The UFO Armchair with a Hand-Painted Blue Sodalite Finish

A Special Commission for a Private Client in Bangkok

Some design projects begin with the desire to personalize an existing object through carefully selected colors and materials. Others require a far more complex artisanal process, capable of completely transforming the appearance of a familiar design.

This was the case with a remarkable UFO Tailor Made Armchair, created by Mavimatt for a private client in Bangkok, Thailand, who had a particular appreciation for natural stones and their distinctive visual characteristics.

The client wanted a UFO Armchair inspired by blue sodalite, a natural stone admired for its deep blue tones and contrasting light-colored veins.

His request was to recreate the stone’s visual appearance across the entire exterior shell of the UFO, developing a distinctive piece for his private residence.

This idea became a special one-of-a-kind project (1/1), combining the sculptural identity of the UFO Armchair with an entirely handcrafted decorative painting process.

Blue Sodalite: A Natural Stone as a Source of Inspiration

Blue sodalite is a natural stone recognized for its intense coloration, ranging from rich blue tones to darker shades, often crossed by distinctive light-colored veins.

These visual characteristics create expressive surfaces, appreciated in interior design for their ability to introduce depth, color, and movement into a space.

The client wanted to bring this aesthetic to the UFO Armchair while preserving the original functional characteristics of the design.

Creating the entire shell from genuine blue sodalite would have resulted in excessive weight, making it unsuitable for the intended design.

Mavimatt therefore developed a different approach: recreating the appearance of blue sodalite through a specialized hand-painted finish, rather than using natural stone as the structural material.

This solution made it possible to preserve the recognizable silhouette and functionality of the UFO while giving its exterior an entirely new visual identity.

More Than Two Months of Entirely Hand-Painted Work

The most demanding stage of the project was the decorative treatment of the shell.

To achieve an appearance closely resembling natural blue sodalite, Mavimatt entrusted the work to one of its artists, who painted the curved exterior entirely by hand.

The painting process alone required more than two months of work, involving several manual techniques to recreate the distinctive characteristics of the stone.

Particular attention was given to the reproduction of deep blue shades, white veining, chromatic depth, and irregular stone-like textures.

Every detail had to follow the organic contours of the armchair, adapting the painted composition to its curves and the different angles from which the object would be viewed.

Unlike a flat canvas, the UFO Armchair features continuous sculptural volumes, making the distribution of color and the definition of each vein especially important.

The result is an entirely hand-painted blue sodalite-effect finish, with a glossy surface and rich color variations that enhance the distinctive form of the armchair.

The natural stone’s appearance is reproduced through artistic craftsmanship, transforming the exterior into the defining feature of this bespoke creation.

Black Full-Grain Leather and One-of-a-Kind Identification

To complete the customization, the client selected black natural full-grain leather upholstery with matching black stitching.

This understated choice creates an elegant contrast with the rich blue tones of the shell, allowing the distinctive painted decoration to remain the focal point of the design.

The uniform black seating area complements the enveloping proportions of the UFO without introducing additional colors into the composition.

Another important element of the project is the identification plaque attached to the shell, which identifies the creation as a one-of-a-kind piece (1/1).

The plaque highlights the individual nature of the commission: a configuration developed for a single client, through a dedicated artistic process rather than as part of a serial production.

Together, these details contribute to an armchair that maintains its original functionality while expressing a completely personalized design identity.

A Unique Handmade Creation Delivered to Bangkok

Once the hand-painted shell and leather upholstery had been completed, the armchair was prepared for international shipping.

Mavimatt then arranged the delivery from Italy directly to the client’s private residence in Bangkok, where the UFO was intended to become part of the interior.

This project illustrates the possibilities offered by the Mavimatt Tailor Made service, extending well beyond conventional choices of colors and upholstery.

The commission required specific artistic research and an extended period of manual work, transforming a personal request into a design object with its own distinctive visual identity.

The client’s appreciation for natural stones also inspired a second commission. The same private client in Bangkok ordered another UFO Armchair from Mavimatt, this time featuring a finish inspired by malachite. Discover this separate creation in our Highlight dedicated to the UFO Armchair with a Malachite-Effect Finish.

The blue sodalite-effect UFO preserves the original armchair’s proportions, organic silhouette, and functional purpose, while its exterior introduces an entirely new interpretation of the design.

A one-of-a-kind UFO Armchair (1/1), handcrafted in Italy, where the visual beauty of blue sodalite is reinterpreted through artistic painting and sculptural design.

A project demonstrating how natural inspirations, dedicated craftsmanship, and individual preferences can come together to create an object made specifically for its owner.