Project Name: Todd Merrill Custom Original Tube Sofa 

Location: New York 

Date Completed: 2020 

Designer: Todd Merrill Custom Originals 

The Aluminium Tube Sofa, a Todd Merrill custom original, blends historic elements of early 1920s Bauhaus Modernism with a 1970s Brutalist sensibility. The combination of streamlined maximalism sits perfectly in a 21st Century home.  

The elegant low profile of the sofa’s continuous tufted race-track back is encased by a polished aluminium tube. Rows of channel tufted upholstery mimic the aluminium tube, creating an ergonomic back and seat. The sofa is at once mid-century and contemporary, sculptural and comfortable. Todd Merrill’s favourite design aspect of the sofa is the seamless surface and the over-scaled volume of the tubular frame which is incredibly unique. Due to the fact that the sofa design takes inspiration from art, engineering, and furniture design from a myriad of periods, the style is both striking and familiar. 

The difficulty in producing a lightweight, mirror polished aluminium frame with the Tube Sofa’s substantial tube gauge ensures its uniqueness. Many hours went into testing various tube diameters to create a sofa that had the sleek look of polished metal while retaining a playful buoyancy. The sofa fits well into its wider environment as the options for unique, unconventional designs that push boundaries and that are also customisable are very limited. 

Merrill’s signature creations reflect his vast experience with twentieth-century design and knowledge of contemporary tastes. All Custom Originals designs are customisable. Dimensions, fabric, finish may be altered to fit your needs. The pieces are crafted at some of New York’s finest workshops and Merrill personally oversees production.