Rosewood & Cognac Leather MP-163 "Earth" 3-Seater Sofa by Percival Lafer

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Rosewood & Cognac Leather MP-163 "Earth" 3-Seater Sofa by Percival Lafer

About the Item

We've had several Percival Lafer sofas and chairs over the years, and this MP-163 "Earth" model sofa is by far the most comfortable. The scoop style and high-back design cradles and supports the body all the way up to the head. To put it simply, it has a "gangster lean". The scoop allows your butt to sink down with a slight elevation of your legs. High enough for tall people to have head support, and low enough for short people to have their feet planted firmly on the floor. It's a time-capsule quality couch that should be in the museum of Brazilian Modern Design. Procured from the original owner who purchased in Oregon in the late 1970s, where it sat virtually untouched for decades. This reddish cognac leather is really the quintessentially perfect color for the style and tone of the solid rosewood frame. As tasteful and inviting today as it was 4 decades ago, the diamond-sewn and pinch-tufted upholstery drips with texture and character. This parquet patchwork of square, interlocking panels covers the fronts, while the back has a smoother curve of stretched leather that nestles onto the frame. The leather has been thoroughly cleaned and conditioned. The color and texture are uniform throughout with no visible discoloration. Complete matching living room group with 2-seater loveseat, lounge chair and end tables are available and sold separately. Barely influenced by northern European design compared to most of his colleagues in his early days as a designer, Lafers' work has always been traced back to his Brazilian roots. The diffuse use of local woods, the strength and hardness of his elegant designs and the warm colors of his fabrics and leathers, make him a fundamental figure in the evolution and affirmation of Brazilian design, both inside and outside the country’s borders. Lafer 3-Seater Couch 74.5” Long x 32.75” Deep x 34.5” High (15” seat height).

Creator:
Percival Lafer (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 34.5 in (87.63 cm)Width: 74.5 in (189.23 cm)Depth: 32.75 in (83.19 cm)Seat Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Leather,Rosewood
Place of Origin:
Brazil
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent original condition. No rips in leather. Very minor imperfections in leather. Leather has been thoroughly cleaned and conditioned. Leather is soft and supple with uniform color and texture throughout. No discoloration.
Seller Location:
Chattanooga, TN
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2255333312632

Shop All Percival Lafer

Percival Lafer

When it comes to mid-century furniture, the innovative work of the Brazilian Modernists has often been overlooked, including the designs of prolific maker Percival Lafer. Lafer studied architecture at São Paulo’s Universidade Mackenzie. After he graduated, his father passed away suddenly, leaving a furniture business that Lafer took over with his brothers.

Taking up the mantle, Lafer made the jump from architecture to furniture design in 1961, putting a focus on thoughtfully designed pieces available at affordable prices. That year, Lafer introduced his supremely popular MP-1 chair, a plush piece of furniture made with iron and wood that he has riffed on throughout his entire career.

The silhouettes of Lafer lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating were distinct from streamlined American and European mid-century modernism, taking on casual, puffed forms thanks to his use of polyurethane layers as padding. He combined such contemporary industrial materials with local natural ones, namely Brazilian hardwoods, which delighted customers around the world as Lafer became one of the country’s leading exporters of furniture.

Lafer has continued to design furniture throughout his career, branching into sofas, tables and lighting. He was at the forefront of mechanical furniture movements, debuting the MP-7 sofa, which could turn into a twin bed, in 1965, the first such piece on the market. One of his most intriguing projects was the MP Lafer, a two-seat fiberglass roadster designed to emulate British sports cars. Some 4,300 units were produced over its 16-year manufacturing run in the ’70s and ’80s, with several ending up in the collections of major car museums.

Still, Lafer’s biggest claim to fame is his seating, which he continues to design, drawing inspiration from modern shapes and local materials. In 2017, a retrospective of his work was organized as part of the São Paulo Design Weekend.

Find vintage Percival Lafer furniture for sale on 1stDibs.