- I. The sofa seen by the greatest contemporary designers (1)
- THE MOON SYSTEM SOFA (2)
- THE SKIN SOFA (3)
- THE MANTILLA SOFA (4)
- THE DOC SOFA (5)
- THE GENTRY SOFA (6)
- THE PRIVATE SOFA (7)
- THE AMOENUS SOFA (8)
- THE ISOLA BENCH (9)
- THE DALILIPS SOFA (10)
- THE ALISEO SOFA (11)
- THE BIOPHILIA SOFA (12)
- THE SOFT SYSTEM SOFA (13)
- THE GHOSTFIELD SOFA (14)
- THE JEREMIE SOFA (15)
- THE MUTATIONS SERIES SOFA (16)
- THE TANTISASSI SOFA (17)
- THE CIPRIA SOFA (18)
- ;" data-mce-style="font-size: 22px II. The sofa and new technologies (19)
- The phosphorescent sofa (20)
- The connected sofa (21)
- The use of new materials (22)
I. The sofa seen by the greatest contemporary designers
Let's review, in a non-exhaustive way, sofas on the current scene which are important in terms of design and are, for some, already icons.
The Moon System sofa and its foam and steel pouf - Zaha Hadid (2007)
THE MOON SYSTEM SOFA
by Zaha Hadid
Created in 2007, the Moon System sofa is one of the strong pieces of furniture. Polyurethane foam furniture, with a steel structure, it has clear shapes, with angles. Designed in a boomerang shape, it coordinates with a pouf of the same shape.
THE SKIN SOFA
by Jean Nouvel
An art object in its own right, the Skin sofa is considered a sculpture, the idea of which was born with the arrangements of the Musée du Quai Branly, in 2007. With an aluminum structure, the sofa is hollow, without any padding, which can then be surprising, seen in profile. The seat and back are held together by a single piece of leather perforated with geometric patterns.
The Skin aluminum sofa - Jean Nouvel (2007)
The Mantilla sofa and its timeless shapes - Emilio Nanni (2014)
THE MANTILLA SOFA
by Emilio Nanni
The Mantilla sofa is one of the basics that we love in a timeless way. Harmonious, this sofa created in 2014 offers regular volumes and also classic materials such as ash wood. Comfortable, its fabric is quilted with buttons, on polyurethane foam and a wadding covering. Aesthetic, it fits perfectly into a Scandinavian interior.
Doc sofa transforms into bunk beds - Giulio Manzoni (2014)
THE DOC SOFA
by Giulio Manzoni
Considered a very ingenious piece of furniture allowing significant space saving, the Doc sofa created in 2014 is a living room convertible into bunk beds. In a single movement like a click-clack, the mattress hidden in the bottom of the body tilts and passes above the sofa, to form the upper bed. With an all-metal structure, a telescopic ladder unfolds automatically.
The couture spirit of the Gentry sofa - Patricia Urquiola (2011)
THE GENTRY SOFA
by Patricia Urquiola
With a covering that looks like a quilted knit, the Gentry sofa from 2011 is one of Patricia Urquiola's many creations, which no longer needs to be presented in today's design landscape. Comfortable, this living room is in tune with the times, in a Scandinavian spirit, with steel legs and cushions in polyurethane foam and goose feathers. We like the Silverlake, Lowland models or the modular Tuffy Too version.THE PRIVATE SOFA
by Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck is one of the best-known designers around the world, for his creations in all fields. In its Privé collection, it offers several sofa models, including one that serves as a bench, on which you can lie down with islands and lifting backs. With polyurethane foam and wadding, the sofa fits well with a modern style, thanks to its padded leather covering and a metal structure.
The multiple functions of the private sofa - Philippe Starck (2007)
The amoenus sofa and its very comfortable cocooning aspect - Antonio Citterio (2006)
THE AMOENUS SOFA
by Antonio Citterio
In an Ottoman spirit, Antonio Citterio's sofa is a completely circular lounge, with a very deep seat and a back-armrest that forms a curve. A flagship piece of the Amoenus line, this sofa offers a cocooning bubble in an interior, with foam and feather cushions.
The modular and ecological spiral of the Isola bench - Karim Rashid (2009)
THE ISOLA BENCH
by Karim Rashid
Like a lost island, the Isola sofa is intended to be a living room that can easily accommodate 8 people, with its spiral shape. Modular, it can be placed at the center of a contemporary interior or in a place of passage, within a company. Ecological, the sofa has a wooden structure that has received an ecological label and a soy-based polyurethane foam, with high density, hypoallergenic and which does not harm the environment.
The famous Dalilips sofa exhibited at the Dali Museum in Figueres in Spain - Salvador Dali and Oscar Tusquets (1974)
THE DALILIPS SOFA
by Salvador Dali and Oscar Tusquets
A bit anachronistic, the Dalilips sofa was designed in 1974 by Salvador Dali and Oscar Tusquet. Made from molded polyethylene foam, it is on display at the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain. In the 21st century, 30 years after its conception, it is marketed all over the world, by the company holding the exclusive marketing rights. This sofa has an atypical history and thus remains an emblem of the work of the artist Dali.
THE GLIDER SOFA
by Ron Arad
Presented at the Milan show in 2015, Ron Arad wanted to create not a simple living room, but an exciting sofa. The fabric covering is a gradient of colors for more originality. 
Presented at the 2015 Milan fair, the glider sofa is made from a single block of foam - Ron Arad (2015)
This model is made with a one-piece foam shaped to create a shape.
The aliseo pull-out sofa bed - Pol74 (2011)
THE ALISEO SOFA
by Pol74
Created in 2011, the Aliséo convertible sofa is discreet, with a pull-out bed in a drawer at the bottom of the body. Round in shape, the sofa is made of honeycomb fabric and velvet. Modular, the seat is a foam or spring mattress, with a box spring. Practical, the trundle bed can be raised to be at the same height as the other bed and can therefore form a large bed for 2 people. Some models of convertible sofas from La Maison du Convertible resemble it.
Inspired by the Sagrada Familia, the outdoor sofa is the result of avant-garde design - Ross Lovergrove (2013)
THE BIOPHILIA SOFA
by Ross Lovegrove
Outdoor furniture has really taken off since 2000. Today, the furniture resembles that of large luxury hotels and the latter therefore call on designers for the exterior decoration. Thus, the Biophilia sofa is a molded polymer garden furniture. The designer said he was inspired by both Art Nouveau and the Sagrada Famila, the unfinished work of Antonio Gaudi. At night, the sofa can be illuminated by a light, which completely changes its appearance and makes it a luminescent object.
A wooden structure and foam blocks make the soft system sofa fully modular - Tom Dixon (2006)
THE SOFT SYSTEM SOFA
by Tom Dixon
Created in 2006, the Soft System sofa allows you to create your own tailor-made living room, because it is completely modular. With a wooden structure, it allows you to compose your sofa according to your space and your interior, thanks to polyether foam blocks. It can have a function as a chaise longue and/or corner sofa.
THE GHOSTFIELD SOFA
by Paola Navone
A UFO in the design landscape, the Ghostfield sofa reveals the structure of a Chesterfield sofa. Created in 2011, it leaves the body of the living room itself, the springs, the wooden structure and the jute strap visible. With a transparent PVC covering, this living room which seems to be only a prototype currently being finalized, is a sofa like any other. The difference is that the coating is not opaque.
The Ghostfield sofa, which is inspired by the famous Chesterfield, highlights artisanal work - Paola Navone (2011)
The very designer Jeremie is a convertible sofa - Eric Berthes (2014)
THE JEREMIE SOFA
by Eric Berthes
Made by Milano Bedding, the Jeremie sofa is a completely unsuspected convertible, with a 190 cm mattress. Inspired by Art Deco, the sofa bed created in 2014 has the shape of a chaise longue, with high resilience polyurethane foam for comfort, feather cushions and a solid beech structure.
Rewriting of the Chesterfield or metaphor around cloning? The Mutation Series sofa - Maarten De Ceulaer (2012)
THE MUTATIONS SERIES SOFA
by Maarten De Ceulaer
Cellular and globular, the Mutations series sofa is intended to be both a metaphor for the development of a bacteria, in the manner of cloning, and a reinterpretation of the Chesterfield living room, a classic which never ceases to inspire designers. Made of agglomerated foam blocks, the sofa created in 2012 can have a velvet or rubber finish.
Grab a treat and relax on the Tantisassi sofa - Matteo Thun (2006)
THE TANTISASSI SOFA
by Matteo Thun
Nicknamed the candy sofa, this living room is a gourmet invitation to relaxation and idleness. It leaves no one indifferent and brings back a childhood memory. The Tantisassi sofa was created in 2006, for Rossi di Albizzate. It then created a buzz on the web and was the subject of a publication in Elle decoration magazine.
THE CIPRIA SOFA
by Fernando and Humberto Campana
A little eccentric, the Cipria sofa is an assembly of 9 cushions made from a mixture of foams, with a metal structure, extremely simple and discreet. Created in 2009, it is covered with fabrics of different materials and colors, including ecological fur. This resolutely designer living room is a strong piece in a contemporary interior.
The cipria sofa is an upholstered sofa made up of 9 independent cushions - Fernando and Humberto Campana (2009)
II. The sofa and new technologies
The sofa is a piece of furniture that knows how to adapt to the times. In the age of connected objects, the living room can also be connected and have a function other than decoration and relaxation. The use of ecological materials is a growing concern among buyers, who want furniture that is both comfortable and “green”.-
The phosphorescent sofa
At first glance a contemporary sofa, the Mr Hyde sofa takes on the look of a Chesterfield once lit - Pablo Crespo Pita
The sofa is part of the furniture that is studied by future designers in schools. In order to develop creativity, the living room can be reinvented, thanks to numerous prototypes. What if the sofa could transform overnight?
This is the question that students at the Polytechnic School of Design in Milan had to ask themselves to achieve this achievement praised by critics. Called Mr Hyde, the day sofa is quite basic with a simple structure and cubic volumes.
At night, this versatile sofa transforms into curves, not because of its material, but thanks to the phosphorescent ink, which draws Chesterfield patterns. Enough to revise this classic, in a new and original way, for successful study work.
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The connected sofa
The sofa is becoming an interactive piece of furniture. Even though most furniture remains in the prototype stage, the sofa can serve a useful function. Equipped with presence sensors, you will no longer need to look for the TV remote control, because it will be integrated directly into the armrests.
Like Ikea furniture which will integrate wireless chargers, the sofa will be able to recharge the batteries of a smartphone or touchscreen tablet.
The connected sofa to charge your phone, listen to music, remote control your TV, etc.
The sofa can even go further and become a station for listening to the radio or your favorite music tracks. In addition to the device charging function, the living room could have integrated speakers, hidden under lifting headrests. Wireless, the system integrates perfectly with the sofa and opens up to a more versatile use of furniture in general.
What if the sofa had the floor? Crazy bet and a bit far-fetched but possible with the #TweetSeat sofa. As the Créapills website says, this sofa was created for the last Football World Cup. Visually basic, it has cushions with messages written on them. All you need to do is be connected to your Twitter account, have your cell phone in your pocket and throw the cushions in the air for the messages to be broadcast directly.
To congratulate the team, you have to jump on the couch. Something to liven up your evenings! The idea came from the fact that people watching the match cannot follow the action and Twitter at the same time.
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The use of new materials
For economic reasons, furniture manufacturers can also offer inexpensive sofas with materials from petrochemicals that are not very environmentally friendly.
It is possible to turn to natural materials, such as untreated solid wood, organic materials or vegetable tanning of leather.
Indeed, binders, solvents and dyes can be extremely polluting and harmful to nature. It is at the level of sofa padding that it is possible to choose alternatives to polyether or polyurethane foams, which can then promote dust mite allergies.
The foam's raw material is polyurethane, the polyols of which can be of plant origin such as soya or even from CO2 ( learn more about foams and coatings ).
