Since I am slowly transitioning LLM to a design+style blog this year, I thought it might be fun to share with you a little bit of the HISTORY behind that BRIGHT ORANGE sectional sofa we selected for our family room’s home renovation project and that is the Ligne Roset’s TOGO!
Now in its 46th year of production, the Ligne Roset’s “TOGO” collection was originally designed in 1973 by Michel Ducaroy, a French designer who was born into a family of furniture makers and designers. He trained at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Lyon [and in the family business] before branching out on his own as an independent furniture designer in 1952. Somewhere around the year 1954, Mr. Ducaroy met Jean Roset and rapidly became one of Ligne Roset’s most integral designers; pushing the company’s technological boundaries in design. In 1968, he designed one of the first modular all-foam chairs, the low-sitting Adria, and then amongst others, the Kashima and Safi, which had large cushions on a frame of Altuglas. But it wouldn’t be until 1973, before Mr. Ducaroy designed what he would be remembered for = the now iconic TOGO!
A culmination of all-foam seating with covers generously quilted with polyester, the TOGO has been described as having a “crumpled, ‘newborn’ appearance with Shar-Pei wrinkles” and effortlessly fits into almost any interior with its unique design. I’ve been an admirer of it for years, but I am NOT alone in this obsession as it continues to be one of Ligne Roset’s best sellers. They have sold over 1.2 million pieces to date in 72 countries AND they’re still making new styles and adding different upholstery to the line today, including a children’s version, which was recently released. The only drawback to the TOGO [in my opinion] is the price point . . . and is why it took us so long to be owners of one . . . but I don’t believe however that to have always been the case. Shortly after its 1973 debut, the Togo was awarded the René-Gabriel prize at the Salon des Arts ménagers at the Palais de la Défense, which recognized it as an “innovative and democratic furniture” — pieces that offered a good price-to-quality ratio.
But now, we usually just see the TOGO in fancy interior design magazines and in houses we could only wish we could afford. Most people would call these sectional furniture pieces expensive, but I prefer the word “investment” as this is furniture that will last you through the ages, the trends, whatever! A one and done kind of purchase 😉 these days high quality usually means high prices. I mean I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again on here again = most “new” furniture is absolutely JUNK, and sadly, the “junk” is the stuff with reasonable sales price. I’m not saying that all good quality, timeless design has to be super pricey, but Ligne Roset puts a lot behind the design and the manufacturing of its TOGO. And if you don’t believe me, just watch its manufacturing process [which takes place at their Briord, France factory] via this video below!
Video by Ligne Roset
Right?! Tons of human hands touch these pieces before they end up in someone’s living room [or someone’s Family Room for that matter] for me, observing their process of upholstering a TOGO sofa is like watching a performance. I mean just the upholstery process alone takes 4 hours for fabric covers AND almost 6 for leather! I applaud the Ligne Roset’s TOGO and am tickled pink that the Pilant’s have one of their very own!
