When Jonathan Sanchez-Obias, owner of Primaried Studio, reflects on the evolving landscape of vintage furniture, he echoes many of Amy’s valid points. “Modular furniture definitely appears to be a trend that we’ll continue to see more of in 2024,” he says. “It’s cool to see how these pieces, which were initially designed for commercial use, are being adapted into people’s homes.” Pop Up Home’s Tricia Benitez Beanum suggests that these styles are becoming increasingly popular because “people like options.” As she continues, “If they have a dinner party, they can change up the seating. When this type of furniture was made in the ’70s, house parties were huge. During the pandemic, people got away from boxy sofas and really wanted to feel supercomfortable yet elevated, and now post-pandemic people are still opting to stay home more and want their houses to give a certain feeling—these kinds of sofas do that.”
Perpetually Chic Love Seats
Turning our attention to timeless designs, Tobia and Afra Scarpa’s Bastiano Sofa for Knoll, introduced in 1962, stands out as a beloved piece for Amy. “I love to sink into it when I’m at the office. It’s one of those ‘if you know, you know’ vintage sofa designs, and I believe its supercomfy profile only gets better with age,” she says. Amy also highlights Knoll’s reissue of Florence Knoll’s Series 33 sofa, originally released in 1954, as a breakout star in the vintage sofa design universe this year. “It looks as cool today as it did when it first came out,” she adds. “The tubular steel frame and immaculate upholstery showcase Florence Knoll’s architectural genius playing out at human scale.” Given her personal obsession with Knoll’s back catalog, Amy hopes that the reintroduction of Kazuhide Takahama’s Suzanne Sofa, Gae Aulenti’s Aulenti Collection, and Cini Boeri’s Brigadier Sofa will be next on the reproduction roster in 2024.
Iconic Anti-Trend Pieces
According to a 2022 report from Chairish, 31% of millennial and Gen Z consumers attribute the pandemic for increasing their interest in buying used, vintage, or antique furniture online. Jessica Yang, the zillennial founder behind Tresi, offers a fresh perspective on what younger consumers are leaning toward when designing their homes. “I don’t believe in following vintage furniture trends because it’s so cyclical and everything comes back in style,” she says. “In seating, it’s apparent with the persistent popularity of Togo sets, Serpentine sofas, and midcentury modernism as a whole.” Jessica believes that 2024 will be an “exploration era” when it comes to experimenting with design concepts from all over the world—think sculptural pieces that are unique in shape, texture, or color. “My favorite iconic pieces are the Wittmann ‘Chairman’ sofa by Bruno Egger and the Archizoom ‘Safari’ sofa. I’m also currently obsessed with rattan settees, pumpkin leather, and conversation pits,” she adds.
Revamped Charmers
For Jessica, the key to finding designs that stand the test of time comes from examining the quality and comfort of a piece. “A living space is meant to be lived in, and nobody is going to use an uncomfortable or poorly made sofa, as beautiful as it might be,” she insists. “I often find vintage sofas to be higher quality than modern remakes and comparable in price. Shannon Maldonado, founder and creative director of YOWIE, agrees with this take, noting that the latest sofa trends are entering what she describes as a “soft era.” Shannon emphasizes the appeal of vintage sofas, noting that “vintage sofas often offer a lived-in, soft feeling that adds so much character to your space and comfort to your everyday.” She adds, “Who wants to watch a movie on a stiff couch when you can melt into something softer? We recently sourced two vintage unassuming sofas by Levitz from Kaiyo for a project and added a bold striped fabric to one and a citron velvet to the other, elevating them to one of a kind status.”