Sleek lines, gentle curves and the highest-quality materials, the Sofa Class is a masterstroke in brand extension. The streamlined seating element forms part of the debut furniture collection by Mercedes-Benz, just unveiled at this year's Milan Furniture Fair.
The collection, created by the Mercedes-Benz Style division, was developed in partnership with Italy's Formitalia Luxury Group, which also distributes furniture under the Aston Martin Interiors and Tonino Lamborghini Casa brand names. The full range features the sofa, a chaise longue, sideboard, dining room table with chairs, an integrated home theatre system, bed and chest of drawers.
With this launch, Mercedes-Benz joins the ranks of a growing number of auto companies that are extending their proposition to include lifestyle products - which, in many cases, means furniture. This specialist division has already experimented with yacht and helicopter interiors, and is planning to break into a number of other lifestyle and product categories in coming years.
The Sofa Class and dining table, the collection highlights, use lacquered cast aluminium as the main structural element in both pieces, creating a dynamic, futuristic feel. With the sofa, seats, cushions and backrests are upholstered in three different types of material, while the table can be topped by clear or smoked crystal.
Combining state-of-the-art Mercedes technology with designs inspired by its cars, the shapes, lines and materials of the pieces have been taken straight from the brand's rich history, and reconfigured to create elegant additions to the home environment. Luxury, technology and high-quality manufacturing are at the forefront of the design team's agenda, with a desire to reinforce the beauty of the understated.
