In fusing a striking metal frame with traditional sofa upholstery the Bouroullec brothers have created an object which sits well in both the home and the workplace. Bold and characterful, and extremely comfortable, the Alcove Fauteuil, with its lowback side panels, serves as a minor cocoon from the outside world, offering coverage from distraction and a sense of intimacy.
A highback version is also available, offering further cover from the world around, while the wider Alcove family features a range of different configurations.
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, the Breton-born brothers, are the stars of European design and the most promising industrial designers to have emerged from France since Philippe Starck in the 1980s.
A combination of romanticism and functionality runs throughout both brothers’ work. Like all truly talented designers, the Bouroullecs have defined a distinctive visual style, which Jasper Morrison (one of the designers they most admire) described as “thoughtful and disciplined, with a real spirit and poetry”.
