Prickly vs. Puffy Poufs: The Cactus Couch & Marshmallow Sofa

This is a tale of two couches. The first is by Italian designer Maurizio Galante. For reasons that should be obvious, it’s called Canapé Cactus.

The Canapé Cactus couch is made of high-density foam with a wooden base, metal frame and a photographic fabric print. Galante designed the sofa in 2011 for Cerruti Baleri. It looks so realistic! I took the following text verbatim from Galante’s website:

In a natural environment, the Mother-in-law’s Cushion cactus proliferates and multiplies. Within the interior environment of a habitat, the Mother-in-law’s Cushion poufs conglomerate into a sofa. Sofa of a rebound, sofa of an instant, sofa of a kiss. The first CACTUS sofa produced is installed in the lobby of the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

I’m not sure what’s meant by “Mother-in-law’s cushion poufs conglomerate,” but the next sentence will stick with you. “Sofa of a rebound, sofa of an instant, sofa of a kiss.” I wish I’d written that. I’d buy whatever was being described by that sentence. Sofa king awesome, right?!

That brings us to the marshmallow sofa by Japanese designer Kei Harada. This couch is called “The O’Keeffe Sofa,” for reasons I couldn’t tell you. Contrary to the mixed-message motivation behind Galante’s cactus couch, Harada approached the design with intent to create an inviting space.

The 2012 O’Keeffe Sofa combines several styrofoam marshmallow-like orbs covered with urethane foam and stretchable cloth. Wooden frames function as joints to hold the structure together. Chicks dig it!