Custom Sofa Design for Urban Delineation’s Office

When Urban Delineation approached us for a custom made sofa for a lounge area in their new office above popular Curbside Crafters, complete with the words "we'll leave it to you," we felt equally thrilled and nervous. Thrilled because freedom is always fun. Nervous because freedom also comes with risk.

Generous Space, But Not Without Issues

The space in question was a nook in their office, generously wide at 285cm and with enough depth for comfortable sitting. There were however, two quirks to the layout: On the left side of the designated area, two floating wooden shelves were hung at eye level. The shelves were difficult to remove and the designers prefer not to remove them. Second,  below those shelves sat a power outlet that will be rendered useless if the sofa sat right against it.

Finding Solutions with Angles

Our solution was to incorporate gentle 25-degree angles.

The left angle juts out enough to avoid the shelves while ensuring the sofa does not press against the outlet. This also means anyone standing up from the sofa avoids an awkward interaction with the fixture. For symmetry, we added a matching angle to the right side, which also slightly expanded the originally intended sofa from 285cm to 296cm.

Taking Cue from the Pendant Lamp

Urban Delineation had already installed a stunning pendant lamp with copper wire detailing over their large work table. That lamp was the focal point that led us to suggest a terracotta/ rust coloured upholstery for the sofa.

The upholstery will also tie in beautifully with the rich brown-orange solid wood flooring. 

Urban Delineation’s designers completed the look of the sofa with textured rust and mustard yellow cushions.

Sofa for Huddling

The design was not just about looking good, it had to work. The 25-degree angles created a subtle intimacy, encouraging people to sit closer as opposed to sitting in a linear arrangement.

When four people sit on this sofa, their knees do not collide, yet they are close enough for meaningful conversations. This setup provides an ideal environment for client meetings or casual brainstorming sessions.

Commissioned to Remember

Now the sofa sits in its designated nook, bathed in natural light from the nearby window and positioned artfully under the floating shelves. We like that the sofa is a thoughtful solution that also looks good.