de Sede
Where the finest leather is crafted into timeless furniture sculptures
de Sede
Where the finest leather is crafted into timeless furniture sculptures
Seating for the stars
Impeccably crafting leather into furniture that’s a wonder to behold, as well as a delight to recline into is a specialist skill that de Sede has been honing for more than 55 years. Every piece is Made in Switzerland by skilled craftspeople with natural, sustainable materials and a generous dose of the unexpected.
It’s about making sculptures, not seating as you know it. de Sede seats are designed to be sat upon, curled into and relaxed within, but they’re also for the eyes to enjoy. Place them in the middle of a space and give them 360 degrees of attention – such revolutionary, innovative forms deserve to be admired from every angle.
These sofas are the stuff of legends. Gracing the silver screen in films such as James Bond and The Hunger Games, it’s not unusual to see stars from across the globe getting comfy with de Sede, from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Mick Jagger to Snoop Dogg to Saweetie – these extraordinary designs transcend ages and style boundaries
Constructing Art
Exquisitely executed upholstery defines the very essence of de Sede, the brand that is passionate about handcraftsmanship. Each upholsterer is trained for years to become a meticulous master of their craft, every one of their stitches exact for total perfection. It is the extraordinary attention to detail and the knowledge flowing into every design that has made de Sede famous, and which leads it into the future.
“We are dedicated entirely to manufacture – to work crafted by hand. With the refinement and perfection of craftsmanship we have cultivated since the company’s founding, we can be certain that each item of furniture we produce meets our extremely strict and high-quality standards.”.
The success of our manufacturing is based on our own behaviour – an all-round, respectful and socially responsible approach within our production and to our employees, suppliers and customers as well as towards our environment and society.” Monika Walser CEO de Sede AG .”
The success of our manufacturing is based on our own behaviour – an all-round, respectful and socially responsible approach within our production and to our employees, suppliers and customers as well as towards our environment and society.”
Monika Walser CEO de Sede AG
Ever Green
Made in Switzerland, production committed to sustainability, preserves the beauty of the hills, trees, fields and river that surround the company’s headquarters in rural village Klingnau, as well as further afield.
Production is smoothly energy efficient; leather is sourced locally and responsibly, dyes are solvent free and (minimal) waste material is reused and recycled.
Long-term, forward-thinking design is the most eco-friendly factor of them all. A de Sede seat is a piece for a lifetime, modern heirlooms which are designed to endure the decades and be passed on to future generations. Designs are trend-free, timeless and made to order, with all moveable built-in parts designed to be easy to disassemble for replacement.
Premium Leather
de Sede leather is the finest of the fine. Soft and sensual, it looks utterly flawless – but it’s the feel. It feels like pure decadence. Pure relaxation.
Working with leather comes with responsibility. A traditional, sustainable and natural material, leather is imbued in the history of furniture making.
Every piece of de Sede leather is acquired as a by-product of the food industry – skins come from happy, local Bulls from Switzerland, Germany, Austria or Scandinavia, which spend their time between meadows and barns. Only the most perfect pieces of leather will make up a de Sede piece, selected individually for its quality and beauty by a specialist.
"There is possibly no other upholstery manufacturer with stricter standards for their selection and processing of leather than de Sede."
Into the fold
It began with a piece of foam, poised in the hands of someone who knew just what needed doing. As designer Philippe Malouin began the process of creating a new de Sede seating sculpture, all it took was an artful fold, and the DS-707 sofa slowly fluttered into existence.
Drawing inspiration from Brutalist architecture as well as serpentine river curves, Malouin formed the unforgettable masterpiece of the DS-707. Individual sections coming together as an utterly unique final arrangement, the seat is an homage to postmodern Swiss furniture as well as a classic de Sede aesthetic.
The DS-707 deftly merges the brutalist with the organic, its endlessly flexible, modular design snaking through spaces and around corners while maintaining its one-of-a-kind structure. The result is joyful and enticing; its chic, creative form saying ‘nestle in and get comfy’ as well as ‘here’s something exciting’. As a standalone armchair, it feels simplified, spotlighting the skills behind every cleverly crafted curve and the bold impact of its statuesque composition.
Classically covered in refined, handcrafted leather it exudes silky smoothness and a timeless sense of style. Dressed in a tactile array of alternative fabrics – from bold and bright to the more subtle – it becomes playfully contemporary, with a touch of the light-hearted.
The upper hand
It’s not a place to sit. It’s not a place to lie. The DS-266 is high design two-in-one. A fusion of geometric principles and a love of freeform sculpture, designer Stefan Heiliger’s chair is simultaneously angular and soft. Invisibly held in position, it balances almost impossibly on its soft cushioning, the back moving with a shift in bodyweight to transform the DS-266 from upright lounge chair into decadent recliner.
Folding inwards, origami-like, the backrest metamorphoses into an upright support before encouraging more casual relaxing when it’s time to recline. Some liken the shape to a clenched fist gracefully revealing its palm.
The upholstery – in leather or a range of fabrics – is put together in a sleek linear patchwork creating an elegant cushioning as well as an understated stripe pattern.
Rebel Rebel
The DS-600 is the headline act. de Sede commissioned an avant-garde design collective of Eleonore Peduzzi-Riva, Ueli Berger, Klaus Vogt and Heinz Ulrich – those ready for adventure, with a rebellious streak.
In 1972 the sofa was born into a heady decade of social, cultural and creative transformation well and truly ready for a revolution.
When there are no boundaries, creativity runs free. Almost unrecognisable as a piece of furniture design, the DS-600 laughs in the face of the rule book. Extraordinarily innovative, the sofa signifies a new kind of thinking. Something surprising. Something significant.
The result? Utter abstraction, more akin to a landscape than something to rest on. With organic curves spreading and rippling into the distance, the DS-600 is a radical, ground- breaking concept, built from multiple individual elements which can be spontaneously expanded and moved imbuing it with an ever-evolving life of its own. Composed of slimline modular pieces beautifully wrapped in leather or fabric and zipped together as one, the design can be positioned to arc inwards, outwards or in a circle, the suite smoothly shimmying through spaces of any size or shape.
Soon to be found in the legendary living rooms of the likes of Tina Turner, Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger as well the iconic New York nightclub Studio 54 and numerous James Bond movies, the DS-600 came to represent a breakthrough era on the interiors scene and remains just as enduring and enticing today.
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