Portuguese furniture brand De La Espada has launched Petit by Neri&Hu, a compact dining chair with three legs that was originally designed for an interiors project in Paris.

Neri&Hu initially conceived the wooden Petit chair to suit the limited floor area and casual dining atmosphere of Papi, a restaurant set in a 19th-century Haussmann building in the city's ninth arrondissement.

"Papi celebrates the layered material heritage that narrates Parisian history, while Petit occupies the smallest possible footprint playing a versatile character for this arena-like setting," Neri&Hu said.

"The chair, available with three or four legs, is released to a wider audience, addressing the needs of smaller spaces or making room for more guests around a table."

Petit's design is reduced to its essential features and available in walnut, white oak and ash.

Its wooden legs have rounded edges and are organised underneath a circular seat that can be upholstered in leather or fabric. A curved backrest provides comfort and gives the chair a softer look.

"We were intrigued by the idea of working on something much smaller, much lighter, that makes use of far less material and yet is comfortable and beautiful, where proportions and the scale of the components are what make the piece distinctive," said De La Espada founder Luis De Oliveria.