Description
The Ball Chair That Has Been the Future Since 1989
The Leolux Pallone Pa is not just an armchair — it is a design icon that has been in continuous production since 1989, has outlasted every furniture trend of the past thirty-five years, and still looks as futuristic today as it did when it was first unveiled. Designed by Roy de Scheemaker for Leolux, the Pallone was born of one of the most extraordinary briefs in the history of Dutch furniture design — and the result is a chair that is simultaneously a work of art, a statement of personality, and genuinely exceptional to sit in. The Pallone Pa is the largest and original version of the Pallone family.
Born for the House of the Future
On 20 June 1989, the House of the Future opened in Rosmalen, the Netherlands — a project conceived by astronomer and television presenter Chriet Titulaer to bring together the most progressive home concepts of the day and show how smart technology could transform domestic life. Leolux was challenged to develop seating for this experimental house.
The result was two pieces: the Amata butterfly folding screen and the Pallone — a spherical sitting concept that has been in Leolux’s collection ever since. Roy de Scheemaker’s design brief was to create seating for a future home — and his response was a chair that played with materials, zones, and the visual language of a floating cushion in a way that no contemporary seating had done before.
More than three decades later, the Pallone still commands a room the moment it enters one. It has been awarded the Best Dutch Furniture Design, the Designpreis Schweiz, Good Industrial Design, and recognition by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen — a catalogue of prizes that reflects its enduring critical recognition across four decades.
The Floating Ball — Form as a Design Philosophy
“Pallone” is Italian for ball. The chair’s name and its visual character are inseparable: the Pallone appears to be a floating cushion, a spherical volume resting almost impossibly on its chrome tube legs and small black feet. Its profile is unlike any other chair — no visible frame, no angular structure, only the smooth, rounded form of the upholstered ball.
This visual quality is the result of specific construction decisions. The seat and back zones are built from PU-moulded foam — foam shaped to a specific, precise profile that creates the Pallone’s characteristic rounded volumes without internal structural elements visible through the upholstery. The back structure is laminated beechwood; the seat uses elastic webbing springs that provide the characteristic slightly yielding quality of the seated position.
The chrome tube — the vertical element connecting the ball to the base — and the small synthetic feet are the Pallone’s only structurally visible components. They give the chair its hovering quality and its futuristic visual character.
Two Upholstery Zones — Almost Infinite Combinations
The Pallone’s most creatively distinctive feature is its multi-zone upholstery system. The chair is divided into distinct material zones: the central strip (the primary seat surface) and the outer parts (the sides and rear of the seat) — both available only in leather — and the back, which can be specified in leather or fabric.
These zones can be specified in different colours within the same leather variety — creating two-tone or three-tone combinations that give each Pallone an entirely individual character. There is one exception to the leather requirement: the entire chair can be specified in stretch-fabric for those who prefer a non-leather alternative.
Over the years, Leolux has produced themed series including the Pallone Paradise — eight unique colour combinations created by artist Olaf Hajek, each with its own name — and the 35th anniversary Pallone Soft Seasons — the first Pallone with a bouclé fabric seat selected by Studio Truly Truly.
Sleep Gallery holds Leolux’s full Pallone catalogue — visit our showroom or speak to our sleep experts at 596 14 9977 to configure your Pallone. The Pallone is available in three sizes: Pa (the largest, shown here), Ma (medium), and Lill’one(the smallest). A matching footstool is also available. Each is made to order in the Netherlands.
Free Delivery and Professional Assembly in Tbilisi
The Leolux Pallone Pa is delivered and assembled in your home free of charge in Tbilisi by Sleep Gallery’s professional team.
Product Details
- Designer: Roy de Scheemaker, 1989
- Origin: designed for the House of the Future, Rosmalen, Netherlands
- Size: Pa — the largest version (also available: Ma, Lill’one + footstool)
- Dimensions: W86 x D84 x H73cm, seat height 41cm
- Seat construction: PU-moulded foam 10cm (50kg/m³) on elastic webbing
- Back construction: laminated beechwood, PU-moulded foam 4cm
- Upholstery zones: central strip + outer seat — leather only; back — leather or fabric; full stretch-fabric option available
- Zone colours: different colours possible within one leather variety
- Legs/tube: chrome (standard) or epoxy colour
- Feet: synthetic black (standard) or epoxy
- Awards: Best Dutch Furniture Design, Designpreis Schweiz, Good Industrial Design, Design Zentrum NRW
- Made to order in Netherlands
- Full catalogue available at Sleep Gallery
- Brand: Leolux (Netherlands)
- Delivery and assembly: free in Tbilisi
FAQ (EN):
Q: What is the story behind the Pallone — why was it designed for the “House of the Future”?
The Pallone’s origin is one of the most distinctive stories in Dutch furniture history.
On 20 June 1989, Chriet Titulaer — a Dutch astronomer, futurist, and television presenter known for his work popularising science and technology — opened the House of the Future in Rosmalen. The house was a showcase for progressive home concepts: how smart technology, innovative materials, and forward-looking design could transform daily life in a domestic setting. Every piece in the house was required to embody this forward-looking brief.
Leolux was challenged to develop seating for the house. Roy de Scheemaker’s response was the Pallone — a floating ball chair that played with the visual language of a hovering cushion, used a multi-zone upholstery system for unprecedented personalisation, and had a profile unlike anything in the contemporary furniture market. It was designed specifically for a future that did not yet exist.
What is perhaps most remarkable is that the Pallone has remained in continuous production for over thirty-five years. A chair designed for a specific, dated cultural moment — the techno-optimism of 1989 — has proven to be genuinely timeless. Its futuristic character has not aged into retro-kitsch but has maintained its forward-looking quality through every decade since.
Q: What does the “Pa” designation mean — what are the differences between Pa, Ma, and Lill’one?
The Pallone family consists of three sizes, each with its own designation and distinct scale:
Pa (short for Pallone — the original) is the largest version — the chair shown here, at W86 x D84 x H73cm with a 41cm seat height. It is the definitive, full-size Pallone, with the most generous seating volume and the most powerful visual presence.
Ma (short for Mammone — Italian for mother) is a slightly smaller version — more intimate in scale, suited to spaces where the full Pa might be too dominant, or for those who prefer a slightly more compact seating profile.
Lill’one (little one) is the smallest version — a Pallone at a reduced scale that is particularly well-suited to smaller rooms, children’s spaces, or as a pair of reading chairs in a study.
A matching footstool in the Pallone’s characteristic spherical form is available in all sizes. For the complete Pallone lounge experience, the Pa armchair paired with its footstool creates an island of sitting comfort that is visually self-contained and extraordinarily comfortable.
Explore our Leolux Cream armchair → Leolux Cream
Q: How does the multi-zone upholstery system work — can I really have three different colours on one chair?
Yes — the Pallone’s multi-zone upholstery system allows up to three different colours on a single chair, within the available leather variety.
The chair is divided into distinct material zones: the central strip (the primary front seat surface), the outer parts (the sides and rear of the seat ball), and the back. Each zone can be specified in a different colour within the same leather variety — creating two-tone or three-tone combinations where, for example, the central strip is dark brown, the outer seat is cream, and the back is teal. The image on this page shows exactly this kind of three-zone combination.
The two seat zones (central strip and outer parts) are always leather — this is a construction requirement rather than a design limitation. The back can be leather or fabric. The one exception to the leather requirement is stretch-fabric: if you want a non-leather Pallone, the entire chair can be specified in stretch-fabric.
Leolux has also collaborated with artist Olaf Hajek on the Pallone Paradise series — eight curated colour combinations, each with its own name, inspired by the beauty of the avian world. These pre-designed combinations are available as an alternative to fully custom specification. Our showroom team can show all colour options at 596 14 9977.
Q: Is the Pallone comfortable to sit in for extended periods — or is it primarily decorative?
The Pallone combines visual impact with genuine seated comfort — it is not a decorative piece that sacrifices function for form.
The seat uses 10cm of PU-moulded foam at a density of 50kg/m³ over elastic webbing springs — a construction that provides a comfortable, slightly yielding seated surface with sufficient depth to support the thighs and back in a natural position. The moulded foam profile follows the ergonomics of the seated body rather than forcing the body to conform to a geometric sphere.
The back provides 4cm of PU-moulded foam over a laminated beechwood structure — giving support to the lumbar and thoracic spine in a gently enveloping backrest that is wide enough to feel sheltering.
The seated position in the Pallone is a relaxed, semi-reclined lounge posture — the low seat height (41cm) and the ball’s profile encourage a more relaxed, casual sitting position rather than a formal, upright one. This makes it ideal as a reading chair, a conversation chair, or a lounge piece — sustained sitting is comfortable precisely because the position the chair encourages is naturally relaxed.
Learn more about Leolux → https://www.leolux.com
Q: The Leolux Pallone Pa costs more than standard armchairs — what justifies the price?
The price reflects three specific distinctions from a standard armchair.
First, the design legacy: the Pallone has been in continuous production since 1989 — a 35-year period during which it has won the Best Dutch Furniture Design award, the Designpreis Schweiz, Good Industrial Design, and recognition from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen. This is a chair that has been critically recognised as a design achievement across four decades. The creative and development investment that underpins a design of this longevity is embedded in every piece.
Second, the multi-zone upholstery system: the ability to specify up to three different leather colours across the chair’s distinct zones — central strip, outer seat, back — requires a more complex construction and a more skilled upholstery process than a single-material covering. Each Pallone’s zone combination is individually cut and applied.
Third, made-to-order production in the Netherlands: each Pallone is configured and produced individually in Leolux’s solar-powered factory. The chrome tube and legs, the moulded foam profile, the zone upholstery — every element is assembled for the specific configuration ordered, not pulled from stock inventory.
A chair that has been genuinely timeless for thirty-five years, made to order, in a multi-zone upholstery system that makes each piece unique. Free delivery and professional assembly in Tbilisi included.
