Togo With Arms

The Togo sofa isn’t the only piece of furniture Michel Ducaroy designed, but it is certainly the one that he will be long remembered for. The cozy, crumpled pillow-like sofa seems never to go out of style, and its features encapsulate Ducaroy’s design philosophy of combining ergonomics and comfort with high-tech synthetic materials like foam, quilting and thermoformed plastics.

Ducaroy was born into a family of French furniture manufacturers who specialized in residential interiors as well as fittings for ocean liners. However, he elected to study sculpture at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, and this foundation would greatly influence his work and the way he thought about shape and form. Ducaroy worked at the family business and later founded his design studio in 1952.

In 1954, Ducaroy began working with Ligne Roset, the French family-run manufacturing giant known across the world for creating high-end seating. There, he was able to propel the research and development of their designs, and his work quickly became integral to the company’s identity.

Ducaroy’s innovations with thermoformed plastics and biomorphic forms can be seen in early designs for Ligne Roset in the ’60s and ’70s, like the cozy, modular Adria chair and low-sitting Kashima sofa. He designed the Togo furniture line in 1973 using an innovative all-foam seating structure that was covered with polyester; decades later the Togo sofa remains a Ligne Roset best seller.

The low rise and unique curve of any Ducaroy sofa make it instantly recognizable, and the distinctly Pop art–inspired, organic forms that the celebrated designer created from synthetic materials like polyester and foam made a powerful statement at their inception, as they continue to do now.

Find a collection of new and vintage Michel Ducaroy sofas, lounge chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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.