Model No.’s Quest to Design the "Healthiest" Sofa Ever
The progressive, eco-minded furnishings brand launches a new line of upholstered seating that’s free of toxins and won't harm the environment.
The progressive, eco-minded furnishings brand launches a new line of upholstered seating that’s free of toxins and won't harm the environment.
"We challenged ourselves to make a sofa that was not just beautiful, with minimalist design, but also entirely nontoxic and sustainable," says Model No. cofounder and COO Jillian Northrup of the signature piece in her company’s newest collection of responsibly made furnishings. Here, FSC-certified walnut meets pure, cradle-to-cradle wool, cushions bolstered with cruelty-free feather ticking, and American craftsmanship executed on demand using clean manufacturing practices.
Since Model No. first opened its Bay Area–based factory in 2018, the direct-to-consumer design company has been turning out stylish contemporary furniture—simple yet interesting 3D-printed armchairs, benches, chaise lounges, tables, and planters—made with a single goal in mind: disrupting the industry to make it easier on the environment and our health.
Model No.’s clean-lined Platform collection—which includes a customizable sectional, a lounge chair and ottoman, and a coffee table made with locally sourced, FSC-certified walnut—is as stylish as it is sustainable.
Courtesy of Model No.
"It’s both frustrating and motivating for us as a company," Northrup says of the ubiquitous consumer greenwashing that drove her to shake things up. She and her partners created Model No. as an opportunity to do the right thing well—and do it consistently, thanks to the brand’s equal investments in technology and design, and its purist ideals. "Too many companies overclaim what they are doing to reduce their environmental impact," she says. "It creates a lot of noise in the press, and makes it difficult for a consumer to know who is legitimate."
Take, for instance, 3D-printing. The technology can make objects quickly, but it’s often used to produce toxic, petroleum-based products that linger on in landfills. To address this issue, Model No. pioneered a nontoxic polymer derived from plant-based materials like corn husks, yucca, and sugarcane to render, layer by layer, the brand’s truly eco-friendly furnishings. Better yet, when the pieces have served their purpose, they can be returned to the factory and made into different pieces of furniture, bringing recycling full circle.
"Our products are inspired by classic American architecture and design—from the modernist furniture of Charles and Ray Eames to the environmental harmony of Frank Loyd Wright’s work," says Kevin Wildes, Model No.’s head of design.
Courtesy of Model No.
Model No. furnishings are also more user-friendly. "Most people hardly know that their furniture off-gasses—and if they do, they just kind of ignore it, or we call it ‘that new smell’ and decide not to think about what it really is," says Northrup. "Now is not the time to lose interest or ignore. It’s more imperative than ever to focus on the health impact of what furnishings we buy."
CEO Phillip Raub’s helming of the company’s nimble strategy has greatly contributed to its success. "If a product isn’t resonating with the consumer, we sunset it and move on," he says. "And because we manufacture our goods domestically and on demand, we deliver in a matter of weeks, and this eliminates waste."
The cushions of Model No.’s low-slung, comfortable Platform lounge chair and ottoman are made with nontoxic, GOLS-certified latex and covered in cradle-to-cradle wool (which means the fabric can be recycled), making them plush, sustainable, and healthy.
Courtesy of Model No.
See the full story on Dwell.com: Model No.’s Quest to Design the "Healthiest" Sofa Ever
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