Aspen sofa

for Found home furniture ltd

Found, is a brand I conceived whilst studying at university. It was born out of my anger at the lack of stylish furniture options available to those who care about ethics and the environment, but don't always have the budget to support it. It is the norm to find sustainable and ethically sound products carrying a high price tag, yet there is very little evidence to support a correlation between income and core personal values. I went on an explorative journey in this topic and ended up developing a product (the ASPEN sofa pictured below) which is currently now on sale after my partnership with Blackdog Upholstery.
Take a look at the introduction video I created here.

The ASPEN sofa epitomises Found's sustainable and responsible philosophy. It may appear relatively simple, but do not be fooled by the clean lines and minimalist aesthetic, there is more to this sofa than meets the eye. Its bold rectangular shape for example, lends itself nicely to a tessellating pattern, maximising the most from a single roll of the tough wearing contract grade fabric, minimising waste. Perhaps more interestingly, each of the cushions are made from the remaining material on the fabric roll. This is determined by the combined skill of both the upholsterer and the machinist, meaning every single sofa / seat cushion set is unique.

The thick armrests on the ASPEN are just the right height to eat from when sitting down and of course wide enough to accommodate a plate. Alternatively their width and uniform shape means they are also wide enough to rest a laptop or notepad so working comfortably from the sofa is easy as well. The angled back cushion has been engineered to provide substantial support the lumbar which helps improve posture and thus decrease the aches and pains of general slouching. Whether relaxing by yourself after a hard days work, or sharing the sofa on movie night, the sofa has been designed to work well in every situation.

In comparison to traditional sofas which generally have 4 loose cover seat cushions the ASPEN has only one, with the addition of the angled back support. Not only does this contribute to the look but it reduces wastage, decreases labour costs by lowering build time and more importantly eliminates the chance of losing items down the side of the sofa. The single cushion option makes it much easier to clean the unit, as the dust / crumbs that amass in conventional sofas cannot gather in ASPEN.

The foam used is made from 80% recycled plastic bottles shredded and then bonded with other recycled materials to form a firm yet supportive material which is crafted carefully to the shape of the seat cushions. The wood used in the construction of the frame is FSC certified and manufactured in safe and standardised conditions in the UK which not only keeps labour local but also helps protect the environment from unnecessary harvesting of its resources. Similarly the card used in the carding process, is composed of fully recycled paper stock, and has been specced up to ensure the strength of shaping required is met.

Carefully engineered to fit through a standard sized house door and weighing just under 100 kilos, ASPEN won't put your back out. The sofa sports a handy side pocket to store those loose tv magazines and remote controls before they decide to go missing, so keep put your feet up and relax. Speaking of, the ASPEN is elevated by 4 angled ash feet with a built-in M8 thread which locates directly into the base allowing the sofa to be wrapped securely for transport and assembled extremely easily once in place.