What is a coffee table?
What is an ottoman?
How are those different from a bench?
The Achilles’ heel of the modular sofa is the other pieces of furniture in the room that aren’t part of the same system. I wanted to understand the utility of these other pieces, and broaden the concept to a modular living room.
We want adaptability in the living room because we envision different uses in the same space — a comfy reclined position to watch a movie, a small group sitting upright and drinking tea, or a large party where you just want maximal seating. We also sometimes simply crave change in our environment.
The system I landed on is two sofas and two ottomans with a set of interchangeable cushions. The cushion for the ottoman is the same size as the cushion for the sofa back. Move a cushion from the ottoman to the sofa and the ottoman becomes a coffee table, and the sofa becomes a more upright seating depth. Many living room configurations become possible by arranging these elements in different positions.
This project was also an opportunity for me to learn Blender. While CAD may have been the more appropriate tool in many ways, I wanted the versatility Blender offers. It can just be used for a wider variety of projects, especially when you consider the large number of open source plugins.
Latest: I’m currently in the process of working with a woodworker and upholsterer to make the render a reality.