non-negotiables in the design process
Absolute musts for creating my dream mid-century inspired lounge
Before I had even considered starting CULTURE CUSH I was dreaming of making a lounge for my home. As an upholsterer and furniture restorer I’d been on the hunt for the perfect vintage modular to give a new life to but my search always landed flat. I either couldn’t find the right configuration for our kooky lounge room or the internal foundations weren’t strong enough to justify the investment in spending thousands on new foam and fabric. I pulled ideas from being both an upholsterer and a consumer. If I was to put my energy and money into designing and making a lounge I asked myself, what are my absolute non-negotiables?
1. A mid-century modern vintage look
I’ve always been fascinated by mid-century conversation pits and that sunken 70s lounge room vibe. I realise it’s a romantic notion but I can’t help but imagine that this way of living and lounging meant that you really had a cozy zone to unwind with family and friends.
I love that mid-century furniture was unafraid to go out of trend. Bold, contrasting colours and textures were encouraged and celebrated and there seemed to be little worry about matching everything. I’ve always had this stance that a home will just flow if you use your favourite colours and homewares and art with special meaning.
2. Lightweight and modular
In my opinion there is no truer phrase than “a change is as good as a holiday”. I am one of those people who get an itch every six months for change within my environment. I start by thinking about what might look good where until I simply must overhaul the entire lounge room (sometimes bedroom, sometimes entire house) by cleaning madly and moving around the furniture.
Because of this need for versatility within my space it was important for my design to be lightweight enough to move the furniture around myself. I like having control and independence (i.e not asking for help). I want the ability to change the configuration around on a whim depending on my mood, making way for new furniture pieces or if we ever moved house it would work in any lounge room.
In my opinion there is no greater way to stifle creativity in the home than having furniture that doesn’t give you options. Lounges that have to go left or right are not for me.
3. Fabric that is easy to clean AND lasts
Again, if I was going to spend energy and money on creating a modular sectional sofa it absolutely needed to last the test of time - otherwise, there’s just no point.
I have a toddler with sticky hands, a groodle with no manners and a partner who loves red wine. Life is busy and the last thing I wanted to worry about was who was on the lounge.. and with what.
I wanted to honour the ultimate mid-century modern textile - velvet. After a lot of searching I managed to source a velvet that held up to my unwavering values and what I needed to last in my busy household. The velvet I found was:
Washable and wipeable - The velvet is washable up to 30 degrees and is also able to be upholstery cleaned. When I received samples I did some of my own testing and found that most stains lifted simply with water and a clean cloth. Even when you’re an upholsterer it can be quite a wrestle to re-fit cushion covers (my partner likens me to a crocodile wrangler). So the fact that I could spot clean velvet without removing covers made it all the more appealing.
Commercially rated - This means that the fabric has been put under intense testing to last in terms of colour-fastness, abrasion and is fire rated to Australian standards. I love using fabrics that are commercially rated as I know they have been through stringent tests, strong enough to withstand a wild household (and not cause me anxiety every time there is a spill - which is A LOT).
4. Durable, unbreakable foundations
You know the saying “it's what's on the inside that counts”. Well furniture is no different. As an upholsterer I have spent years pulling furniture apart and putting it back together. I wanted to design a lounge that lasted a lifetime, that I was confident my kids could jump on.
Here I decided that with hindsight and experience I could design a super durable frame using;
Modern materials - I settled on melamine faced plywood with a moisture resistant core
Unbreakable joinery methods - Reinforced joinery with heavy duty steel hardware and removable hardwood feet with steel bolts
Steel springs - High gauge sinuous springs for ultimate comfort and support
5. Low-tox
While I was in the ideation phase of said dream lounge I was watching an old episode of Grand Designs UK. The house builders had kids with severe allergies and had designed their home to filter out the nasties in the London air. They had trouble finding a new lounge that was low-tox so they opted for a second hand lounge. The idea behind this was that the toxins had already had a couple of years to leech out (and into the home of the lounge's first owner).
I was absolutely appalled by this, but impressed by their genius and opting for second hand. Shouldn’t it be a given that new furniture in the 21st century doesn’t contain nasty chemicals?
I was chatting to a friend soon after who told me that she once had to re-sell a brand new lounge as it gave her headaches. After speaking to the manufacturer they supposed that she was probably having a reaction to the pesticides their furniture gets sprayed with before it goes on the shipping container.
I wondered what was more important? Keeping the bugs away or potential harm to brain cells? Interesting.
I decided that for the health of myself and my little fam I didn’t want to be surrounded by nasties - either in making the lounge or just by being in the presence of it. So, where absolutely (humanly) possible I have priortised the use of low-tox materials with
Green star approved, GECA certified foam
Oekotex-100 certified fabric
ISO 12460-3 tested Plywood frame with a formaldehyde rating of 0.95
Low VOC upholstery adhesive
Zero VOC furniture oil
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