How to make friends and influence people: DE SEDE

Designing a sofa or an armchair should seem like a relatively straightforward task, on the one hand, while on the other, a highly complex one – Bertolt Brecht himself, after all, posited that the simplest things are the hardest to achieve. Seating should combine both elegance and comfort, but that is not all. Ideally, the design should also complement the existing products of the brand for which it was created.

But that is still not quite the whole story. Beyond that, the seat’s appearance as a whole, its formal language, should feel contemporary – and still manage to look good for decades to come, if possible, without looking stylistically outdated. So, one realises that the demands placed on seating design are quite considerable.

Perhaps this is why there are so many unconvincing designs for armchairs and sofas. Either they lack character and follow traditional typological paths – or they are driven by the desire to display their sheer inventiveness or serve exalted ideas. It is best to steer a course away from both these extremes. That the design of seating can be approached in a completely different and better way, is masterfully demonstrated by Philippe Malouin.

The Canadian-British designer has created the DS-707 sofa for the Swiss manufacturer, de Sede. The modular approach of the design also makes a strong impression as an armchair. The striking thing about the DS-707 family is its immediately comprehensible, yet completely unique, structure: in short, the clarity of its construction. In our interview, Malouin doesn’t make a fuss about it, rather he gets straight to the point: 'We developed the design in a very direct way, by folding sheets of foam in the middle and then folding them again. When you work with a material like foam, you come up with things that you probably never would have found by drawing alone. Our experiments led to a very simple form in the end.'

Malouin, who now lives and works in London, is originally from Montreal, where, as a boy, he was fascinated by Moshe Safdie’s now famous brutalist housing project, Habitat 67. This, too, is characterised by both rhythm and simplicity: the 354 blocky apartment-modules, stacked like steps beside the St Lawrence River, is today regarded as a highly innovative example of Canadian architecture.

Malouin was also influenced by his studies at the renowned Design Academy in Eindhoven, and equally, by the vibrant city of London. In 2018, Wallpaper magazine named him 'Designer of the Year', and magazines and design blogs such as dezeen, Nomad and Vogue, have for years been reporting on the designer’s work.

When any creative gets the chance to work for a manufacturer like de Sede, it inevitably provokes a certain awe in them. After all, as a designer, one is being called to continue the history of a great Swiss furniture company. And what do most people think of first when they hear the name de Sede? Quite likely, the DS-600 non-stop sofa – affectionately known as the 'Tatzelwum'.

Malouin already knew of de Sede’s revolutionary designs – not from a heavy design tome though, but rather a Snoop Dogg music video. As different as the DS-600 and the DS-707 may be, they are still clearly related. This isn’t by accident. As Malouin explains: 'I had the DS-600 in mind during the design process. It is simply part of collective design memory and appeals to many people.' Mick Jagger and Tina Turner are just two cultural figures who are known to cherish a DS-600.

Malouin may hope that he has succeeded in creating a similarly enduring design with the DS-707: 'We clearly try to stay away from trends, because they can be dangerous. The more a product follows trends, the shorter its lifespan will be.' For the Canadian, it means a lot that de Sede furniture is practically indestructible and is passed on from generation to generation. Quality is sometimes the best environmental protection.

Similar to the DS-600, a modular approach ensures flexibility for the DS-707: the 75cm-tall newcomer is available in widths between 150 and 250cm and even longer versions are conceivable due to its modular structure. And could Malouin’s sofa or armchair play a role in a Bond film one day, as some other de Sede furniture already has? Only time will tell.

But a 007 on a 707 would certainly fit. And, of course, James Bond also knows how to make difficult things look easy.

Photos: © Jonas Marguet, Lukas Wassmann, de Sede

© Architonic