The sum of many parts
Modular sofas aren’t exactly new, but they remain popular while the trend for open-plan living continues. The 2016 Kerman sofa by Philipp Mainzer and Farah Ebrahimi for e15 is an example: it comprises ten modules that can be combined to create many different combinations.
e15 is in excellent company. At imm Cologne (15−21 January 2017), Baxter dedicated much of its stand to spacious modular designs, most notably Miami Roll by Paola Navone and Viktor by Draga & Aurel. Fellow Italian exhibitors were on board with the modular approach too: Porada’s Kirk sofa by Carlo Ballabio and Philippe Starck’s Wow sofa for Driade were both on show.
However, our favourite modular collection is Hoff by Norwegian design duo Morten & Jonas for French brand Petite Friture. It comprises a pair of stools and armchairs that can be combined to create a sofa or used as standalone pieces. “We like to make and create objects that make people happy,” say the designers. “We are driven by the joy of creating interesting and beautiful objects that we hope will catch people’s attention.”