from Singapore and its fellow Asian countries to birth their bean bag ideas.

On 15 November, the top ten designs from this competition were introduced and displayed at the W. Atelier Henderson Showroom. The designers were also present to show off their hard work and explain their inspiration behind their designs. From there, the top three designs were picked.

The ten designers (except for Tiffany Loy, who is currently overseas) at the Sacco Bean Bag Showcase on 15 November 2018 at W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

The RenoTalk team had a chance to ask the ten designers a question: Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? The designers’ answers can be found below. And because bean bags are the epitome of comfort and relaxation, we decide to sit on all of the ten designs to test them out. Our conclusion: All of them are really comfortable.

Now, to show you the ten ways to design a Sacco Bean Bag Chair; here are the top ten designs, starting off first with the top three:

1) Pastiche

Tiffany Loy and her bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Pastiche on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Tiffany Loy

This bean bag’s fabric was painstaking handwoven and handpainted with geometrical zig-zags, to emulate Ms Loy’s version of the Ikat dyeing and weaving technique. This is one of the top three designs.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? (Ms Loy was in the US at the time of the showcase, and thus was not present to answer this question.)

2) Gen Sacco

Karyn Lim and her bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Gen Sacco on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Karyn Lim

Ms Lim believed that bean bags can be a vessel of filial piety. So this bean bag has circular zips attached to it, acting as zip-up connectors to similarly designed bean bags and letting members of multi-generational households sit together. This is one of the top three designs.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “This singer named Aurora. I once watched this interview of her and she said that she didn’t really know much about music before writing her own, and I thought that was really pure.”

3) Shifu De Sacco

Jarrod Lim and his bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Shifu De Sacco on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Jarrod Lim (Jarrod Lim Design)

Does anybody remember these brown-orange beaded covers one would find on their car seats? Mr Lim does, and he incorporated this blast from the past into his bean bag. Not only does this give his Sacco bean bag a nostalgic vibe, the bumpiness of the beads makes for good ventilation and reflexology. This is one of the top three designs.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “I’d like my bean bag to be in Rowan Atkinson’s house. Because he’s the original Mr Bean. And also because he’s an incredible actor.”

4) W/ Sacco

Ivan Ho and his colleague Abigail Chang testing out their bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

W/Sacco on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Ivan Ho (tizumuka)

Mr Ho incorporated classic weaving techniques into his bean bag’s design for both aesthetic and functionality — you can use the blue interwoven straps to lift and position the bean bag any way you like and hold a variety of objects, like your reading glasses, your remote control, your favourite book, and so on.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “Christoph Waltz. He is a versatile actor and versatility resonates with our iteration of the Sacco bean bag design.”

5) Pleat

Jessica Chung from Gabriel Tan's team poses with their bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Pleat on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Gabriel Tan (Gabriel Tan Studio)

The paper lantern is a motif of joy in Asian culture, and that inspired Mr Tan to bring that same joy to his bean bag’s design. Using ‘pleating’ techniques between the bean bag’s original seams created a look resembling a paper lantern, combining joy and comfort into one being.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “I would like the beanbag to be in the home of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd as his music has inspired me.”

6) Tarp

Kiat Ng and Karen Chiam pose with their bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Tarp on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Kiat Ng and Karen Chiam (DAZINGFEELSGOOD)

The striped tarpaulin sheet is a familiar sight in Singapore, especially around construction and renovation sites. It is a strong protective canopy against dust and debris, inspiring Mr Ng and Ms Chiam to use it as their bean bag’s fabric. Comfort is uncompromised as the sturdy tarpaulin retains its shape while aptly forming a sitting cove in the bean bag.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “Our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Residence. The ideation of Tarp came from the construction sites in Singapore. We’re both born and raised in a progressive nation, perhaps it’s our way to thank him for his life-time efforts, making Singapore a world-class city today.”

7) CITY LIGHTS - Sa Sacco

The team from Superfat Designs pose with their bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

CITY LIGHTS - Sa Sacco on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Weizhing Lin, Carolyn Bong, Vanessa Kirana, and Yuda Surya (Superfat Designs)

Rows of apartment lights lighting up the sky on a busy city night; that is the image invoked by the Sacco bean bag designed by Superfat Designs. The team created a blend of old and new for their design by combining modern fabrics and today’s technology with traditional rattan weaves.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “Any home is fine. I think we set out designing this Sacco so that it fits within an Asian urban city. A city that is constantly evolving and changing.

And while I think the final product will sit well in almost any celebrity home, either in absolute stark contrast in, or in harmony with their home interiors, we also feel the Sacco we designed will grow into any home.

And by that measure, will fit in any home.”

8) Retreat

Geila Daughtrey (sitting) and her colleage Emily pose with their bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Retreat on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Geila Daughtrey (Rockett Studio Pte Ltd)

Ms Daughtrey and her team infused the gentle, peaceful lotus bud into their Sacco bean bag’s concept. To emphasise their design’s tranquil vibe, they handcrafted a giant ceramic teacup lid (made by team mate Emily) as a base for their lotus — a big, white bud that everyone can retreat to and relax.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “Designer Kelly Wearstler, because we really like her work and I have always admired her.”

9) Handles for Sacco

Priscilla Lui and Timo Wong pose with their bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Handles for Sacco on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Timo Wong and Priscilla Lui (Studio Juju)

We may love bean bags a lot, but sometimes, they can be too bulky to carry (or maybe throw) around. Mr Wong and Ms Lui solved this problem by strategically attaching cloth handles to their bean bag, giving it a design that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “Tom Hanks, because he is a comfortable man.”

10) Design in Singapore

Imran Othman poses with his bean bag. Image © W. Atelier

Design in Singapore on display at the W. Atelier Showroom. Image © RenoTalk

Designer/s: Imran Othman

Mr Othman believes that practicality, productivity, and functionality define the local design scene, so he brought that into his Sacco bean bag’s concept. Mr Othman’s bean bag retains its clean white facade, but its functions as a space for productivity and relaxation are amplified through office props. Perhaps using a bean bag as an office chair is a sound idea, as Mr Othman suggests!

Which Celebrity Home Would You Like Your Bean Bag Displayed In? “The Future Imran Othman of 5 Years. Home decor says a lot about what they prioritize and value as it can be a reflection of who they are. Some people choose to frame their degrees as they value intellect while some others place their sports trophy, to showcase their strength.

As (the) Imran Othman (of now) values the creative genius which convergence between art and science, the Sacco Design Bean Bag should be displayed in (the future) Imran Othman's home.

Most importantly, it fits to any home interior. It is a design museum, where design is design for human experience.”

So, what is next for these ten beautiful bean bags? They are now resting at the W. Atelier Henderson Showroom until the end of 2018. The three winning designs will then be transported to Milan, where they will be displayed in the Zanotta Showroom at Piazza XXV Aprile for the whole month of February 2019. The ten designs will then be showcased at the National Design Centre from July 2019 onwards.

As of now, no plans have been made for these ten bean bags after their time at the National Design Centre. Here’s to hoping that they will go on sale or be auctioned off so that we can hopefully take at least one of them home.