Atra Sofa

Find many varieties of an authentic atra sofa available at 1stDibs. A atra sofa — often made from fabric, velvet and animal skin — can elevate any home. A atra sofa is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Modern styles are sought with frequency. You’ll likely find more than one atra sofa that is appealing in its simplicity, but ATRA and Alexander Diaz Andersson produced versions that are worth a look.

Prices for a atra sofa start at $12,000 and top out at $25,000 with the average selling for $19,800.

The work of architecture and design studio ATRA seamlessly blends the minimalist appeal of Scandinavian modernism with bold Mexican brutalism. Forever seeking to innovate, ATRA founder and creative director Alexander Díaz Andersson continues to embrace woodworking traditions while also working with marble, brass, travertine and more in the design of the studio’s side tables, desks, chairs and other furnishings.

Díaz Andersson was born and raised in Sweden. His Mexican mother and Swedish paternal grandparents worked in the furniture industry. He was naturally drawn to furniture design and architecture and was inspired by the Bauhaus, the clean lines attributed to the work of Finnish furniture designer Alvar Aalto, Italian architect-designer Carlo Scarpa’s building projects and the abstract creations of American sculptor Richard Serra. 

After studying design at the European Institute of Design in Spain, Díaz Andersson moved to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula — where he became fascinated with the local history of woodworking. Impressed with the workmanship and drawn to Mexican furniture, he began to envision a way to marry their traditional construction techniques with modern furniture production technology. 

Díaz Andersson opened ATRA in 2009 in Mexico City. The company’s first architectural commission was to design the Hejal —  the holy Torah scrolls’ storage cabinet/altar — for the Birkat Itzjak Synagogue in Mexico City. The design was critically acclaimed and was the company’s watershed project, which launched their success as a prominent player in the design space.

ATRA’s Flow chair won a Gold A’Design Award in 2019. The studio has been featured in several design and architecture magazines, including Wallpaper, Architectural Digest and Surface.

On 1stDibs, find ATRA seating, tables, garden elements and more.

Black leather, silk velvet cushions, breathable bouclé fabric — when shopping for antique or vintage sofas, today’s couch connoisseurs have much to choose from in terms of style and shape. But it wasn’t always thus. 

The sofa is typically defined as a long upholstered seat that features a back and arms and is intended for two or more people. While the term “couch” comes from the Old French couche, meaning to lie down, and sofa has Eastern origins, both are forms of divan, a Turkish word that means an elongated cushioned seat. Bench-like seating in Ancient Greece, which was padded with soft blankets, was called klinai. No matter how you spell it, sofa just means comfort, at least it does today.

In the early days of sofa design, upholstery consisted of horsehair or dried moss. Sofas that originated in countries such as France during the 17th century were more integral to decor than they were to comfort. Like most Baroque furnishings from the region, they frequently comprised heavy, gilded mahogany frames and were upholstered in floral Beauvais tapestry. Today, options abound when it comes to style and material, with authentic leather offerings and classy steel settees. Plush, velvet chesterfields represent the platonic ideal of coziness. 

Vladimir Kagan’s iconic sofa designs, such as the Crescent and the Serpentine — which, like the sectional sofas of the 1960s created by furniture makers such as Harvey Probber, are quite popular among mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — showcase the spectrum of style available to modern consumers. Those looking to make a statement can turn to Studio 65’s lip-shaped Bocca sofa, which was inspired by the work of Salvador Dalí. Elsewhere, the furniture of the 1970s evokes an era when experimentation ruled, or at least provided a reason to break the rules. Just about every area of society felt a sudden urge to be wayward, to push boundaries — and buttons. Vintage leather sofas of that decade are characterized by a rare blending of the showy and organic.

With so many options, it’s important to explore and find the perfect furniture for your space. Paying attention to the lines of the cushions as well as the flow from the backrest into the arms is crucial to identifying a cohesive new piece for your home or office.

Fortunately, with styles from every era — and even round sofas — there’s a luxurious piece for every space. Deck out your living room with an Art Deco lounge or go retro with a nostalgic '80s design. No matter your sitting vision, the right piece is waiting for you in the expansive collection of unique sofas on 1stDibs.