Embraced in comfort: the comeback of curved furniture in interiors

Curves and a profound desire for comfort have made a huge comeback in architecture and interior design. Curves offer a sensual alternative to austerely rectilinear modernism, a precedent for which has been set by architects, from Antoni Gaudí to Zaha Hadid.

Today, curved forms in interiors and furniture greatly appeal to architects and designers in our post-pandemic age. A capacious, cocooning armchair is akin to a welcome hug from seemingly long-lost friends and even business associates.

Perfectly attuned to this trend is Dutch brand Linteloo, which, this year, launched its new Embrace collection at the Salone del Mobile, an event lending itself to business deals, networking, reconnecting – and, yes, hugging. The collection grew out of Linteloo’s chosen theme at the Milan fair last year, namely ‘connection’. Embrace’s inviting qualities resonate with Linteloo’s goal of manufacturing enticing, aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and joyful furniture.

Linteloo was co-founded in 1994 in Zeist, The Netherlands by Jan te Lintelo and his life partner Lars Nikolajsen. Every year, it collaborates with a roster of international designers who submit new ideas for consideration. Te Lintelo, also a designer, and his colleague Niels Roks – responsible for the day-to-day running of the company – sometimes brief designers to create a particular product type. ‘The designers know Linteloo well and their individual styles suit our brand,’ says te Lintelo.

The genesis of Embrace occurred organically. The designers independently cook up their ideas but, when presented together for the first time, their common attributes and a theme often emerge. This happened with Embrace, which explores embracing in a multilayered way; other facets of the theme include interlocking elements and juxtapositions of contrasting materials.

Embrace’s pieces were dreamt up by designers Anthony Guerrée, Sebastian Herkner, Sjoerd Vroonland, te Lintelo and New York and Toronto-based design studio Yabu Pushelberg, co-founded by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg.

Guerrée typically relishes unexpected juxtapositions and his new designs – the Embrace dining chair, Cross dining table and Alter table – reflect this. Embrace’s backrest forms a loop that is embedded in its solid base, then resurfaces to form an almost tongue-like seat. This seductive chair can be covered in fabric or leather. Alternatively, the backrest-cum-seat and base can be covered in different fabrics, thereby highlighting the fact that they’re separate yet conjoined elements.  

Cross is more complex than its simple form suggests, thanks to subtle juxtapositions of materials. A textured oak cross surmounted by a richly veined, opulent marble top are supported by tripod legs in solid wood. Guerrée has also created a new iteration of his Alter table, with a square rather than rectangular top in two versions. One combines rounded and squared-off corners; the other’s corners are all rounded. Alter appears to have a homogeneous surface yet its oak veneer top comprises four sections and its conical leg has a characterful indentation.

‘The back, seat and base of the Embrace chair seem very dissociated yet come together,’ explains Guerrée. ‘Cross’s solid wood legs intersect to offer a graphic rhythm under the table and good stability for the marble top. It’s a cross between two types of materials – wood and marble, vegetable and mineral.’

While boasting a comfortable backrest, like Guerrée’s Embrace, Herkner’s Icarus chair has a tailored structure. It either has legs forming a base curved like a bridge, for a more transparent look, or a solid base closed on all sides. Explaining the reference to Icarus, the bewinged character from Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun, then plunged to his death, Herkner says: ‘I came up with the chair’s name because of its wing-like armrests. But the base keeps the chair safe on the ground – it doesn’t look like it would fly too high, unlike Icarus.’

A more marked contrast between airiness and robustness is seen in Yabu Pushelberg’s Oiseau bar stool, an addition to the design duo’s existing Oiseau collection for Linteloo. An upholstered seat cushions the user, while a minimal backrest provides extra comfort. Herkner has also created the Gilbert bed, closely related to his Gilbert sofa. At first glance, it looks monolithic but its headboard comes in two parts, creating a subtle visual paradox. The bed is composed of building blocks inspired by the 1980s computer game, Tetris. Yet, like all high-quality beds, it allows the user to sink into it.

The collection’s emphasis on comfort comes to the fore with te Lintelo’s Miami and Malibu sofas. The former, a curvilinear design, is inspired by poet John Donne’s 1624 poem, No Man is an Island. His insight that humans are social creatures is played out on Miami, which encourages us to hug those around us or tune into collective experiences, such as live concerts, simply by popping on earphones. Malibu takes inspiration from the laid-back vibe coupled with high glamour that we associate with Los Angeles and Malibu’s sun-drenched beaches.

Vroonland’s Clamp, meanwhile, is an explicit expression of embracing forms: it’s a nightstand for storing valuables that incorporates two surfaces – one in metal, one in wood – at different heights that interlock. The surfaces can be switched around to suit the user’s personal taste, resulting in an interactive design.

Conceptual yet comfortable, Embrace satisfies a deep, collective yearning for physical contact and comfort. Long after the last Salone del Mobile, Linteloo’s new collection will remain a powerful expression of our desire for reconnection. 

© Architonic

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