‘The sofa originally faced the fireplace, and then the fireplace was replaced by the radio, so people would gather and listen to their favourite program as a family,’ explains designer Alexis Tourron. ‘The radio was then replaced by the television, which has eventually been made obsolete for the next generation because of the internet,’ he adds, charting the shifts that have shaped the world’s living rooms across the years.
This latest change is perhaps the biggest when it comes to the layout of the lounge, but what will the future look like? ‘We need a new archetype, a new typology of sofa that is non-directional; that doesn’t necessarily face something,’ says Tourron, who, together with Panter & Tourron co-founder Stefano Panterotto, has collaborated with Airbnb on research into the future of living.
Drawing on their findings, the pair began designing ‘Anagram’ with Vitra – a modular sofa that reflects the ‘patchwork constellations’ of how we live today. Featuring modular backrests, side panels and attachable tables that can be clicked into place on all four sides, it allows for countless configurations that can be used to quickly respond to the needs of contemporary living.
Panter & Tourron’s ‘Anagram’ speaks to a wider appetite for multifunctional living spaces, a trend catalysed by the Covid-19 pandemic and rising housing costs. According to a recent report by British furniture retailer Sofology, we are spending more time in our living rooms than ever before. And, consequently, the way we use the living room has evolved. Half of those surveyed have made eating on the sofa a daily habit while, surprisingly, close to a quarter of 25- to 34-year-olds regularly work from the sofa.
‘The living room is where we spend most of our time,’ confirms Julien Sebban. As founder of the wildly eccentric Parisian design house Uchronia, creating lounges that clients will love for the long term is his bread and butter, and the multi-use phenomenon is something he looked to capitalise on in his own home, where a purple Edra sofa anchors the living room, framed by curvy Uchronia cocktail tables and a Maison Royère armchair. ‘This room is really multifunctional, as we use it as a cinema room, but also a guest bedroom or study. We host a lot of dinners in the space, at least once a week, with people popping in all the time,’ he explains.
Despite society’s cultural and social changes, product and interior designers agree that we should all feel most at home in the sitting room. ‘Whether hosting friends or clients, our aim is the same: we want them to feel a sense of serenity,’ states Olivier Garcé, who launched the multidisciplinary agency Garcé & Dimofski alongside Clio Dimofski. ‘What matters most is how you interact with the furniture around you, and what makes it unique to you. This is why craft and curation are so important,’ Dimofski adds. The studio’s showroom-cum-home in Lisbon embodies their approach. Here, a striking Tadashi Kawamata artwork takes centre stage above a tactile ceramic and chestnut-wood sofa.
The need for comfort they describe may not, in itself, be revolutionary, but perhaps the difference is that it now applies to all elements of the lounge. That means technology, too.
Benjamin Hubert, founder of award-winning practice Layer, known for designs such as his ‘Balance’ speakers for Bang & Olufsen and sleek ‘Aura’ projector for Xgimi (all of which celebrate rich materials and craftsmanship in a move away from the traditional black box), is of the opinion that modern tech’s presence in the living room will be less domineering than ever before. ‘Our homes will be less influenced than we think by things like AI,’ he says. ‘The more prevalent and perhaps invasive technology becomes in our lives, the more we’ll want the opposite from our living spaces. They will continue to be a sanctuary.’
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