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 DE SEDE / MILAN FURNITURE FAIR 2006


Furniture from de Sede tells its own story – of life, of dreams, of comfort and security. The de Sede label stands for clear-cut forms, elegance, streamlined magic and a strongly developed sense of colour. Style and comfort are the message behind the de Sede philosophy: The culture of excellence.

For nearly 50 years, they have been uncompromising in your commitment to traditional craftsmanship, to quality and to innovation. For it is only in this way that de Sede has grown to become a leading brand of international note. In addition to quality and know-how, the company's philosophy also focuses squarely upon loyalty. Loyalty which strengthens the company's position vis-à-vis the competition. Loyalty can be a very important quality. The ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 management certification awarded to de Sede bears witness to our unstinting striving for quality.


de Sede presents many new products at the Milan International Furniture Fair 2006:

The DS-540, designed by Thomas Althaus, is an exciting serial tale of sublimely upholstered sofas. Its theme is not an expression of melancholy, but a mirror on an optimistic future, marked by the merest soupcon of extravagance. Back and seat cushions, whose form conjures up a smoothly flowing quilted mat, are an open invitation to relax in voluptuous comfort. The cushioning on the back and armrests can be adjusted upward with a flick of the wrist to transform the sofa into a cosy corner of seductive bliss. The cubic body is enclosed at its sides by a supporting metal frame that creates a subtle contrast to the pliant cushions. Additional elements allow the sofa to be converted easily into a corner suite. The careful attention paid to the quality of the sofa is consciously emphasised throughout.

The DS-541 from Thomas Althaus is an intelligent, technically sophisticated essay on the theme of transformation: in no time at all, the sofa can be changed into a cosy lounger. Twisting the seats through 90 degrees swivels the leg-rest out from beneath the side armrests. Back adjustment is triggered by a mechanism integrated in the armrest. As the back tilts to a more reclined position, the armrests rise proportionally to a position that reflects the ergonomic ideal. The lines of the DS-541 are hallmarked by the powerful horizontal arrangement of the long back section from which the armrests flow outward to form a harmonious entity of design. The top of the back section forms a delicate border with two adjustable headrests. Seemingly afloat on its chrome-plated frame, the DS-541 envelops the sitter in a veritable embrace of comfort.

In music, the term rhapsody denotes a composition in an extended movement, typically emotional in character. And this sums up the DS-123 sofa from Mathias Hoffmann to perfection. Its armrests sweep forward to create an unaccustomed perspective for the observer and give the piece its ineffable flair. The DS-123 results not from a modish compulsion to lift seating above the confines of function with a zeitgeist apparently suffering something of a midlife crisis. Instead its success stems purely and simply from the genius of its design: a daring combination of textile and leather atop slender chromed legs that lift the sofa into the nirvana of an unbearable lightness of being. There is not the slightest hint of banality anywhere in the DS-123, even though it does meld form and function into exquisite reality, far from all nebulous streamlined contrivance.

The DS-180 by Braun & Maniatis forms a unique counterpoint in seating design: a chromium steel frame flows around the entire sofa. This steel framework, which was conceived in the California of the late 1940s, experiences a rebirth in the DS-180 which transforms this established design concept with a peerless novelty that refuses to ignore the demands of function. The continuous chromium steel frame creates a new style in furniture making those points the way to the profound charms of a higher aesthetic of design. The DS-180 has an unmistakeably retro flavour without its being a mere re-release from the past. Its arresting frame, stunning lines, quality and functionality are already imbuing Contra Punctum with cult status.

The DS-370 sofa from Cuno Frommherz is a counterbalance to the frantic pace that pitilessly propels us through our workaday world. It is a counterpoint to the restlessness of an age governed by rapid change, by intoxication with speed, by the narcissistic belief that we have a solution for absolutely everything. We treat our world as if there were a second waiting in the wings. And the more the negative pall of restlessness spreads across our lives, the more we need rest, clarity, the tangible and the distance to allow us to look ahead. Despite the forceful personality of its form, from its soft geometry to its striking seams, the DS-370 is a sofa that gives the viewer a feeling of space. It need not be explained by an attitude or an anecdote. It is embodied in the uncompromising reduction to essentials and constitutes the sofa's incontestable aesthetic appeal. Functionality is something else altogether. This is an invitation to find the correct position to suit each changing mood: from conventional sitting through lounging to reclining. You never walk alone with this sofa. On the contrary: you sit or recline pleasurably accompanied by a cosy sense of security and composure.


At last, of the past seasons we notice the following products:
the DS-152 sofa – by Jane Worthington –, the seating collection DS 207 – by Antonella Scarpitta –, and the evergreen RH 301 seat designed by Robert Haussmann.




de Sede AG
Oberes Zelgli 2
CH-5313 Klingnau
Tel. +41 56 268 01 11
Fax. +41 56 268 01 21
www.desede.ch

 
 INDEX 2006 
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in cooperation with:
Elena Granchi




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