The concept of comfort is different to all of us. Sights, sounds, and shapes – usually from our childhood – evoke a specific feeling of warmth and security from within us. Some of these shapes are agreed upon and some are indelibly unique, making us who we are. The Biboni Sofa, by Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee of Los Angeles-based architecture firm Johnston Marklee for Knoll, plays upon the former, creating a feeling of envelopment, cushy and inviting, for whoever might need a seat.
Biboni is where sofa meets Michelin man, generous forms stacking neatly on top of each other, arms opening outward for a friendly embrace. Almost cartoonish in its expectant stance, the perfectly symmetrical capsules of color align with ease, retaining a sophistication that elevates the space yet retains that level of comfort evident within the design.
Biboni’s embrace of fullness and the nature of stacked forms is also expressed in its scalloped edges where cushions press down on one another, heavy yet simple. Informal and formal coalesce into a cohesive shape, welcoming the sitter with open arms.
“There’s an elegance in how the sofa relates to the body,” says Johnston Marklee founding partner Sharon Johnston of the sofa’s perfectly placed puffy folds. Enveloping, embracing, and delightfully emblematic, Biboni is a gracious host in any space.
Johnston Marklee’s penchant for working in volumes, voids, and curves, is fully on display here – and allows for easy scaling with variations. With three sofa sizes (two seater, three seater, and four seater) and two sectional sizes (sectional chaise and a wide chaise sectional), the sky is the limit in terms of personalization. A left and right chaise orientation is also available to help the piece fit right in. Whatever its configuration, hidden feet allow Biboni to appear as if it hovers above the ground, lending the hefty form some weightlessness.
Biboni’s coloring is equally nuanced. Imagine brilliant Cobalt blue shining starkly in the sun, someone warming its space with such a markedly cool tone. Other bold upholstery colors, such as Onyx and Avocado, join the family with plenty of room for multiple big personalities at the table. And because of the stacked form, light, or the lack thereof, can alter perceptions of the upholstery’s hue.
To learn more about the Biboni Sofa by Johnston Marklee for Knoll, visit knoll.com.
Photography courtesy of Knoll, and Janna Ireland for Knoll.