Ondo

Ondo (2003)
Designer: René Holten
Manufacturer: Artifort
MSRP: $3700

No other furniture manufacturer has carried the torch of a Better Future Through Space-Age Design with quite the dedication as the Dutch firm Artifort. Known primarily for its iconic designs by Pierre Paulin (the Tongue, Orange Slice, and Tulip chairs, to name but three), the Artifort catalogue is filled with undiscovered treasures; amongst these is this recent addition, the Ondo sofa by René Holten. Composed of two undulating elements fused at the arms, the open space between them gives the impression that the piece is gliding in mid-air. It also considerably lightens the overall presence of the piece, which is a surprising 225cm or 7.3 feet long. With an extreme height of only 70cm/2.3 feet in the back, the Ondo works as well in tall spaces as it does in lower ones; an Artifort speciality.