Mid-Century Modern Sofa in Hardwood & Leather by Jean Gillon, 1970, Brazil

Available now, this very Brazilian modern sofa in black leather and hardwood designed by Jean Gillon in the seventies is simply spectacular!

This gorgeous, one-of-a-kind three seat sofa features a solid Brazilian Rosewood (known as Jacaranda) structure with leather belts acting as supporting base for the three loose black leather cushions. Each cushion acts as a seat and backrest in capitone style resulting in a striking though very inviting comfy look.

The sofa is 100% disarmable as this version was designed to be sold out of Brazil, as a result the sofa can be packed without taking much space!

The restoration of the sofa took four long months because the wood, faux leather and belts were in bad condition. So the first step was to disassemble the sofa and get rid of the termite. This took a few days followed by reinforcing the wood where there was damage. In parallel the hand sewing process got started. For pieces such as this one and others similar like the “Mole” armchair from Sergio Rodrigues or Jangada from Jean Gillon, these pieces have very specific sewing techniques that can only be found in Brazil. So we end up with Manuel and his team, some of the best old school upholsterers Brazil has to offer. This team worked with Sergio Rodrigues for 20 years and have mastered the sewing technique really well. The downside is that it took three months. But the wait was worth it and this upholstery masterpiece was born! Attached some images with the process.

This sofa is SO awesome that we’ve paired it with other pieces in the gallery, always looking spectacular. The first furniture set showcases the sofa with two “Concha” armchairs by Joaquim Tenreiro and one of Scapinelli’s iconic “spider like” coffee table. The second set features the sofa next to a Jose Zanine Caldas bar, a Michel Arnauld armchair in Imbuia wood and the same spider coffee table.

This Brazilian Modern gem has all the fun aspects of a true bold Brazilian Modern piece: a robust wood structure combined with a delicate leather upholstery resulting in a very comfy look. A sofa like these flexes into any Mid-Century Modern, Modern or Contemporary, Transitional, or even Hollywood Regency environment.

Size: H35.4, W86.6, D31.5 (in) H90, W220, D80 (cm).