Timo Ripatti Oval Armchair for Vivero

Original and recognizable Oval-chair, design Timo Ripatti 2023, lives up its name

Materials are warm and ecological. Oval chair is a wonderful choice for lobbies in public interiors and other waiting and reception areas.

Cosy and soft design makes Oval also an interesting home furniture. The base is made of solid wood: oak and ash or birch. Form pressed seat oak-, ash-, or birch veneered.

Vivero has launched the Oval armchair, designed by Finnish interior architect and designer Timo Ripatti. True to its name, the chair is defined by a continuous oval form that gives it a clear identity — a piece that stands out in its environment without demanding attention.

The materials are warm and ecological, in keeping with Vivero’s commitment to considered production. Oval is designed primarily for contract use: lobbies, reception areas, waiting rooms, and public spaces where furniture needs to hold its own under daily use while still offering genuine comfort. The generous, enveloping form makes it a suitable anchor piece for larger interiors.

Timo Ripatti is a Helsinki-based designer whose background spans architecture, interior design, and furniture design. His studio works across furniture and lighting, with a formal language described as sculptural, poetic, and Scandinavian. Ripatti received the Finnish Ornamo award for Furniture Designer of the Year in 2010, and his Ellipse chair for Vivero was named SIO Furniture of the Year in 2009. He has also lectured in design and architecture at Aalto University, and his clients include Microsoft Finland, Kone, and the Finnish parliament.

Vivero is a Finnish contract furniture manufacturer based in Helsinki, founded with a commitment to original design and the idea that furniture should distinguish itself from the mainstream. The company has built its collection around close collaborations with Nordic designers, combining manufacturing expertise with a consistent design perspective that the company calls “Viveroness” — an approach rooted in individuality, material quality, and formal courage.

The Oval armchair continues a design conversation between Ripatti and Vivero that has produced some of the most recognisable contract seating in Finland over the past two decades.