If you've looked at Livingetc recently, you'll have spotted the Camaleonda sofa. B&B Italia's couch, originally designed by Mario Bellini, has become the statement piece of modern design appearing in so many of the homes we feature. Why? Because it fits exactly into how we want to live right now.
But it's got a new competitor for the title of best sofa - and it comes from within the same design house. B&B Italia has just launched the Dambo couch, designed by the iconic Piero Lissoni, and it ticks many of the same boxes. It's squashy. It's comfortable. It's super stylish. It invites you to lie back while also being the sort of sofa you could have friends over for cocktails on. Ultimately, it's inviting and chic too - no mean feat.
"Piero Lissoni has collaborated with so many of the design houses we love," says Livingetc.com editor Hugh Metcalf. "And each of his pieces is characterized by the way it offers a smart-yet-relaxed way of life. I can picture the Dambo in such a variety of settings, and in each one, it calls you to sink into it. I really won't be surprised when this rivals the Camaleonda."
Meet the Dambo
Like the Camaleonda, the Dambo is a sectional sofa system, but this time it's made up of pentagons and rectangular modules, and it's back is closer to what we ordinarily associate with the classic sofa.
It's deep, meaning that even if you're sitting - not lying - you can still get the sense of reclining that fits so well with the way we want to live now. Because that's one of the reasons the Camaleonda has become so desired - it suits the mood of the moment. On the whole, we want our homes to be places that look after us, that allow us the luxury of relaxation, that comfort us even while they encourage us to be the best version of ourselves. Sofa trends now revolve around designs that encourage you to dress a little smarter, to feel a little better about how you live, whether you're entertaining or simply watching TV.
Meet the Tortello
The Dambo isn't the only modern classic B&B Italia has just launched. The brand has also teamed up with British design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby to create the Tortello sofa and armchair, a super-modern, rounded shape that envelopes you completely.
Circularity and recycling were the main tenets of how this collection was made, with the structure created from second-life polyethylene. It's ultra-cushioned, covered in soft fabric and voluminous in size - nothing gives you an embrace quite like it.
All of which to say is that while I'm not expecting the Camaleonda to stop being a key interior design trend any time soon, it's interesting to see how B&B Italia are rising to the challenge of offering alternatives that are just as covetable - and comfortable.
See the full collection at B&B Italia.
