Essential beauty
ROD
Piero lissoni 2012 for Living Divani
The news from the Milan furniture fair never fails to excite, some years more so than others. 2012
may have had less flash but the offerings from GRAYE makers still rose to the occasion
and exhibited sophisticated objects of clean modern form. The concepts of subtle detail, precise
and delicate engineering were prominent both at Living Divani and Porro. Being very much
into the technical area of design myself, I never mind when a new collection holds mostly
technical improvements and upgrades to existing product. New woods, new lighting
and sensors in cabinetry, updated and improved lacquer techniques and innovations in
upholstery frame construction shown here with the newly released ROD sofa.
In my last posting I featured a new cabinet from Piero lissoni for Porro which shares some
traits with the ROD sofa also by Lissoni. Both perched, almost stilted, clean
simple structures with some heft atop misleadingly delicate legs. Using the strength
of steel for their framing, the Tiller cabinet leaving this structure somewhat visible while the ROD
sofa buries its steel into the frame, hidden from view. This inner frame of tube, bar and
drawn steel provides the perfect opportunity to push past other steel framed sofas.
Allowing the supporting body to be minimized in thickness and mass, giving up the invitation
of supreme comfort to the cushions, plush and supportive with a simple design detail.
A smart, fashionable seat tuft finished with a matching garment button.
Dealing with steel framed European upholstery for the last decade I often am surprised
with what this type of construction allows a sofa form to become. At times allowing the
designer to create avant-garde and sometimes outlandish forms, and at times as with ROD
to bring a form with an unreal lightness. A piece that for a split second makes you hesitate
to really drop down onto the seat for fear of hearing a crack or snap. The ROD stability calms
your nerves after first sit and with detail rich cushions of multiple foams and goosedown
topping the sturdy frame eliminates any lingering skepticism.
An architect 'engineered' sofa is pretty hard to beat.
Available to order soon at GRAYE Los Angeles
