The entrance hall is the calling card of any space, responsible for setting the mood and making a lasting impression. It’s the stage for grand entrances and a showcase of…
Versailles
The creativity and rich decoration of the furniture decorating Versailles Palace contributed to the inspiration of the creation of this exuberant sofa.
The Château de Versailles, which has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for 30 years, is one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art.
In the XVII century, Colbert pointed out André-Charles Boulle to the French king as “the most skillful in his trade”. Boulle was the author of a large number of pieces of furniture in bronze and marquetry, which made him the leading cabinet-maker of French furniture in the XVII and XVIII century. The creativity and richness of his pieces of furniture contributed to the reputation of Versailles in this art.
Beginning in 1672, he produced all kinds of pieces of furniture for Louis XIV, his family and the court, and the name of Boulle is inseparable from the copper and tortoiseshell marquetry that made his success: the famous “Boulle marquetry”. Although he was not its inventor, he devised a new process by cutting out patterns from these materials. He thus obtained two panels: the “part” and the “counterpart”. The first was in copper on a background of tortoiseshell, the second in tortoiseshell on a background of copper.
Another major innovation of Boulle was the application of bronzes on his pieces of furniture to protect the most fragile parts. Grotesque masks, claws, friezes, foliage and patterns invaded console tables, desks and studies, among others.
The celebrated cabinet-maker did not limit himself to technical or aesthetic innovations; he also created new pieces of furniture. Just like Boca do Lobo that has adventured in a new piece of furniture by designing and creating Versailles Sofa that takes us to the same time of Boulle, the XVII century where grandeur and pageantry reigned in the French Court. The only sofa from Boca do Lobo opens the way to freedom and the need for bringing extravagant creations to life.
This art object was created from a long process of inspiration and dedication, recreating the Versailles Spirit. It is a sofa made in a wood structure and panels in a manual sculpture, produced in resin and finished with restoration techniques similar to stone. The upholstery fabric is made up of six velvety and removable pillows. The legs are produced in acrylic turned.
The beauty and perfection of Boulle’s pieces of furniture earned him immense celebrity in France during his time. The exquisite sofa from Boca do Lobo earned us a special invitation, in 2012, during Milan Design Week. Tom Dixon invited us to exhibit Versailles at MOST, a design destination instigated by British designer Tom Dixon at Milan’s Museum of Science and Technology.
