The brief for this project came from the designers as a sketch drawing, a technical drawing of the space (with dimensions), and a set of inspiration photos.

Working from these references, I built the frame from scratch using hardwood ply and small amounts of beech. My background in contract furniture manufacturing means I can interpret a brief quickly and make structural decisions with confidence. It was particularly important here, where the modular, wedge-shaped, pieces required a clear focus on profiles that would give the most strength, while also providing an appropriate framework for the upholstery fillings.

The “Pillow” style is a concept that has been reinvented many times. Its origins, to my knowledge, belong to Mario Marenco and his Marenco sofa system for Arflex in 1970. This is now a classic of Italian design, and one whose relaxed, modern aesthetic is clearly having a renewed influence on contemporary interiors.

That lineage made this project particularly interesting. Working from a designer’s sketch meant engaging seriously with that heritage, understanding what makes the form work, while producing something entirely bespoke (and practical) that did not previously exist.