Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses – design companies and manufacturers included.  If you’re in the market for a sofa, I’d recommend going Italian. But solid wood furniture won’t be found in the portfolios of the top contemporary Italian manufacturers whose wood pieces are likely MDF with veneer. De La Espada, founded by Luis De Oliveira and Fatima De La Espada in 1993, is a leading designer/manufacturer of solid wood furniture with a dedicated factory in Portugal that specializes in hand crafting and traditional construction methods.

Deco Sofa. Designed and manufactured by De La Espada and Autoban.

With aesthetics that have evolved from influences including the Arts and Crafts movement, architects such as Tadao Ando, John Pawson and Alvaro Siza, as well as Scandinavian design from the 1950s, their pieces are defined by a timeless modern appeal. With all of that being said, what happens when a sofa incorporates solid wood construction? De La Espada’s collaboration with Autoban, an Istanbul-based architecture, interior design and product design studio, launched at New York’s ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) in 2007. During the London Design Festival from 24th to 27th September, Autoban and De La Espada introduce their latest collaborations.  Know for playfully reinterpreting the familiar, their latest products follow suit.  The Deco Sofa, Nest Lounge Chair and Holy Table are all made from premium solid wood from sustainable sources and the Reedy Bookshelf is made from a combination of solid wood and iron.  Holy Table’s form is reminiscent of an altar while Reedy Bookshelf recalls meadows, “the tall water-side grasses of nature” in a functional modular bookcase that allows the user to create a personal reading environment.  Given my preface regarding De La Espada’s strength in solid wood construction, it goes without saying that even the Deco Sofa capitalizes on this expertise.  Artistically detailed planes of solid wood embrace the oversize seating area, which looks more like a thick mattress than your average multi-cushion seating.  Oversized bolster cushions make up the backrest and arms.

Also check Lounge Chair, a recent collaboration between Leif.designpark and De La Espada that expresses their talents in the upholstery sector.