Where do you recall those Sundays lying on Grandma’s old sofa; the entire family was in the living room, each member trying to find their favorite spot on that old and comfortable sofa? Which one of them appeared to be telling a story and as if the story is written into the fabric of the garment? So, without further ado let’s go back in time and discover how furniture in general, and the sofa in particular, were designed in the past and how they are designed nowadays, with a touch of the past.
This was just another day and I was simply browsing through some of the latest designs in the market for a sofa set when I was in for a surprise. Having worked in the furniture industry for eight years I though that I knew the worst that can happen. Yet the zippers at the back of this sofa got my attention more than anything else. No, not the ones that are concealed, but zippers that are loud, functional zippers. It was almost like discovering something which was right there but was invisible.
I found out that the zippers were not just an aesthetic design on the bags. They allowed for the attachment or detachment of the sofa’s arms— a perfect marriage of today’s living and the age old art of furniture making. This design choice made me feel like I am going back in time when furniture was made with a lot of effort, when each furniture is made to serve a lifetime. In the past, modularity was not a buzzword it was really needed in order to create efficient software. The furniture was made in a way that some parts could be substituted or fixed in case of damage, for this reason, it was durable.
The living room during the 50s and 60s was where all the action was; people would sit to watch television, tell stories, or just spend time with their families. The comfy sofa that was in front of the television was not just a furniture; it was a silent observer to many events. Modern sofas particularly the ones that have modular features such as removable arms are a testimony to these values. They come in handy, and they are as comfortable as they are reliable, given the fact that we often require shoes that are not only comfortable but also functional in our day to day lives.
Looking at the sofa I couldn’t help but think about how society and furniture reflects its trends. Earlier, a fine sofa set was considered as an item of status and solidity. Modular designs available today are perfect for today’s on-the-go society, but they are not without the appeal and sturdiness of timelessness. This is a perfect combination of the old and the new which is quite charming.
This is quite assuring to find that even furniture of today’s world retains some of the actuality from the traditional era. In essence, the sofa I found may be new, but the approach that was used in the creation of this piece is something that one can only appreciate as classic quality and practicality. It is a message that is important to tell us that even though the years are passing by, some people’s principles are unchangeable.
Imagine this: So you are in a flea market and there is this old sofa that catches your eyes. You stroke the material, and you can almost sense history. That is where furniture comes into play; it is not only about the present, but also the past and the future, the tales, and recollections it encompasses. Similarly, the sofa with the zippers, each is a piece with a story to it, a story of the past which could be told and preserved.
In the world of the fast “pace of change” it is always nice to find items that bring us back to the basics. Furniture, that is a mix of the antique and the contemporary, is a way of searching for our roots while at the same time meeting our current requirements. The next time you lie down on a sofa that has a peculiar design, consider the work that went into it and its history. However, every item is a relic of our common history.
