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A 1961 original returns with new colors and the same unbroken curve.
In 1961, Basque designer Nestor Basterretxea shaped the Uhin stool—uhin means “wave” in Basque—using a single sweep of bent, oak-veneered plywood. Sold through his Espiral boutique in Donostia, the low seat captured the designer’s talent for turning line into structure. Now, French-Basque furniture maker Alki brings the piece back, matching the original form while expanding the palette for 2025
Construction stays true to the first edition: thin sheets of wood are pressed into a continuous “S” profile that serves as seat and legs at once. Nothing interrupts the curve; there’s no backrest, no added support—just two sleek uprights and the saddle-like top. Alki offers ten finishes, from natural oak to a vivid Klein blue and a deep historic orange, letting the stool shift from quiet accent to sharp focal point
Proportions are compact, so the Uhin slips easily beside a sofa, under a console, or around a living-room cluster. Lightweight and easy to lift, it works as spare seating, a bedside perch, or a sculpted side table. The material choice—oak—echoes Basterretxea’s fondness for the tree while giving the surface a subtle grain that catches light without showiness.
Bringing Uhin back involved close collaboration with the Basterretxea family, who see the reissue as a way to keep the designer’s everyday pieces in circulation. The stool is available now at Alki’s Larresoro boutique, ready to add a small wave of Basque modernism to contemporary interiors
Photography by Mito. All images courtesy of Alki and the Basterretxea family
