The demand for comfort – from what we wear to where we sit – is arguably at its all-time height. Increased time spent at home has directed us toward a cosy sensibility, one which favours curving lines, soft textures and cushy upholstery. Luckily, many products now on the market are catering to these mid-pandemic comfort ideals: from poufs to chairs to sofas, here are 11 furniture designs which will help render increasingly user-friendly interiors.
SUNDAE
Jason Ju for DesignByThem
Shunning overly stiff, unwelcoming commercial environments, DesignByThem turned to designer Jason Ju for Sundae, a line of armchairs, ottomans and lounges. The voluminous Sundae seating challenges the typical construction of lounges, which sees the utilization of an excess of material to retain structure. Ju and DesignByThem experimented with foam-layering techniques to perfect the shape over a minimal steel structure. ‘I wanted to design comfort into the aesthetic,’ explains Ju. ‘It was important for Sundae to feel welcoming and calming but also be made to withstand commercial use.’
TABA
Alfredo Häberli for Moroso
A continuation of the design harmony between Alfredo Häberli and Italian brand Moroso, the Taba collection is an eight-piece product family that endorses multifunctionality in private and public spaces alike. It consists of a sofa, two armchairs, a bench and four ottomans. ‘When you design sofas and seats, interaction with people must take pride of place,’ says Häberli. ‘This is why I play with the precision of lines and the poetics of the organic language.’
CÈPE
Sylvain Willenz for Arrmet
The first collection from Arrmet of large upholstered items, Sylvain Willenz’ Cèpe poufs take their look from the humble cep mushroom. The poufs comprise a ‘stem’ and ‘caps’, in different diameters from 55 to 120 cm. The fungi-inspired design can serve as seating or surface in a variety of interior environments – it’s simple, curved look is the result of a precise, detailed construction process.
CAMALEONDA
Mario Bellini for B&B Italia
Mario Bellini’s instant classic Camaleonda has been updated after 50 years, by B&B Italia. The 1970 design, a modular sofa with countless configurations, has benefitted from upgraded polyurethane padding and a new range of sustainable materials. Now, Camaleonda’s ‘sandwich structure’ is made from recycled or recyclable elements, resting atop FSC-certified spherical beechwood feet. And the padding is protected by a cover made of Dacron, a synthetic textile woven from recycled PET.
ISLA
Sebastian Herkner for GAN
German designer Sebastian Herkner’s first collection for Gan is called Isla, a family of outdoor furniture with three different seating modules named Menorca, Gomera and Arosa. These modules, which come with matching pillows, are interpreted in seven fresh colours – coral, sand, shell, blue, green, silver and garnet. Additionally, the seats are accompanied by three side and coffee tables.
POLAR LOUNGE CHAIR
Moritz Schlatter for Karimoku New Standard
Follow-ups to Karimoku New Standard’s Polar chair, the minimalist Polar lounge chairs are based on round, soft shapes. Joined with straight lines and geometric elements, the design’s curves make for a comfortable and relaxing seating option. The lounge chairs – which are designed by Moritz Schlatter – come in two versions, one low and large and the other high and compact. They are upholstered in Kvadrat and Maharam fabric, their legs solid, sustainable Japanese oak.
MALLOW LOUNGE CHAIR
Note Design Studio for Labofa
The Mallow lounge chair was developed to coincide with Note Design Studio’s launch of Note Editions, an online platform which aims to build a connection between the studio and consumers. The special-edition, made-to-order chairs, which are able to be purchased directly from the studio for a limited time, have been created in partnership with Danish manufacture Labofa and comes in a specially selected fabric from Kvadrat’s Moss collection.
MACARON
Laura Silvestrini for Piaval
Recently crowned the winner of the Best Furniture category at the Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2020, Piaval’s Macaron chair is in fact a practical addition to all hospitality environments. Piaval has added solutions to the contract models of Macaron that help facilitate the sanitization process and boost hygiene, resistance and durability. Laura Silvestrini’s seat design for the Italian company brings two volumes together, supported by a sculptural wooden base.
BONGO BAY
Kati Meyer-Brühl for Brühl
Organic – yet powerful – outlines give German manufacturer Brühl’s Bongo Bay seating shape, evoking the curvaceous forms of abstract sculpture and painting. Designed by Kati Meyer-Brühl, the inviting system offers twoand three-seater sofas with undulating backrests and armrests, armchairs and matching stools and tables, all available in exclusive upholstery options.
AFTER
Numer/For Use for Prostoria
A quintessential example of collective Numen / For Use’s aesthetic language, After is the foundation for a soft, highly functional interior landscape. Prostoria’s modular sofa is fitting for large spaces; it introduces the comfort and privacy of residential environments to public ones – offices, hotel lobbies and airport lounges, for example. The seating’s individual elements – a seater with backrest, two corners and a pouf – can be utilized to accommodate various situations.
OCTAVE
Vincent van Duysen for Molteni&C
Architect-designer Vincent Van Duysen’s inspiration for the design of Octave, a system of modular geometric sofas for Molteni, was the sweeping view of cities offered by wide skyscraper windows. ‘The Octave sofa collection is a subtle study of proportions, creating a graphic interplay of geometric volumes,’ says Van Duysen. ‘The feet – key features – underline the lightness of the sofa, as if it were suspended in air.’ A timely product, Octave is ideal for home-working environments because of its versatility; binding components are designed to support laptops, small printers and tablets.
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