A Modern Daybed Sofa, Hand-Dyed Shibori Included

We have a weakness for Donald Judd’s modern daybed and the many variations it has inspired. But, in truth, the daybed’s tall back and overwhelming depth make it best suited for those who have irritatingly good posture and no need for awkward postwork lounge positions.

A collaborative sofa from two Brooklyn, New York, artists–industrial designer Farrah Sit and textile designer Rebecca Atwood–offers the familiar shape with modified proportions and hand-dyed upholstery. “Judd’s furniture was an inspiration for both of us,” Rebecca says. “We talked about silhouettes and materials–we both share a love for maple and brass–and set out to make something that felt really livable.” Toward that end, Farrah made some adjustments on the theme, lowering the frame and tilting the sofa back for comfort. Rebecca, meanwhile, designed the upholstery: The feather-stuffed seat cushion is covered in a metallic gold linen that “gets softer and better with wear,” and the pillows are in pearl gray pattern that she makes using a modified shibori technique.

N.B.: Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a post on Rebecca’s upcoming line of pillows, accessories, and fabrics.

Above: The Maple Sofa is handmade to order in Brooklyn (allow two to four weeks for delivery); $6,000 through WorkOf.

Above: The sofa is 79 inches long, 36 inches deep, and, with the pillows, 36 inches at its highest point.

Above: A detail of the circular brass bolts that cover the joinery.

Above: “Having the back at an angle really makes a big difference,” Rebecca says of the sofa’s comfort factor.

Above: Each of Rebecca’s pillows has an exposed brass zipper. The Striped Shibori Pillow is made from her hand-dyed fabric; the pillow back is in natural linen with a white linen stripe down, making the cushions reversible (and versatile).

See more by each designer in our posts: Fashioned By Desk Accessories and Pattern Language: Textiles from a Native Cape Codder. See other sofas inspired by Donald Judd’s daybed in our post High/Low: The Modern Wooden Daybed. And have a look at more shibori in Shibori-Dyed Indigo for the Table.

Alert: Today is the last day to vote for the 2014 Remodelista and Gardenista Considered Design Awards. Winners will be announced Saturday, August 9.