To enter the awards, call us on: +44 (0)1244 401932

NATHAN ANTHONY

Nathan Anthony

Alais Sofa by Nathan Anthony

Nathan Anthony have been shortlisted for the Seating – Sofa Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2022.

At first glance, the Alais sofa and its companion styles are distinguished by gently curved upholstery frames and the addition of ball-shaped feet, sized to scale. But there’s more than meets the eye. Nathan Anthony Creative Director Tina Nicole was eager to explore distinctive design elements for adding to the softly rounded, au courant upholstery frames her company has become known for.

Nathan Anthony

A longstanding attraction to spherical shapes felt like a logical next step. Materiality is always another consideration for Nicole, whose path to the sphere led to new possibilities with handcrafted, planed hardwood and, most recently, to innovative expressions in resin. The ball feet crafted in resin are the result of a design collaboration between Nicole and international multi-media artist Sahara Novotna. A cocktail party conversation about Novotna’s resin artworks — often subversive thoughts or ideas revealed in three-dimensional candy hearts or gummy bears, for example —led to the pair’s playful exploration of art and furniture. This direction supports new tastes for curated living spaces, and the contemporary high end design clients who eschew mass production in favor of unique and handcrafted items.

Nathan Anthony

Nicole describes the design process for the Alais sofa as an evolution occurring over several seasons of development. For the Los Angeles based, bench made upholstery specialist, all items in the collection are made-to-order and fully customizable, including the selection of fabric covers. The ball feet are available in 11 wood finishes, and 5 resin colors. As shown, the fabric is a plush Italian velvet in Emerald, with Novotna’s marbleized spheres in strie-black and white-resin, which are produced by the artist in her Hollywood studio.

Nathan Anthony

An upholstered sofa or chair from Nathan Anthony has to meet a few critical criteria. The first is comfort, which includes the seat depth, height and pitch. Visually, a 360-degree approach means that the furniture will look good from any angle in the room. Finally, the gentle curves are like an embrace and communicate a sense of security and ease, which may help to explain the current popularity and demand for these shapes.

Nathan Anthony


design et al only work with the world’s leading designers.

If you think you have what it takes to compete in The International Design & Architecture Awards, submit your application by clicking here.

How to Apply  /  The Categories


Sponsors
  • Sylka Carpets

Contact Us

If you wish to speak to someone regarding the design awards,

Simply fill in the form below!





    Interested in:

    Alternatively, call us on 0044 (0)1244 401932