Scared of “modern furniture?” You don’t have to be. It’s all a frame of mind. Paola Navone’s Net 21F chair crushes our expectations of modern furniture being glossy white, sharp corners and bulky mass. This quaint chair has quite a bark, yet it’s barely there! Its iron frame is handwoven with dark pulut, or rice. Felt has warmed humans for centuries and here, as a cushion, it also hints at today’s modern shapes and proportions.

Rustic materials and age-old secrets — such as hand painted rugs — meet modern sophistication in Paola Navone’s own home in Greece. Who says a serene sanctuary can’t be modern? See more of this architect and designer’s work here.