In Conversation with Icons: The Josef & Henrik Chairs

When the afternoon light drifts through an open window and settles, honey-warm, upon a piece of furniture, we believe the timber should answer back. It should glow, breathe, and recall the hands that shaped it. At Coco Unika, that dialogue between light and form has led us to two companions we hold dear:  The Josef and the Henrik chairs. Crafted from solid teak and natural cane, each bears our signature brushed-brass plaque—a quiet assurance of origin, intention, and care.

A Whisper Carried from Chandigarh

In the 1950s, Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret arrived in the newly imagined Indian city of Chandigarh with a civic vision unlike any before it. Working alongside his cousin Le Corbusier, Jeanneret was charged not only with designing government buildings, but also with shaping how people lived and interacted within them. What emerged was a language of modernism—pared back, purposeful, and profoundly human.

Among Jeanneret’s most enduring contributions were his now-iconic V-leg chairs, designed for public libraries, courtrooms, and administrative offices. Made from local teak and cane, they were utilitarian by design, yet quietly poetic in posture. Over time, many of these pieces were forgotten, left to weather under monsoon skies—until their rediscovery in recent decades sparked global admiration for their understated elegance and cultural depth.

PIERRE JEANNERET (1896-1967) was a Swiss architect and designer known for the work he created with his cousin, Charles-Edouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier).

Our Conversation with the Past

The Josef and Henrik are not replicas—they are responses. At Coco Unika, we are endlessly inspired by Jeanneret’s principles, but our chairs are grounded firmly in the present. We’ve preserved the architectural strength of the original silhouettes—the bold, angular legs and sculptural lines—while refining the proportions to suit contemporary Australian living.

The result is a harmony of nostalgia and clarity. Solid teak, hand-finished to a soft satin touch, offers warmth and weight. Natural cane, woven with quiet precision, allows each piece to breathe. These chairs don’t compete for attention—they command it, softly.

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The Josef and Henrik are not replicas—they are responses

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The Henrik chair, with its generous form, finds its place in a quiet corner kissed by golden-hour light.

Weaving Them Into the Australian Home

The Henrik chair, with its generous form, finds its place in a quiet corner kissed by golden-hour light. Styled beside a travertine side table and beneath a curved, minimalist floor lamp, it invites moments of reflection. A linen throw—something in a washed neutral or a soft coastal tone—can add both visual softness and tactile comfort. The Josef isn’t just seating; it’s a sanctuary.

For dining rooms that encourage slow gatherings and meaningful connection, the Josef and Henrik chairs offers balance and soul. Its open cane back keeps the atmosphere light and the lines of the room airy—especially useful in smaller or darker spaces. Style it with a solid timber dining table, natural ceramics, and a soft linen table runner. Keep tableware neutral to let the materiality of the furniture shine.

In transitional spaces, like entryways or wide hallways, a single Henrik Chair becomes an elegant punctuation mark. Place it beneath a piece of art or next to a pedestal holding a vessel of foraged greenery. It speaks softly of intention—a chair placed not simply for function, but for feeling.

And for creatives, the Henrik or Josef is a companion at the desk or in a quiet corner studio. Pair it with a writing table in oak or walnut, and consider adding soft ambient lighting—perhaps a desk lamp in brushed brass or matte ceramic. The cane offers breathability, the teak brings grounding, and the silhouette echoes the creative discipline of minimalism.

In transitional spaces, like entryways or wide hallways, a single Josef becomes an elegant punctuation mark

Sydney Light, Australian Soul

Australian interiors are shaped by our unique relationship to light, space, and the natural world. In Sydney especially, design is often guided by the landscape: sandstone, eucalyptus, ocean horizon. The Josef and Henrik chairs sit effortlessly within this visual language. Their materials—solid teak and handwoven cane—feel native to our sunlit interiors. Their forms reflect both the restraint and generosity we value in Australian design.

With the return of mid-century silhouettes and a renewed appetite for honest materials, these chairs are more than timeless—they’re timely. As we continue to seek out sustainable, meaningful pieces, the Josef and Henrik embody what it means to live thoughtfully and beautifully in the now.

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These chairs are more than timeless—they’re timely

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The Henrik Chair makes a beautiful statement in the bedroom

To bring a Josef or Henrik chair into your home is to bring a chapter of design history into daily life—rooted in Chandigarh, reimagined for the Australian soul. It’s a seat that welcomes, that waits, that listens. We invite you to pull up a chair, feel the interplay of teak and light, and let your home begin a new conversation.