signature piece
CONSIDERED THE ULTIMATE IN AVANT-GARDE WHEN IT WAS LAUNCHED IN THE 1970S, THE MAH JONG SOFA IS AN ICONIC PIECE THAT REMAINS A BESTSELLER
“I’m always looking for things that will pass the test of time,” Charles Armand Turpin says as he surveys his Roche Bobois Mah Jong “sectional” (a grouping of giant mobile cushions, many of them upholstered in eye-catching Missoni fabrics).
Designed in the 1970s by Hans Hopfer, this is lounge seating as its comfiest and is a cornerstone of the Roche Bobois line. The modular seating system is at once playful, bright, and inviting — and Charles can move the pieces around at will to remake the room. He can stack them in two layers, resulting in seating that’s a conventional height, or in a single layer to create a giant bed. “On long winter weekends,” he says, “it’s a playground.” He will often doze off while watching CNN. He’s stepdad to several kids, and when they visit, they can all sleep on the couch. Dinner guests, meanwhile, can simply move from the table to the sofa for a snooze if they’ve enjoyed a few glasses of wine.
Before he brought in the couches, says Charles, the room “felt cold and didn’t have any character. All the colours make it fun.” Pink lighting and an attention-grabbing ceiling sculpture add to the ambience. But this room is also about taking the time to slow down and relax. “I meditate,” says Charles, whose energy is infectious and abundant. “I have to.”