Before phones became portable, they had their own furniture. In Greek homes, the so-called โgossip seatโ combined a chair with a small shelf for the telephone, making room for conversations that could go on for hours. This curious piece of domestic history is the starting point for the Parrot Chair, designed by Athens-based architecture studio Local Local for Greek furniture manufacturer Sirigos.
Founded in 1924, Sirigos invited architects and designers to revisit its archives as part of A Century and a Year, a project celebrating the companyโs 101st anniversary. For Sofia Xanthakou of Local Local, the starting point was the original telephone seat, with its compact, boxy form and a small shelf intended for the phone. Her version keeps the simple proportions but leaves the shelf behind, turning a once highly specific object into a wooden chair suited to different rooms and everyday uses.
Made from unvarnished maple, Parrot features traditional joinery with exposed joints that reveal something of how it is put together. The untreated wood is left to change naturally over time, taking on the marks and character of use. While the chair works on its own, its original social purpose becomes more apparent when several are placed together. Around a table, in a living room or even in an office, they offer an easy setting for conversation, a snack or a little gossip.
The project also marks Local Localโs first collaboration with an established furniture brand, extending a practice that has previously designed bespoke pieces for its own architectural projects. With Parrot, a familiar object from the Athenian home finds a new role, keeping the spirit of the original while making room for the way people gather today.
