A chair that looks like parts of it were made out of matchsticks, how cool is that? I saw this over at Bonluxat and was immediately smitten. Seeing as it’s the holiday season, this chair immediately reminded me of The Little Match Girl, a Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, which is normally told to children at Christmastime.

That fairy tale is a sad one, but there’s nothing tragic or morose about the Match Chair. In fact, it seems designer Anna Kraitz had a lot of fun with it. It incorporates a sense of play and delight. She shares that design philosophy with other designers, such as Marcel Wanders. It isn’t just pretty, it’s eminently practical too. Made of varnished steel and rubber, it was created for the outdoor environment. Measuring 91 cm high with a seat height of 46 cm, it is stackable. The whole chair is available in black, except for the “match-heads,” which are colored red, of course. Match Chairs would do well as bistro area furniture for establishment owners looking for quirky yet practical outdoor seating.

But wait, there’s more! Anna Kraitz also has something called the Lone Chair, which is very similar to the Match Chair in that it also has a matchstick design. This chair is made of varnished wood instead of metal, though. It’s also a bit smaller, measuring just 84 cm high with a seat height of 44 cm. It’s available in either black or white. It isn’t stackable like the Match Chair, but it does have the same rubber details. Both chairs are manufactured by Launch Design Partner.

Andersen’s little match girl might have felt warmer if she had matches as big as those in the chair to burn. In any case, it’s a delightful piece of furniture that would look good in both domestic and commercial environments.