Designer Monika Mulder at IKEA took her inspiration for the LÖMSK children’s chair from her own childhood. When she was growing up, it was strictly forbidden to spin around in her dad’s leather armchair. Something she obviously found to be a real shame. But what neither she nor her dad knew was that spinning is actually a good way to train the balance.

But Monika felt that spinning wasn’t enough. So LÖMSK was given a hood that the child could pull down, so they could hide or read in peace. Every time Monika visits an IKEA store, she sees evidence that the idea works: “The chairs are never empty, there’s always a child in them.”

Child psychologist Barbie Clarke has also seen how popular the chairs are in the stores. She believes that the hood is one of the reasons for its success: “Children love something that can be transformed into something else. It stimulates their imagination and gives them a feeling of having magical powers. With the hood down, a child can hide away and have a little time to themselves.”

Can be seen in DDO.

Also have a red one for sale.