An increasingly blurred boundary separates – or more precisely, connects – the world of residential décor and the contract sector. The reciprocal influences are many, involving contaminations between the two dimensions, with exceptional results. Just consider how the comfortable, familiar atmosphere of the home has suggested new approaches in the field of hospitality, to create more intimate, welcoming settings. At the same time, the world of the office has provided useful responses to the new needs of working at home. This perspective of fertile interchange has been understood by a company with deep roots in design and contract projects, Pedrali, which has been exploring new territories of domestic living for some time, filtered through the company’s know-how in coordination with its contemporary vision. The results emerge in multiple indoor & outdoor collections, totally versatile and heterogeneous projects, not only in aesthetic terms but also in relation to functional quality and ergonomics.
This approach is precisely reflected in the new creation presented by Pedrali in the setting of Maison&Objet in Paris, namely the Jeff sofa: a modular component system designed by Patrick Norguet as “a set of small works of architecture.” The wide variety of elements includes linear, 120° corner, chaise longue and end solutions, or without armrests, to create classic corner arrangements or more modern island compositions. The volumes can take on a precise harmony, based on the combination of squared and delicately curved forms for an effect of overall softness. “Flexibility is an essential part of the Jeff project – says the designer. – We have worked on the notion of modular pieces to create a solution halfway between the residential dimension and the contract market, obtaining a family of seating that can enter the architecture of different spaces: various combinations can generate a 10-meter sofa for a lounge, or a setting in a small apartment in Paris or Milan.”
Comfort and form represents keys of interpretation in both worlds. Every module is made in shape-fast polyurethane foam, resting on a plywood platform (raised off the ground with feet of just 3 cm) and covered in fabric.
It becomes possible to have an exceptionally soft sofa, where the seats with their organic forms trigger a gentle contrast with the backs and armrests, which have more rigorous geometric forms. A detail that never fails to be noticed, the canneté border defines the profile, enhancing it in a precious way.
Jeff is the result of a long-term collaboration between Pedrali and Norguet, but it also goes beyond. As the designer explains: “Jeff arises as a logical part of the company’s evolution. But also of the evolution of the market, and the world in general. Initially, Pedrali was a company with a main focus on a given sector, that of contract furnishings, but we are now seeing progress towards greater versatility (over approximately the last ten years): this is happening in design, décor, art, fashion, everywhere. In our field, it no longer makes sense to label a product ‘only for contract’ or ‘only for home décor.’ An object can exist in different contexts. There was something missing in Pedrali’s product range. The need was felt to go a bit further, and to create their first truly ‘domestic’ sofa.” But how can one insert a sofa in a world already full of sofas? “The key was to create a design that would be right in the Pedrali context, in the company’s ecosystem, a proposal for the market that would make sense, taking a correct approach to crossover thinking on the theme of the habitat. This is how the work on Jeff began.”
Art direction Studio FM – Styling Studio Salaris – Photo © Andrea Garuti
