Wilder wanted a comfortable chair for reading and extended napping, one that would have the "warm, receptive look of a well-worn first baseman's mitt" combined with the elegance of an English club chair. The resulting lounge is composed of three curved shells, each made of five layers of plywood covered in Brazilian rosewood veneer (it's now available in other finishes as well). The leather cushions are identical in size to the shells and are attached with zips and hidden clips that allow the exterior to remain unmarred by bolts. The flexible chairback is angled in permanent recline, the seat swivels, and the whole thing is balanced on a slender but robust cast aluminum base.
This modern masterpiece suited not only Mr. Wilder, who was presented with one of the first chairs for his fiftieth birthday in 1956, but has been enjoyed by readers, psychiatrists, writers (it's Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael Chabon's work chair of choice), and afternoon nappers ever since.
