For 2012, innovative Swedish furniture company Blå Station focused on “anti-design,” a term meaning “not exactly the antithesis of design, but more like toned-down, reduced and simplified design.” Of their new products exhibited at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April 2012, Ally perfectly exemplifies this aesthetic philosophy. An easy chair/sofa system that works alone or in any combination, Ally revolutionizes the concept of modularity thanks to its beautiful shape and magnetic linking.

Ally. Designed by Hertel & Klarhoefer. Manufactured by Blå Station.

Modern, Magnetic, Modular Easy Chairs are Very Attractive

The idea behind Ally is to make modular seating modular—“In other words, how can you design something obvious and natural?” Ally responds to a very real problem: modular furniture is usually configured once and never altered. But designers Hertel & Klarhoefer wanted to achieve true flexibility. This began with the Ally unit, whose shape works equally well when placed alone or in combination. Soft and bulbous, the L-shaped lounge chair features a playful block of color on either side and a fashionable contrasting stitch on the seat.

The obviously natural design doesn’t stop with the shape. Ally has a fixed magnetic frame, allowing users to position and reposition at a moment’s notice or on a whim, “allowing the user or context to determine what works best from one occasion to the next.” Constructed of moulded polyurethane foam with a styrofoam and wood interior frame and a stainless steel exterior frame, Ally will stand up to however you choose to sit—and however many times you change the configuration. Go ahead: move to a larger house, move to a smaller apartment, grow your family, or drop a spouse—Ally is your ally no matter how your life changes.

Via Archiproducts.

About the Manufacturer: Blå Station is a Swedish furniture company with a portfolio as interesting as its name. Station came from the echoing warehouse where the company began, which inspired impromptu concerts and felt like a station where “there’s always something going on—a constant flow of change.” Blå includes the letters of the founder’s name, Börge Lindau, and that of the company’s location of Ånus on the Swedish southeast coast. A family-owned business established in 1986, Blå Station offers furniture “to meet the demands and desires of today.” Because they produce everything in Sweden, they are able to follow their seven sustainability criteria.