2026 | Professional

French Design Awards Silver Winner

Waffle Sofa

Entrant

Foshan Inaction Design Co., Ltd.

Category

Product Design - Furniture

Client's Name

Haixiang Duan

Country / Region

China

Waffle Sofa is an innovative leather-and-wood sofa that blends vintage aesthetics with modern design. The warm brown oil-waxed top-grain leather upholstery pairs with a matte black solid ash wood base, creating a classic mid-century look through the interplay of materials and colors. Distinct from common designs that hide the base or wrap it in ornate wood carvings, Waffle Sofa boldly reveals its tall solid wood structure, using architectural design language to create sculptural visual tension and a sense of lightness. The modular cushions stack like caramel waffle pieces, layered and orderly, infusing modern interiors with retro charm and dynamic vitality.
Built with multi-layered composite construction and ergonomic design for a comfortable sitting experience, the sofa features solid wood panels, high-resilience foam, and a feather blend filling in multiple layers, with fine stitching securing the filling to achieve ten years of use without deformation or sagging. The dimensions are precisely calibrated, with seat height 46 cm, seat depth 65 cm, and overall height below 90 cm, ensuring a natural sitting posture with feet flat on the floor, proper lumbar support, and no pressure on the knees. The slim armrests increase seat width by 20%, and the modular cushions can be freely rearranged according to seating position, making the sofa both comfortable and practical.
Made with minimally processed top-grain leather that retains natural pores and scars, the oil-waxed finish gives the leather “self-healing” properties and a patina that deepens beautifully over time. The FAS-grade solid ash wood frame provides high load-bearing capacity and long-term stability, giving the sofa a service life of 10 to 15 years, which is far longer than ordinary furniture, thus reducing resource consumption and waste at the source. The main materials are either naturally biodegradable or have high recycling value: metal components are recyclable, solid wood can be disassembled and repurposed, and the stain-resistant surface requires no frequent chemical cleaning, embodying low-carbon environmental protection through durability and longevity.

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