Wanted: The Gondola Sofa

To wish, desire, crave, obsess or even covet. When we set our sights on a new piece for our home, our desire can be more or less intense. Sometimes we want to fill a specific void, such as a new rug for the family room or sconces for the master bath. At other times, we might fall for a specific piece without having a clear idea of where it would go, what void it would fill. Whether practical or whimsical, functional or strictly decorative…we always tend to want something.

My current craving is for a gondola sofa. It’s new to my wish list, new in fact to my consciousness. But now I can’t get its curvaceous lines out of my head. Gondola sofas stem from the American mid-century. Here are a few key examples:

La Gondola by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1957

Inescapably a period piece, Wormley’s version says "mid-century", loud and proud. I love the spandrel detail on the legs, which is reminiscent of traditional Chinese cabinetry (I’ll have to elaborate on this in a future post). http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?ItemId=45062

Harvey Probber, c. 1960

Harvey Probber’s version (pictured above in oxblood leather) is masculine and incredibly handsome. The more I look at it, the more I like what I see. http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=389448

Adrian Pearsall, c. 1960

Finally, here is one by Adrian Pearsall, who designed a number of versions during the 50's and 60's. While I wouldn't turn away any of these pieces, this one is my top pick. I love the simplicity of its lines, and it has a timeless quality (it could just as easily be Art Deco as Mid-Century). This piece would be easy to contemporize with fabric and context.

The Palm Springs livingroom of designer Emily Summers

The living room pictured above features Pearsall’s gondola sofa. In this case, the seat cushion is fixed and tufted (and what a difference these upholstery details make to this piece). http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/2012-04/emily-summers-palm-springs-home-slideshow#slide=5