Nakovalnya Stul by Nataliya Naymark is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Dəmir Mükafatı in Mebel Dizaynı Competition Category.

DəmirMebel· 2026

Nakovalnya Stul

by Nataliya Naymark

Client: NNaymark.design

A' Design Award Dəmir Mükafatı Winner in Mebel Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Nakovalnya Stul

Nakovalnya imperiya dövrü rus dəmirçixanasının sənaye ruhuna ehtiram bəsləyən monumental stuldur. Dizaynerin əcdadlarının dəmirçilik irsindən ilhamlanan bu əsər zindanın ağır, möhkəm formasını müasir taxta heykələ çevirir. Dərin, dəqiq frezlənmiş çökük oturacağı və brutalist silueti ilə seçilən Nakovalnya həm funksional oturacaq, həm də valet kimi xidmət edir. O, başlanğıcın mahiyyətini təcəssüm etdirir – yüksək səviyyəli ustalıq sayəsində ev mühitinin mərkəzi elementinə çevrilmiş əmək məkanını.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Dəmir Mükafatı

Nakovalnya Stul A' Design Award Dəmir Mükafatının qalibidir; bu, yaxşı dizayn edilmiş yaradıcılıq nümunələrindən gözlənilən peşəkar və sənaye tələblərinə cavab verən yaxşı dizaynlara verilən nüfuzlu tanınmadır. Dəmir qaliblər yaradıcılarının böyük məharətini, yüksək ixtisaslaşmasını, ekspert anlayışını və yaradıcılıq qabiliyyətini nümayiş etdirir. Gözlənilir ki, Nakovalnya Stul yüksək qiymətləndirilən, heyran olunan və əzizlənən, praktik və yenilikçi yaradıcılıq nümunəsi olacaq. A' Design Award Dəmir Mükafatını qazanmış bu dizayn sənaye üzrə ən yaxşı təcrübələri özündə birləşdirir və bilik və istedadla əlaqəli səriştəli texniki xüsusiyyətlərə malikdir. Nakovalnya Stul dəqiqliyinə görə hörmət qazanır və dünyanı daha yaxşı yerə çevirməyə kömək edən həyat keyfiyyəti yaxşılaşmaları təqdim etmək üçün dizayn edilib.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Nakovalnya Chair explores ancestral heritage and the primordial act of creation. Inspired by the designer's great-great-grandfather, a blacksmith in Imperial Russia, the project embodies the grit and transformative power of the forge. The motive was to translate the "Anvil" - a site of intense labor and fire - into a domestic center piece. It serves as a tribute to the humble beginnings where raw materials are struck into beauty, positioning the chair as the essence of the home.
Dimensions & Packaging: 700*640*680
Tags: Anvil Chair, Nakovalnya Design, Blacksmith Heritage, Russian Brutalism, Sculptural Seating, Solid Wood Furniture, Valet Chair, Ancestral Storytelling, Imperial Russia, Modernist Craft, Monumental Furniture, Functional Art, CNC Woodworking, Hand-finished Timber, Heritage Design.
Production Technology: The chair is realized through high-precision solid wood joinery, using oversized ash or oak to achieve its brutal mass. The primary structural challenge involved the deep concave seat, achieved through multi-axis cnc milling and hand-finishing to highlight the grain. The assembly uses mortise-and-tenon joints, reinforced to support the cantilevered backrest and hanging rail. The finish is a matte, low-voc oil that preserves the raw, tactile nature of the timber.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was balancing brutalism with human ergonomics. To honor the anvil, the chair needed to feel heavy and immovable while remaining a comfortable seat. Overcoming the internal factor of personal history, ensuring the tribute was respectful yet modern, required multiple iterations of the silhouette. Structural limits of wood when mimicking the weight of iron posed engineering challenges. Achieving the deep seat curve without compromising the grain was the main technical hurdle.
Research: This project is a work of Applied Conceptual Research aimed at bridging ancestral history with modern furniture typology. The objective was to distill the "spirit of the forge" into a functional domestic object. The methodology involved a deep dive into 19th-century blacksmithing tools and Russian peasant heritage, translating heavy iron geometries into wood. Data collection consisted of studying anvil proportions and ergonomic testing of concave surfaces. Through experiments with 1:1 scale prototypes, the research successfully balanced "brutalist" aesthetics with seating comfort. The insight gained is that furniture can act as a vessel for historical memory, impacting design by moving away from clinical minimalism toward soulful, narrative-driven objects that resonate with a society seeking deeper connections to their past.
Inspiration: Nakovalnya is a sculptural seating element prioritizing a brutalist aesthetic. Characterized by thick-set wooden members and a dramatic concave seat, the design mimics the grounded geometry of traditional iron-working tools. Its unique strength lies in its dual functionality: it serves as a robust seating vessel and a sculptural valet for garments. Unlike standard furniture, Nakovalnya acts as a physical manifesto of historical labor, bridging the gap between utilitarian craft and art.
Project Duration: autumn 2025
Operation Flow: The chair functions as a heavy-duty sanctuary for both the body and belongings. Its deep, scooped seat provides a grounded sitting experience, while the high, sturdy backrest is designed to double as a valet for hanging heavy coats or everyday clothes. Interaction is simple and tactile: the oversized wooden frame encourages the user to feel the history of the forge. It performs better than standard seating by offering a dual-purpose "sculptural anchor" that organizes the space around it.