Last year, after 3 years of extensive proto-typing, we released our first solid wood chair called Humilis.

Picture our delight when Humilis was not only shortlisted for the prestigious 2023 Interior Design Excellence Awards [IDEA], but also clinched gold at the 2024 Australian Better Future Design Awards.

Excitedly we introduce our Humilis chair as the newest member to our FrancoCrea collections. Brimming with originality, Humilis is our modern re-interpretation of the humble solid wood dining chair.

Thanks to Better Future Awards, IDEA Awards and the jury for considering our Humilis Chair. It is very special to be recognised for our designs in the Australian design community.

View our Humilis Collection here.

Award Winner – Better Future Awards 2024

Shortlisted Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2023

Humilis evokes different senses from visual to feel, engaging everyone to enjoy not just its familiar archetypical practicalities and comfort but its modern sculptural charm for something surprising and unique.

With 360-degree views, Humilis takes on its own unique personality.

The longer your stare lingers, the more Humilis reveals of itself in detail and gracefulness. Almost every angle offers a new perspective to hone in on.

Most commonly experienced from behind placed around a table, your eye naturally draws to the delicately light yet structurally robust backrest perched on the back rail.

As you move closer you absorb the gentle curve of the backrest nesting into the back rail.

As your hand cusps the chair to sit, your fingers feel the subtle arris of the edges and experience the softened bevel detail to touch.

When your back connects with the backrest you experience an unexpected comfort from the carefully curated angle supporting your lower lumber precisely.

Its level of comfort is a pleasant surprise when you nestle in at your dining table.

The aspiration behind the Humilis chair design was driven by the desire to showcase an elite level of Australian craftsmanship, celebrate the art of furniture making in Australia, and to honour the archetypical solid wood chair in a fresh contemporary context.

The execution of a minimalist design language is often deceivingly complex. The compound splay angle legs offer a sculptural subtle detail however increase the intricacy level dramatically. The flush joints mean there is nowhere to hide and are unforgiving down to the half millimetre. The ‘floating’ solid wood backrest must cup the back rail with ultra-precision. Common techniques in Australian manufacture would tend towards steam bending to execute the sculptural backrest, however typical flex in steam-bent timber forms was not precise enough. Instead, it is carved to exact dimensions from a solid block of timber. A true testament to the elite excellence of craftsmanship in Australia.

Crucially Humilis is crafted from FSC certified solid wood. Forest Stewardship Council certification ensures the timbers used to create Humilis are from responsibly managed forests both environmentally and socially.

Humilis has been designed deliberately to pair beautifully with any of our FrancoCrea dining tables for a unified considered dining set. Following the same design language as our authentic locally designed and crafted dining tables, the minimalist clean lines and architectural details of Humilis make it a perfect partner to complete your dining set.

To be pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the Humilis chair design, all locally designed and crafted in Adelaide and Melbourne, we encourage you to visit our Adelaide and Melbourne studio showrooms to experience your future heirlooms in person.

Flagship Melbourne studio showroom

259 Swan Street, Richmond, Victoria 3121

Flagship Adelaide studio showroom

442 Pulteney Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000