Description
SOLD to Leo for $3,795 after 2 days of being listed in iNVISeDGE. (The buyer paid $4250 all up including delivery of this sofa to Sydney.)
This sofa SOLD under consignment from our client’s home in Perth, Western Australia. iNVISeDGE organised the full sale of this sofa including delivery to Sydney.
Provenance and Background Info
Out of all the Italian designer minimalist sofas that have ever been released, this design is one of my favourites. The Alanda, designed by the famed, Paolo Piva for B & B Italia, is a triumph in 1980’s design and whilst 80’s furniture is back in a huge way, it’s the timeless simplicity of this classic design that wins me over. This design is just as beautiful now as it was when it was released almost 3 decades ago. Some people may think “beautiful” is the wrong word to use here, but the refined simplicity is exactly what makes this such a thing of beauty. And this is where the B & B Italia “Alanda” really comes into its own. As the biggest item in your living room it won’t dominate your space, the slant of beauty is certainly there, but it becomes the hero of the room in an understated way and will pair seamlessly with a fascinating pair of chairs, interesting coffee table or that amazing artwork you’ve always lusted after.
The beauty of this design certainly doesn’t end with its looks. This is a practical piece in every sense- sumptuously COMFORTABLE with the right amount of padding and softness, plus the quality of full-Italian leather that’s buttery-soft and feels just as beautiful as it looks. But there’s more- this sofa also has a unique patented tilting mechanism for the backs and arms that allows a multitude of angles through an easy-to-use action. This is what I love so much about this design- you get extra“bang for your buck”. There are a lot of Italian designer sofas out there (by the likes of Cassina, Edra, Poliform, Herman Miller and B & B Italia too) that look like virtually everything else on the market … just with a price-tag that’s double or triple. This piece gives you something extra by being able to adjust the tilting components to suit YOUR own personal sense of comfort.
Durability of construction also gets a big tick- with a solid steel frame, the best-quality cushioning and proper Italian leather (not the leather they call “Italian” as a “design name” and not because it actually came from Italy!) The majority of these B & B Italia Alanda sofas are nearing 25 years old now but ALL of them you see in photos online present extremely well. You’re getting “bang for your buck” both in terms of complexity in the construction AND the TOP-quality manufacture that has won B & B Italia praise the world over.
For me personally, there’s one last tick I need to stock anything in iNVISeDGE- it has to be a good investment for my buyer. I can’t see this sofa losing any value over the years (if it’s well looked-after). I’ve seen a black 2.05m Alanda sofa sell for $5500 in Melbourne- I have a screenshot verifying this if you need to see it. At this price, it’s a no-brainer investment, Alanda sofas very rarely come up in Australia- I’ve never had one in 18 years of trading and only ever seen a handful for sale in Australia. Miss it at this price and I doubt you’ll ever see another for this price again. And another aspect that makes this one such a solid investment is that it’s the longer 2.6m variety. I’ve never seen another 2.6m one here in Australia but the 2.6m one suits this design more- the generous length accentuates the minimalist simplicity of the design. These proportions suit the refined sleekness and add a further element of class.
The Alanda sofa captures a moment in time in the 1980’s when Paulo Piva released something that was the exact opposite of what nearly other designer was doing. (He went against the Memphis design aesthetic with its splashes of colour and zany shapes). The Alanda instantly became a hit and has since became a cult design classic. My client purchased this piece second-hand- it’s now about 20 years old. Due to the quality of the build it looks sensational after years of use and if looked after this sofa is set to be passed from this generation to the next- a symbol that when something is done well in every regard, it will live on. We don’t need to subscribe to this throw-away mentality anymore and if we look at the big picture investing in quality design isn’t expensive. These sofas hold their value extremely well so you’re not really buying at all but investing and becoming a custodian for the next generation. (Buy something half the price that’s new and it’s very likely to end up as landfill the next time you move house!) There’s no better way to invest in your home and in the future of this planet. Investing in items built to last (and this piece has already proven that it will) is our only way out of this mess!
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