Stool with an accordion-shaped seat plays a musical note when you sit on it!

The Xia Stool, or as I call it, the Philharmonic Whoopie Cushion Chair, is a fun little seat that uses an accordion-shaped cushion to turn the act of sitting down into something rather surprising and entertaining. Seat yourself down on the Xia Stool and it instantly emits a note, concertina in an allusion to traditional Portuguese music.

Designed by Soraia Gomes Teixeira, a Portuguese designer from Oporto, the Xia Stool aims at revitalizing the common seating object through the power of sound. The accordion-shaped cushion provides an ample visual warning to the user, priming them to expect a sound as they sit, so they’re never caught unawares. Even though the accordion-shaped cushion acts as a visual indication, it’s still incredibly fun and entertaining to actually have the seat meet your expectations, letting out a friendly honk as you sit down! Soraia mentions, “[The] Xia Stool is a fun object that makes people smile and unleashes their imagination.”

The Xia Stool is made from wood, Burel fabric, and 100% Pure Sheep Wool. Each stool emits a high-pitched ‘A’ note, although it would be fun if different stools played different notes, creating chords as multiple people sit down together!

Designer: Soraia Gomes Teixeira

Sarang Sheth

Sarang is the co-editor in chief of Yanko Design. He is a former industrial designer at a Bangalore-based multidisciplinary design studio, working in areas including appliances, FMCG, packaging, technology, luxury, etc. Sarang has written about design and technology for over a decade and has been a jury member on international design awards. He occasionally works on tech concepts featured on Forbes, The Verge, Hypebeast, Digital Trends, SlashGear, Tom's Guide, LetsGoDigital, and Unbox Therapy. Sarang graduated from MIT Institute of Design, Pune.

See Full Bio