Arik Levy's colourful chairs for TON have legs that split in two
Milan 2015: Paris-based designer Arik Levy will present a seating range supported by split wooden legs in Milan next month (+ slideshow).
![Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_lifestyle_dezeen_sq](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_lifestyle_dezeen_sq.jpg)
Levy has used Czech furniture brand TON's wood-bending technology to create a chair, a barstool, an armchair and a lounge chair.
Each of the items in his Split collection feature sections of wood that are divided in two and then bent in different directions – a new development for TON.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_15.jpg)
"All the products from this family were born from just one idea, the idea of bending – not in the way it is usually used, but to give it a new shape," said Levy. "In this case, the wood is divided into two parts and each part is bent in a different direction."
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_18.jpg)
Levy's chairs are split at the top of each leg. At the back, the outer half extends up to support the backrest while the inner portion curves under the seat.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
The front legs also help to carry the seat in the same way, though their forward-facing verticals stop under the horizontal surface.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_11.jpg)
Levy also added coloured gradients to the standard versions of his chairs, which become lighter towards the centre and are applied by spraying a stain onto the furniture pieces.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_10.jpg)
He chose a palette influenced by gradients found in nature, such as sunrise, sunset, leaves and the sea.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
"I wondered about what I could give to a chair apart from its shape," said the designer. "Therefore I chose to highlight the gradient colour."
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
To bend the sections of beech or ash, squared lengths are steamed in special vats for several hours.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_19.jpg)
The softened wood is then placed into metal forms and a flange is attached, placing pressure on the wood so it takes the shape of the mould while it cools.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Bent sections are dried and air-conditioned for several weeks, then finished with oil, stain or lacquer.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
This technique was developed in 1856 by Michael Thonet, who used it to create the No 14 chair – still a staple in cafes worldwide.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
Three of Thonet's factories in the Czech Republic still produce furniture using similar methods today.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
The facility at Bystřice pod Hostýnem became a national enterprise after the second world war and changed its name in 1994 to TON – an abbreviation of Továrna na Ohýbaný Nábytek (Factory of Bent Furniture).
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
The Split collection will be presented at this year's Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan, Hall 12 Stand C05, from 14 to 19 April.
![Split furniture collection by Arik Levy](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/03/Split-chair_stool_Arik-Levy_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
Japanese studio Nendo also designed a collection of furniture with components that look like they're peeled away from wooden stems.