While some people are making an effort to do more
standing up, others are committed to lying down—namely, in hammocks. The swinging resort staple has made an appearance in current
interior design, and new sustainable, charitable, and highly portable versions are giving rise to a
Culture of Calm-inspired, pro-hammock movement.
Kammok: The product of a successful
Kickstarter project, Kammok is a portable hammock that promises to “go where no bed has gone before.” Its creators tout it as a universal seating solution—useful for anyone from college students seeking added dorm room comfort to office workers hoping to establish creative space away from the cubicle—but the product was designed primarily for
hammock camping. A sturdy strap-and-carabineer rigging system allows campers to suspend the hammock between any two points (like trees or pillars) capable of bearing bodyweight. With its tear-free fabric construction and unerringly simple “assembly,” Kammok may soon displace the
complicated camping ritual of putting up the tent.
Yellow Leaf Hammocks: This do-gooder company enlists the native
Mlabri of Thailand to build their traditional brightly colored hammocks for sale in the US. Yellow Leaf founder Joe Demin first discovered the soft, cocoon-like recliners while on vacation on Ko Lanta Island. He was instantly inspired by both the product and the story of the Mlabri (and the
many trials they’d faced due to displacement and deforestation). Through Yellow Leaf, Demin hopes to spur lasting social change for the Mlabri. Hammock weavers can drastically augment their incomes, allowing them to avoid being pulled into the toxic deforestation trade and to provide better education opportunities for their younger generations.
Wooden Hammock: Though it may appear to suggest the form of an insect exoskeleton, this
award-winning design by Adam Cornish was in fact conceived to both visually reflect and uniquely respond to the structure of the human spine. The hammock’s thin, curved segments flex and shift to conform to the body of the lounger, supporting the back to ensure a comfortable, benign posture—a revelation for anyone accustomed to an unforgiving rope hammock (and the unsightly lines it leaves behind). The design is not only ergonomic but also 100% sustainable: crafted from a single piece of
plantation-harvested plywood, the hammock requires few materials and its construction leaves a minimal footprint.
