How does a sofa say “Manhattan?” According to Italian designers Valeria Moiseeva, Joe Graceffa and Luca Nichetto who designed the “Sofa4Manhattan” for Design-Apart, the sofa represents a mix of relaxation and hard work, states of being which New Yorkers often struggle to balance.
The design for the ideal Manhattan sofa stemmed from a workshop last January in the Design-Apart showroom, with two international and ten local designers. In search of the perfect sofa design, one that truly reflects a New Yorker’s way of life, the participants investigated the habits of the residents of Manhattan to better understand how they relax and enjoy life at home.
Moiseeva, Graceffa and Nichetto's sofa sketch
Ultimately, Moiseeva, Graceffa and Nichetto were chosen for the task of creating such a sofa, which they sketched, and would then produce in “Crowdcrafting” style in the Design-Apart showroom in New York City.
Last month, the showroom hosted the “Crowdcrafting” workshop, inviting guests inside to watch as the designers interpreted the sofa design and produced it live. Opening the doors to guests allowed a unique look into the minds of these Italian artisans and how they craft.
“The traditional showroom is not able to represent Italian talent,” said Diego Paccagnella, founder of Design-Apart. “We needed a more emotional space, and the ability to offer our customers not only an aesthetic experience of the products but a true immersion in Italian culture. Our ‘living’ showroom allows customers to become familiar with Design-Apart’s designs, the places and the people who have created the products, and to interact with its history."
Guests of the "Crowdcrafting" workshop watch the details of a sofa being made
“I used my experience in making sofas and my experience in aesthetics,” said Nichetto of creating the sofa. “My idea was a modular sofa, because of the different sizes of Manhattan homes.”
“The design of a sofa for a big city like New York should be something very special,” said Moiseeva. “I was inspired by the city and the people involved in the project and the experiences of a person living in a New York apartment, how the design could work in such space and about the concepts of the opening and closing.”
sofa4Manhattan being constructed at Design-Apart
“I think that sofa4Manhattan will give big personality to a home, at the same time being versatile and relaxing,” said Nichetto. “It can be integrated with most common household elements and can create an environment with personality, play with different elements and make something extremely elegant,” added Moiseeva.
Completed sofa4Manhattan
The sofa4Manhattan is on view at the Design-Apart showroom, located at 110 West 25th St. in New York City.
