How pillows are taking our homes by storm

At the most recent Milan Design Week (MDW), I came across several pieces of furniture and home accessories seemingly inspired by cushions. Shortly afterwards, I also discovered some designer upholstered-look pieces in our range. Are we dealing with a new micro trend?

To answer that, let’s take a look at my MDW finds. They stem from various exhibitions of both established and new brands. For example, there’s the Undertone collection from Pieces of Jade, consisting of fabric sculptures reminiscent of antique ceramic vases. Using a traditional quilting technique, they emulate stone inscriptions.

Pieces of Jade is a new, experimental lifestyle brand from Taiwan founded by textile artist and design researcher Jialing Lee. In an Instagram post, Lee writes: «As I started making soft sculptures, people began saying, ‘This is so healing.’ Well, I guess I want to bring people back to that innocent, childlike state, like hugging a stuffies [sic] which is given by someone you trust.»

Cushioned mirrors, lamps and loungers

Faye Toogood, a British designer and current shooting star of the interior world, also seems to have a soft spot for soft things. She has presented a whole range of well-upholstered pieces this year, designed for various renowned brands. This includes the Cosmic collection for Tacchini. One design from the collection is the Stellar mirror, whose glass is embedded in a fluffy, tactile frame.

The Solar sofa from the same collection is made of a quilted stack of three crumpled cushions. According to the product description, this deliberately crumpled fabric offers a «fresh interpretation of Tacchini’s iconic upholstery».

That’s not pillows you see floating above the Solar – it’s the quilted Lunar pendant lights with crumpled, paper-like covers. The padding on the inside diffuses the light particularly gently.

For the Italian furniture company Poltrona Frau, Toogood has developed a product range called Squash, comprising chairs, tables and home accessories. The Squash chair is characterised by lush, balloon-like shapes that emerge from a curved frame. The Squash stool, meanwhile, consists of a cosy cushion squeezed in between two lacquered wooden blocks that are colour-coordinated with the upholstery.

What Faye Toogood is to interior design, Simon Porte Jacquemus is to fashion. The French designer and founder of the Jacquemus brand sets the pace when it comes to trends. This year, for the second time, he was asked to redesign the special re-edition of the Locus Solus Sun Lounger by Exteta from 1964. And guess what’s featured in his design. That’s right, a pillow! As a functional and decorative element, it shines with its bolster-and-crinkled look.

Organic shapes and tactile surfaces

From Exteta to Tacchini, all these cushion-inspired pieces have something in common: far from focussing solely on a visual motif, they share a dedication to the sense of touch. This microcosm could be part of a larger trend. For some time now, we’ve had a longing for round, often experimental shapes in interior design (article in German).

This article shines the spotlight on a selection of furnishings that adopt design elements from cushions or use them as decorative elements. And with the exception of the crumpled ceramic vase, the designs should, in fact, be just comfortable and soft as they look.

Vases

pfister Paper Bag

14 x 14 cm

Mirrors

Beliani PLANCHEZ

Stool

Kave Home Anarela

Armchairs

EUR139,–

Karup Design MINI NIDO

1

Armchairs

EUR939,–

BePureHome CHAIR

Armchairs

EUR729,–

BePureHome CHAIR