Students Commissioned for Chatsworth Exhibition

9th March 2015

Three design students from Sheffield Hallam University have been selected to design, create and exhibit a range of furniture for a forthcoming exhibition at Chatsworth, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

The Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth exhibition, running from Saturday 28 March to Friday 23 October 2015, will showcase the best in contemporary chair design, and will include work by Thomas Heatherwick and Marc Newson. Visitors to the exhibition will be encouraged to try the chairs out for themselves. Students Hayley Lightfoot, George Heath and Robert Hamilton were commissioned to create chairs for the show, along with graduates Daniel Schofield, and Richard Bell and David Powell from Psalt Design. Hayley said: "My Cavendish Chair reflects the heraldry of the Cavendish family. Its strong presence and throne-like design aims to empower the person sitting on it, while the design on the back represents the Cavendish family values and traits. Robert said: -The Victoria dining chair is inspired by the quality features on display around Chatsworth House. The chair is constructed from solid walnut, just like the dining table it sits beside. Some parts of the chair are highlighted with silver. These touches are influenced by 17th century Baroque furniture, which is featured all around Chatsworth House." Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth will see items from the private collection of the Duke and Duchess showcased alongside furniture by internationally acclaimed and innovative designers. It will include creations by Thomas Heatherwick, Amanda Levete, Marc Newson, Tokujin Yoshioka, Piet Hein Eek and Moritz Waldemeyer. Positioned throughout the historic house, the exhibition is designed to be engaging, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the house and collection in new and surprising ways. Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth is curated by Hannah Obee, Exhibitions and Special Projects Curator at Chatsworth. The chairs designed by Sheffield Hallam students are sponsored by Ponsford, a family furniture store based in Sheffield for over 120 years. For more information, visit www.chatsworth.org