Ana Ottoman

Paulo Alves

The first collection designed by the designer in partnership with DonaFlor marks a departure where wood is not the protagonist. According to Paulo, designing metal pieces inevitably evokes the Bauhaus—the German school of applied arts renowned for design and architecture, and a major influence on modern art and aesthetics—and the profound lessons of masters Breuer and Gropius. Paulo seeks simplicity of form in the metal structure, which is the core of the Ana line. Identical metal profiles, cut in modular dimensions, form the base of the new sofas and extend into armchairs, corner sofas, ottomans, and coffee tables. He could not, however, set aside wood—a raw material he has worked with incessantly over the years—to provide a stronger identity, filling the gaps in the furniture’s architecture and serving as a finish where the user interacts. The armrest details follow an organic design, contrasting shapes and colors, and ultimately housing the upholstery. Straight lines, curved lines. Hardness and comfort. Furniture as an analogy; the contrasts and dualities of life expressed through the designer’s strokes.