Design Pick: A floating sofa that blurs the line between art and furniture

While exploring the new autumn collections, one thing became perfectly clear to me – designers are paying special attention to sofas. And rightfully so, since they serve as quiet witnesses to all our moods, both emotional and physical. They’ve seen our parties, accompanied our social lives, and borne the weight and ease of our days spent at home – as if, by the end of the day, everything we feel somehow settles into the sofa.

At the same time, we want them to be firm yet soft, perhaps slightly rounded, cushioned, eye-catching, colorful – or maybe just a pale beige, blending seamlessly with the walls or table lamps. It’s as if there’s an entire game involved in choosing the right one. Amid the swirl of new releases and ideas that well-known brands have presented for autumn interiors, I found myself lingering a little longer on one electric-blue piece.

Photo: Janna Ireland

The Biboni sofa: a refreshing addition to any interior

New York–based Knoll has unveiled a striking sculptural gem — the new Biboni sofa, born from the collaboration between Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee of the architecture firm Johnston Marklee. With this launch, Knoll continues its long-standing tradition of partnering with leading architects and designers. And it’s a good thing they do — after all, there’s a particular joy in seeing how designers think when creating new small masterpieces. This sofa could easily be considered one of them. The designers combined two words — Bibendum and Macaroni — to form the playful name Biboni, and with it, a new collection was born. The line includes three sizes — a two-seater, a three-seater, and a four-seater — along with two modular versions (a modular chaise and a wide modular chaise), each available in both left- and right-facing orientations.

The Sofa as a Soft Sculpture

The sculptural form of the Biboni sofa reflects the distinctive architectural approach of Johnston Marklee, where space is shaped through volumes, voids, and curves. Its soft, undulating forms and gentle folds create an almost anthropomorphic silhouette that seems to embrace and cradle the human body. One immediately senses a fascinating play of contrasts — the sofa is formal, yet inviting and warm. The design strikes a balance between the formal and the informal, offering a unique combination of softness and support that allows a person to feel both relaxed and focused at once. In a metaphorical sense, isn’t that exactly what we all need in everyday life — one way or another? “There’s a certain elegance in the way the sofa communicates with the body,” says Johnston, emphasizing that the soft, inflated folds were carefully shaped to envelop and hug the person sitting in it.

Photo: Janna Ireland

Conceived through an architectural way of thinking, every component of the Biboni sofa’s form has been intuitively shaped to emphasize its relationship with the surrounding space. “The sofa truly comes to life when viewed within a room — positioned away from the walls, as part of a constellation of elements that together create a complete interior,” the designers explain. Although it has a strong presence, Biboni appears light, almost as if it were floating above the floor. Its contours come alive in the play of light that shifts and changes throughout the day.

Photo: Janna Ireland

The story of Knoll

Founded in New York in 1938, Knoll has become renowned for its collaborations with architects, artists, and designers who shape the contemporary cultural moment — and we love that it continues to do so. The brand’s portfolio includes works by modernist icons such as Eero Saarinen, Marcel Breuer, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, alongside creations by today’s innovative designers like Will Perron, Jonathan Muecke, and the architectural studio Johnston Marklee. With an approach that unites color, material, finish, and form, Knoll allows architects and designers to craft a truly holistic spatial experience.