A wireless massager comes concealed in this sofa design, making it perfect for all couch potatoes!

Posted on 08/12/2020 by Jay Alba

Since we spend most of our time in our homes (especially in 2020), we might as well make those spaces as comfortable and relaxing as possible. One problem that the massage chair business has not solved yet is creating space-efficient furniture. Massage chairs are often bulky, and they might not match the aesthetic of your existing furniture. The solution proposed by the Dong Dong sofa is to create a piece of furniture that just happens to include a massager.

Based on the couch’s design alone, I would buy this product. Its plush, buoyant cushions and its bright yellow color would make for a great statement piece. The design pulls inspiration from a classic inflatable pool tube, which you can see in the couch’s large, bouncy cushions. The curved shape of the backrest also was inspired by ocean waves … and it serves a practical purpose: allowing the massager to blend into the couch.

At a glance, you might not see it. The massager is a cylinder piece that mimics the curvature of the backrest. The piece detaches easily from the backrest, which allows the user to massage any part of their body: not just their back. You can lie down on the couch and prop the massager under your calves, hug it to your body and massage your front, etc. And when you’re finished, you can set the device back in its slot on the couch, which also doubles as a wireless charger.

The detachability offers an advantage for the massager in terms of convenience. Additionally, I think this a business opportunity for the designer as well. Yes, the sofa and massager work well as a set … but why not sell them separately? After all, the massager on its own looks like a cylinder-shaped decorative pillow, which could theoretically blend into anyone’s furniture (if it had the right color). It would certainly offer a more wallet-friendly alternative to the full couch.

Designer: Su Yeon and Dong Hyeon

This couch turns into a rescue boat for natural disasters

Posted on 21/04/2020 by Ruchi Thukral

Like pandemics, there are many other natural phenomenons that are out of human control. The frequency of these disasters has now increased due to climate change. I have only ever lived on coasts, no matter which country I was in, and being climate-conscious I know that if we don’t get aggressive with our efforts to slow it down the coastal cities will be the first to collapse under massive floods and tsunamis. Scary image isn’t it? Well, we can do two things about it – live more sustainably and design products like Afloat for our Plan B.

Since a couch is something that most homes have, designer Max Bitsan had a pumpkin-turns-into-carriage moment and gave us an angular couch that is also a lifeboat for rainy days…literally. Afloat has been envisioned to fit within the modern interior aesthetics while also being capable of helping you escape situations like floods, tsunamis, storms, dam breaks and more. Turn it upside down and you have a makeshift shelter if you are not trying to stay ‘afloat’ (too soon?). The couch’s mainframe is built like a boat and otherwise is home to bright, fluffy cushions that reassure you of the bright sunny times. Afloat also comes in an armchair size.

On a lighter note, if you live by a lake then you can take your couch out on the water and enjoy the normal times – we now know that the mundane things we enjoyed outside are truly a treasure we took for granted. A lesson learned in advance – don’t take your couch for granted, it can save lives either by you just sitting on it or by you rowing it like a boat.

Designer: Max Bitsan

Architecture legend, Bjarke Ingels, ‘pivots’ their couch towards the future of flexible living

Posted on 03/03/2020 by Ruchi Thukral

Bjarke Ingels is a movie star of the architecture world, but he is also an artist and a trailblazing source of inspiration that goes beyond the structures he builds. A decade ago he started spreading the word on his philosophy of sustainable hedonism which bridges the gap between environmentalism and luxury – they can coexist and Ingels showcases that in his work. What sets him apart is that everything he creates has drawn inspirations from ideas, things, art and even games that are totally unrelated to what he is building but still shines through subtly. The latest example to prove this point is the Voxel sofa for a Danish brand, Common Seating, which is a harmony of elements from Minecraft (which Ingels loves!), Q*bert video games as well as the work of Modernist architect Mies van der Rohe.

The Voxel sofa is, in the simplest words, made to adapt to the environment and the user’s needs. Bjarke Ingel’s firm, BIG, looked into how they design their architectural projects like their Lego House, 79 & Park apartment block and the 2016 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion when creating the modular sofa system. The team made a grid of pixel-like blocks to form the seats and called it Voxel. The name and aesthetic of the sofa come from the word’s actual meaning which is a graphic and interface design term for ‘3D pixel’. Voxel will look and mean something unique to every individual user and space.

Voxel can be moved, repaired, flipped, added on to or reduced with ease based on its surroundings. It represents the future of modern furniture – pieces designed to serve the user with multiple functionalities with a form that fits in every room. The sofa system is built with four major parts – armrests, backrests, seats, and legs, and all of these can be interchanged and assembled in multiple ways. The pieces connect with simple metal cylinders that slide into holes and give it its modular essence. “The grid-like system creates a family of units that can be configured into multiple seating scenarios, from single-unit couch to large configurations,” says Jakob Lange, partner at BIG. With the rapid evolution of our culture and lifestyle, Voxel has the ability to mold itself organically to any ecosystem.

The sofa’s design reduces waste by encouraging owners to exchange or repair separate parts if needed, instead of throwing the entire piece out. Voxel is made on-demand and shipped directly from the workshop to ensure it only produces what is necessary and manages waste responsibly. Voxel promotes Bjarke Ingel’s idea of flexibility and sustainable living in its own didactic message of being able to modify and adapt to where we are in the moment with our core values intact. Lang goes on to say, “If it were a person, [it] would be able to move, flex and adapt to different configurations, making it agile in any environment – at home or at work – and responsive to any individual. The person can really grow and live with this sofa long-term.”

Ingels has always viewed architecture as the art and science of making things that fit the way we want to live our lives, it is a constant evolution of ideas. I’ll leave you with this thought inspired by Bjarke Ingels – sustainability is not a moral sacrifice but a design challenge and we have the tools to design ecosystems that optimize the flow of people, resources, economies even…so why not give back with the power to create?

Designer: BIG Group

Sofa designs so good, they’re impossible to resist: Part 2

Posted on 02/09/2019 by Neha Mistry

Rather than a statement piece, sofa designs have become a piece of comfort. Many of us (consider me guilty too) have surely ended up eating, sleeping, crashing and basically just living out on our sofa. But the designs we have collected here will ensure you treat your sofa as the beautiful and central part to your home that it should be. Scroll down to see designs that will inspire you to innovate, reimagine and create some truly unique sofa designs.

Lawless Sofa by Evan Fay.

The Shell Sofa comes with two small openings at the beginning and end of its structure, making it perhaps the most entertaining play area for a domestic cat by Natalia Komarova.

Felix is a miniature sofa with a mesmerizing canopy that takes inspiration from Mexican architectural designs of the 1950s by Christian Vivanco.

The Brick Sofa by Copenhagen designers KiBiSi consists of stacked pillows with fiber concrete buttons!

Beatle’s versatile construction makes it possible to easily switch things up depending on both your spatial and comfort needs. The flexible back can slide all the way around on a built-in rail system, instantly transforming it from sofa to lounge. You can adjust it in a number of comfortable positions and choose the side that works best for your space, as designed by Burak Aykan & Nur Eryılmaz.

The Borghese table, also known as the eponymous sofa, is inspired by the umbrella pines at the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome by La Chance.

The furniture collection of Dutch photographer Fien Muller and artist Hannes Van Severen is simple, minimal and beautiful in its use of leather.

MERRICK Sofa takes a new and interesting approach, playing with lines to create a focal point that is bound to hold your attention, designed by architect Micheal K Chen.

An expression of sea waves perception, this piece explores the balance of being quietly alone and shaking with the sea, being isolated from the world while noises still there around you by Artur de Menezes.

The minimally elegant sofa-armchair by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba.

Furniture for interior-design-loving introverts!

Posted on 18/07/2019 by Sarang Sheth

The Capsule Chair/Sofa set, with its soft felt fabric and its perfect geometric design is simply inviting. Pastel colors and soft curves give the capsule its cozy appeal, while the wood + powder-coated metal frames give it a stability without taking away from the softness. All in all, the Capsule looks like a soft-boiled egg on a wooden-leg egg-cozy. Sit in the Capsule and as your behind sinks into the cushion, you notice your peripheral vision getting narrowed. Its cocoon-esque design covers your sides and your top, blocking not just vision but also absorbing audio, leaving you in a tranquil bubble as you sleep, read, or work. A perfect chair/sofa set for someone who doesn’t want to make idle chit-chat and just wants to be!

Designer: Kateryna Sokolova for PALAU

Sofa designs so good, they’re impossible to resist

Posted on 13/05/2019 by Neha Mistry

Lawless Sofa by Evan Fay

Cloverleaf sofa by Verpan

Soriano sofa by design legends Afra & Tobia

De Medici by Ihor Havrylenko

Pebble Furniture by Igarashi Design Studio for Musashino Art University 9th Building

Bob modular sofa by Stefan Borselius and Bernstrand for Bla Station

Borghese Sofa by Noe Duchaufour Lawrance & Cara Woodhouse Interiors

2018 Outdoor Collection by MINOTTI

The incredible OCEANIA Couch by Simon Haeser

Povarskaya Street Couch by Aiya Design

The Shell sofa explores volume without weight, and is perfect for humans and cats!

Posted on 08/05/2019 by Sarang Sheth

With a voluminous yet hollow frame, the Shell sofa is instantly visible. It is, in a strictly physical sense, minimalist (because it’s mainly hollow), but visually, the Shell sofa is almost pillowy, spacious, and a treat to look at. The sofa is a frame that curves from the left to the back and to the right, with space in between for cushions, or even two side tables if you remove the cushions at the extreme ends. It’s visually imposing, but still manages to look light and airy, thanks to its wickerwork of metal rods. The interwoven rods also create this moire effect that creates a dynamic optical illusion, making the Shell sofa’s body incredibly interesting to look at… and while we’re on the subject of interesting, the sofa comes with two small openings at the beginning and end of its structure, making it perhaps the most entertaining play area for a domestic cat. Good luck getting it out though once it goes inside!

The Shell Sofa is a winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2019.

Designer: Natalia Komarova

BACK TO BED is IKEA’s Wet Dream

Posted on 25/01/2019 by Radhika Seth

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The newly crowned royalty in modular furniture has to be designer Chang Kuei Fang. The BACK TO BED sofa is multifunctional and modular enough to be an elegant lounger or a snuggly bed for the kids. The combination is such, that if you put four of the sofa chairs together, you can make it a warm bed. And if you’d like to, you can play around with the armrests, dividers and backrests to make new combinations.

As far as the details go, the sofa uses brass knobs on the undersides and substitute traditional metal connectors. A rubber or silicone band works with the knobs to give you the configurations you’d like. Change from a 3-seater sofa, L-shaped sofa, a single bed or a double bed.

The Chinese character ‘回’ signifies ‘to go back’, thus the name of this project.

Designer: Chang Kuei Fang

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The Cushion Tamer

Posted on 13/11/2018 by Troy Turner

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In just a couple of simple steps, SHO transforms from sofa to sofabed in seconds by taking control of the cushion! The design utilizes a unique metal frame that snaps together to hold a twin-size latex mattress in an upright position that’s perfect for sitting and reading. Simply undo the clasp and unfold the mattress to create a proper lounger where you can extend the legs and relax while enjoying the back support. With its small footprint, its perfect for the micro-est of micro-living spaces!

The SHO is a winner of the 2018 Red Dot Design Concept Award.

Designer: Pan Biwei

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Mesmerizing Furniture, Courtesy of Mexico.

Posted on 06/12/2017 by Troy Turner

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Felix is a miniature sofa with a mesmerizing canopy that takes inspiration from Mexican architectural designs of the 1950s in which paraboloid structures and arches defined the country’s identity. Its pergola-style cover provides visual separation to the user without restricting visibility. This visual lightness is a perfect contrast to its robust frame. Its skeleton is made of tough tubular steel while the cushion is fashioned from polyurethane foam and polyester, making it ideal for either indoor or outdoor use.

This contemporary interpretation not only pays homage to this landmark in architectural history in a fun, modern way, but it also part of a larger effort by designer Christian Vivanco to conceive, produce and market his products in Mexico and in collaboration with Mexican companies like Los Patrones.

Designer: Christian Vivanco

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