Design Directory 2021: inspiring living room furniture

From asymmetric sofas that pair up perfectly to create a cosy seating nook to a compelling cabinet that turns storage convention on its head, not to mention luscious lighting, ample armchairs, sculptural shelving and more. The Wallpaper* edit of deeply desirable living room furniture kicks off the 2021 Design Directory – our annual pick of inspiring new furniture for every room of the house. Make yourself at home…

Living Room seating: sofas and armchairs

‘Noonu’ sofa by Antonio Citterio, for B&B Italia

Named after an atoll in the Maldives, this sofa, by icon of design Antonio Citterio, offers a corner of pure relaxation, with generous rounded curves, and is now available in a new fabric with 12 colour variants, in bold yet homely tones. 

Price on request
bebitalia.com 

‘Sideways’ sofa by Rikke Frost for Carl Hansen & Søn 

Rikke Frost saw the potential to foster conversation through design when creating this sofa for Carl Hansen & Søn. Particularly good for use in pairs, although one also works perfectly alone, the sofa has a stem-bent backrest and curving cushions that produce an asymmetric shape, enveloping the sitter while creating a cosy nook for a good old chat. The sofa was actually developed in just three weeks, as part of the TV programme ‘Denmark’s Next Classic’, which saw contestants compete to create new designs that could become classics in the coming years.

From £4,931
carlhansen.com

‘Soriana’ armchair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

A reissue of Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s award-winning classic from 1969, this curvaceous, generously upholstered armchair unites comfort with style, and now comes in a selection of chromatic combinations.

Price on request
cassina.com 

‘Lemni’ armchair by Marco Lavit for Living Divani

Composed of a black powder-coated tubular steel frame, with a seat and bolster made from leather, in a choice of three colours, the ‘Lemni’ chair cuts a striking silhouette.

From €3,113
livingdivani.it

Living Room lighting

‘Comete’ lamp by Liaigre

Designed especially to complement Liaigre’s ‘Arpege’ sofa, this lamp features a sleek polished chrome brass and black epoxy metal base, with a translucent white alabaster shade.

€6,850
liaigre.com 

‘Cyclopedus’ floor lamp by Atelier Malak

This simple lamp from French studio Atelier Malak is a handcrafted lesson in getting minimalism just right, and sees a slight, body-like frame supporting a head-like shade, resulting in a form that the designer describes as being ‘alive’. Constructed in the Atelier Malak workshop in Vaulx-en-Velin, Lyon, by founder Malacou Lefebvre, each piece is formed from powder-coated steel, which has been shaped using the ‘cold bending’ method, rather than the usual technique of adding heat.

€950 each
ateliermalak.net

Coffee tables

‘Tectra 2’ coffee tables by Okha

Designed by Cape Town-based studio Okha, these coffee tables, like tectonic plates that slide together to produce an organic form, feature a powder-coated or patinated steel base with a choice of marble tops.

From £11,010
okha.com

‘Koishi’ coffee table by Jean-Marie Massaud for Poliform

‘Koishi’ is a low-level coffee table for Poliform’s Saint Germain sofa collection, also designed by Jean-Marie Massaud. For the table’s shape, the French designer looked to organic shapes appearing in natural landscapes, using materials such as metal, marble, reflective glass, wood and dark-coloured stone. 

£6,855
poliform.it

Living Room storage, accessories and more

‘Azzal’ bookcase by Studiopepe for Baxter

This sculptural bookcase, by Italian design studio Studiopepe, features leather-covered aluminium shelves with shaped edges, set on concrete and plywood frame supports that are a mixture of cylindrical and flat-sided forms.

Price on request
baxter.it

‘Bos’ vases by Christophe Delcourt for Collection Particulière

This series of three vases in sophistcated Grand Antique d’Aubert marble, by French designer Christophe Delcourt, meshes bold, clean shapes with a soft elegance.

Price on request
collection-particuliere.fr

‘Divide It’ room divider by Pitsou Kedem for MDF Italia

More than ever, the spaces that we occupy need to be flexible in order to account for an ever-changing world. Circumstances over the past 12 months have seen our living spaces become our working spaces, and dining tables become desks, so with this in mind, Israeli architecture practice Pitsou Kedem has created a dynamic room divider made up of several panels that can be rotated and positioned to control the passage of light and sound. 

From €1,377
mdfitalia.com

‘Hidalgo’ cabinet by Driade

This cabinet is not for the faint-hearted. With references ranging from 1930s art deco to the paintings of Dalí and Magritte, it does away with the conventions of archetypal storage systems. Its curved plywood exterior looks to have been tipped on its side, seemingly supported only by a minimal steel frame, while the finish makes an equally bold statement with its vivid patterns and colours. But rest assured, functionality has not been compromised – inside, black lacquered compartments provide plenty of room for organisation.

€14,100
driade.com