Aura Sectional Sofa

A de Sede piece lends a strong personality to the room it occupies. One of the world’s most respected furniture design houses, de Sede’s quality Swiss craftsmanship has its foundation in a long history of making expertly designed saddles. Founded in 1965 to build on a successful family-run saddler’s workshop in Klingnau, Switzerland, de Sede now is a leading manufacturer of leather goods and furniture, including sofas, chairs and beds.

At the core of de Sede’s philosophy is a reverence for the complexity and beauty of handcrafted furniture in an age when mass-produced objects are the norm. Over the years, the atelier has built a name for itself in its modular furniture pieces, which are made using the highest quality leather upholstery. The sleek, elegant pieces incorporate functionality with beauty. Amongst their best-selling designs is the DS-600 introduced in 1972. Also known as the Non Stop sofa, it is a sensually curved, snaking modular sofa whose individual pieces can be zipped together to create multiple variations and arcs.

De Sede has collaborated with some of the world's finest design minds, enhancing the prestige and individuality of their products. Designers like Santiago Calatrava, Antonella Scarpitta, Stephan Hürlemann, Gordon Guillaumier and Philippe Malouin have all created pieces with the atelier. Ubald Klug’s 1974 DS-1025, also known as the Terrazza sofa, is an enduring favorite with its cascading levels of leather. In 2017, de Sede expanded its product line to include high-quality leather handbags, which are as thoughtfully designed and beautifully crafted as its furniture. De Sede AG is now part of the Volare Group AG and continues to handcraft its fine furniture and other goods from its factory in Klingnau.

Find authentic de Sede seating, tables and decorative objects today on 1stDibs.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

An antique, new or vintage sectional sofa is a versatile and practical style of seating that makes for a great addition to your living space.

A traditional sofa is typically a long upholstered seat that features a back and arms and is intended for two or more people, whereas a sectional sofa consists of multiple pieces that can be arranged in several different layouts. While a conventional couch or sofa can definitely seat a fixed number of houseguests, sectional sofas allow for customizing. We all know that maximizing your square footage in a small space can prove difficult, so the modular characteristics of sectional sofas are especially appealing when you’re thinking about design ideas for your modest-sized living room. This furnishing can be arranged in a semicircle, an L-shape or other configuration and will seat more people than a standard sofa will.

When it comes to home decor, the trick is to find a balance between functionality and style. Sectional sofas are available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors and fabric options, so you’re sure to find one that perfectly complements your interiors and needs. But there are several factors to consider when choosing the perfect sectional sofa for your space.

According to Charleston designer Angie Hranowsky, “the most important thing to know when choosing the perfect sofa is its purpose. Is it for conversation or for watching TV and lounging? Then you can determine the right depth and seat height.”

The size of your sectional sofa will depend on how much real estate you’re working with in your living room and exactly how you use the space. If you’re trying to define a common area in your sprawling loft apartment or you’ve got a large family to think about, a large, sleek contemporary sectional or sculptural sectional sofa designed by Milo Baughman, say, could be ideal for comfort as well as a conversation piece, particularly if you intend to entertain with regularity. Think about seat height and depth — high seats, for example, can yield an air of formality that might not be a great fit for your crowd.

For movie nights, holiday parties or the occasional but totally fabulous dinner party, a large sectional sofa means getting multiple uses out of a singular piece of seating. In smaller rooms, it might make sense to position your small sectional sofa against the wall, whereas in a wide-open space, the sofa’s components can occupy the center of the room. Measure accordingly and make sure your doorways can accommodate on delivery day.

Bring comfort and class to your living space with a sectional sofa from the world’s best dealers on 1stDibs. For your mid-century modern-inspired living room, find fun spage-age sectional sofas, chic leather sectional sofas and a range of vintage mid-century sectional sofas designed by the likes of Harvey Probber, Vladimir Kagan and others.