The reimagined King Living 1977 sofa that's bringing home awards

King Living clinched two prestigious Red Dot Design Awards this year for its 1977 sofa collection, an affirmation of the Australian brand’s dedication to design and innovation through the years

With a history spanning almost five decades, King Living represents the best of Australian furniture design. Honouring a longstanding commitment to innovation, quality, good looks and comfort, the family-owned firm offers a modern take on timeless forms, making its mark with award-winning products that continually evolve and redefine the boundaries of contemporary furniture design.

Two of King Living’s latest accolades were secured at the acclaimed Red Dot Design Award 2024, where the brand took home two awards for its 1977 indoor and outdoor sofa collections. These collections are the 21st-century reimaginings of a design that was launched in their namesake year.

The internationally renowned Red Dot Design Award endorses the qualities of exemplary design and recognises the commitment to outstanding craftsmanship. Notably, King Living also picked up four Good Design Awards in 2023 for its 1977 indoor sofa, as well as the Aura sofa, Jasper curve sofa, and Heirloom dining chair.

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Above The 1977 sofa’s curve modules can be employed to demarcate spaces

The 1977 sofa’s curve modules can be employed to demarcate spaces

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Company founder David King acknowledges the accolades as “a testament to our commitment to providing our customers with not only aesthetically [pleasing] furniture, but also products that meet the highest standards of design, durability and functionality”.

King works closely with the brand’s senior designer, Sebastian Clarke, in incorporating contemporary engineering advancements while retaining the 1977 sofa’s classic aesthetic. A compact, modular design with soft curves, it reflects the ageless trend of comfortable adaptability.

Reimagining a core heritage product meant retaining the original’s design essence while adding contemporary touches. King Living’s 50 years of engineering experience and advancements lent this endeavour an edge.

“The foundation of the design is a steel frame that comes with a 25-year warranty and which supports our Postureflex seating system,” Clarke says. “This affords the comfort and longevity King Living is known for.” It’s no coincidence that the 1977 range encompasses the brand’s most rounded designs, embodying comfort like no other offering.

When working on the reimagined collection, “[We] identified four essential elements: sustainability, modularity, timelessness, and serviceability, which is all about easy care and maintenance,” Clarke reveals.

Above A two-seater comprising two 1977 modules

A two-seater comprising two 1977 modules

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The collections’ upholstery offerings are part of their appeal. The 1977 sofas are offered in two fabrics, Tempest and Leura. Tempest, a 1977 sofa-exclusive quilt-textured fabric, comes in four shades. Leura, a cosy and sumptuous bouclé fabric, is available in seven. The 1977 outdoor sofa collection has a singular fabric configured to cope with dynamic outdoor weather: Element, a porous, water and stain-resistant, and easy-care mesh-like fabric.

These are designed to cater to various seasonal aesthetics, modern and classic alike. As a touchpoint before purchases or when looking for a change, one can order up to five fabric swatches, to be received by delivery.

The modular design features reflect the brand’s consideration of customers’ evolving needs and preferences. The ease of adjusting the sofa modules’ configurations enables versatility in a variety of settings, from smaller and more intimate areas to more expansive open-plan settings.

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