Mercedes-Benz now bring their unmistakable styling and high standard of quality to the living room.
The furniture was unveiled in the showrooms of the Mercedes-Benz Center Milan. Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz said “the various pieces of furniture reflect the progressive, dynamic design idiom of our current show cars and concept vehicles, offering an exclusive, emotional experience outside our vehicles as well”.
A collaboration between Italian manufacturer Formitalia and German “Mercedes-Benz Style” has created a furniture collection consisting of a sofa, chaise lounge, a dining room table, various chairs, a sideboard, a shelf unit with an integrated home theatre system, a chest of drawers and a bed.
Designing a luxury automobile is easily as much about the cabin space as it is about the exterior styling. Mercedes-Benz knows that very well, and as if to showcase what its design department can do outside the confines of a modern automobile. The pieces are all crafted out of familiar automotive materials like aluminum, glass and wood, with styling details borrowed from automotive design
The idea behind the collection is to carry the edge that Mercedes holds in terms of design, quality and workmanship in the interiors of its cars to something beyond the realm of an automotive experience. Given the appeal of the Mercedes Benz cars, it would not come as a surprise if the furniture line is a hit too among its patrons
Progressive design with an unmistakable automotive identity
Dynamism and proportion are the main characteristics of the designs, which are inherent in all Mercedes-Benz cars. A bit futuristic, the furniture designs follows that of its car counterparts, nice form and lines that creates harmony.
The padding upholstered in leather or fabric and a distinctively styled aluminium frame provide a visually appealing contrast. The styling is further accentuated by an optional fabric cover featuring a natural pattern.
Precisely curved lines also generate emotional tension. As in the F 125, they delineate individual surface areas, visually subdividing the piece.
Thus the automotive identity of the styling is visible and emotionally present throughout the entire furniture collection.
The collection bears a subtle Mercedes-Benz star and Mercedes-Benz Style logo.
Mercedes-Benz says that its new line is the perfect combination of “Progressive design with an unmistakable automotive identity.”
Each piece of seating furniture offers a dynamic yet timelessly elegant design with outstanding comfort
Additionally, much of the collection features aluminum frames, giving each piece a distinctly car-like feel.
This “car-like” appearance is perhaps no better exemplified than with the line’s dining room table. The table contains a central aluminum beam, four legs that look sculpted spokes, and a sideboard with a glass door surrounded by a bevel suggestive of a sport car’s air intake. As is true with any Mercedes-Benz vehicle, the furniture collection also bears a understated Mercedes-Benz Style logo.
The “Class” leather sofa spreads a timeless charm with its elegant and graceful lines. An offset area in the backrest with rolling lines and artistic stitching accentuates the sofa’s particular dynamism and elegance. The four legs extend from the central aluminum beam like elegantly sculptured spokes. The optical lightness of this construction culminates in a grey-shaded transparent glass plate.
The futuristic-looking chairs set new standards in terms of shape and material. Through the exciting interplay of convex and concave lines, a dynamic shape is created which gives the chairs a particular air of lightness. A seat shell made of laminated wood ensures for perfect, long-lasting seating comfort.
The visual dynamic of the seating furniture is carried over in the design of the dining room table and sideboard. From the table’s central aluminium beam, four legs extend like elegantly sculptured spokes. The table top is made of grey-shaded clear glass. The sideboard has a glass door with a surrounding bevel reminiscent of the air intake on a sports car.
The furniture’s wooden backrest shells draw inspiration from the design of the seat shells in the current research vehicles, while the upholstered leather of several pieces were based on the interior of current Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
A well-proportioned futuristic-looking, sideboard on an aluminum frame. The front has a glass door with a surrounding bevel reminiscent of the air intake on a sports car
Suffice it to say, the items would look right at home in a fantasy living room.
Gordon Wagener
About Mercedes-Benz Style
Like Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz Style stands for technology and engineering-driven innovations. Mercedes-Benz Style communicates innovation through well-considered intelligent design and styling. This is clearly evident in the purposeful, distinctive use of innovative materials, colour values, shapes and the use of light.
In addition to classic car styling, the designers at Mercedes-Benz have been developing designs for other products in co-operation with select partners since 2010.
In 2011, the first product to be launched was the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter from Eurocopter, which has already been delivered to the first customers. The Mercedes designers styled the interior of the luxury helicopter for business and private travel.
The portfolio of the newly established “Mercedes-Benz Style” division will comprise not only transport-related products, but also furniture and lifestyle products and industrial design.
