From the Lounge Room to the Boardroom – Ross Didier

Combining a relaxed approach with a contemporary formality, Didier intentionally bridges the divide between the residential realm and the workspace with furniture systems that offer an immense range of applications, configurations and functions.

Responding to the ever-increasing need for furniture and spaces that offer flexibility and agility, the Didier collections represent the coming together of laid-back comfort with a deliberate, focused approach. Able to be moved or reconfigured according to the appropriate space and required use, the new Puffalo lounging system is built upon the ideal of embracing change. In this similar dynamic vein, Didier’s Fable collection is extended with an outdoor range that has been designed and fabricated in stainless steel, aluminium, and sand cast moulding for braving the harshest of environments.

Designed for both the residential and commercial milieu, the Puffalo lounging includes 20 individual units that join together into boundless configurations and offers extreme flexibility with a high level of personal customisation. The collection embodies a literal grounded quality with forms that hug the horizontal surface upon which they are placed. In contrast to this perception of weight and permanence, the system is designed to be flexible, ever-changing, and malleable. Designer Ross Didier says, “Puffalo is a contemporary, modular lounge collection designed with a cool, bohemian chic. The relaxed aesthetic evokes a domestic atmosphere but is designed with a refined and formal integrity. Puffalo invites you to ‘flop down, chill-out and feel yourself descending into slow motion’.”

In a world of constant flux, the residential and commercial realms see a cross-pollination of function. Yet in the face of such persistent change, the Puffalo aesthetic remains deliberately consistent. “The generous proportions of the lounging modules play a major role in governing the form of this design until the perfect ergonomic seating was achieved for a wide spectrum of use,” reflects Ross. “The sophisticated yet slouchlike appearance of the Puffalo invites you to lounge whilst retaining a certain formality.” And, reflecting the blurring of the boundaries between residential spaces and workplaces, Ross says, “you can’t dictate the personalities that exist in a workplace, so having the capacity to easily create a variety of landscaped spaces using flexible furniture pieces is really important to enable everyone to feel comfortable within the office environment – just as it is to have a formality in the home environment.”

Responding to the ever-increasing need for furniture and spaces that offer flexibility and agility, the Didier collections represent the coming together of laid-back comfort with a deliberate, focused approach.

Designing products that easily work in both the residential and the commercial realm requires a high level of adaptability, durability and potential for customisation. “Longevity of furniture design is extremely important in allowing simple transformation over time – so discrete connecting clips have been developed allowing easy modular rearrangement by hand,” Ross says. Each module can be upholstered with a wide selection of Green Star-certified fabrics and leathers, including beautiful wools and recycled content.

Didier is underpinned by an approach that fuses art and design, balanced by a dedication to continual exploration and experimentation. Just as Puffalo is the product of a clear market need, the extended Fable is the result of continued internal analysis and evolution. The decision to expand the successful Fable range came about due to identifying the beauty in its simplicity. The extension includes a full outdoor collection and additions to the solid oak collection, offering armchairs, lounge chairs, mirrors, and open bookshelves to its previous family members. The range’s uniqueness lies “in the Fable joinery,” Ross says. “The top corner joins of each chair are curved timber and are made via special joinery which is extremely challenging to get right. I was ever aiming at perfection for the Fable design, as part of the charm intended for this collection was a hand-crafted aesthetic, but I was aiming to express character in this family and clearly show the skill and individuality for each piece made.”

Able to be moved or reconfigured according to the appropriate space and required use, the new Puffalo lounging system is built upon the ideal of embracing change.

Combining a love of the sculptural with an injection of human-centreddesign, Didier’s new Puffalo lounging and the additions to the Fable clan extend the studio’s offering. Connecting to materiality, craft, endurance and longevity, the narrative underpinning Didier and the recent collections embraces the idea that furniture should exist within and beyond the functional, transcending into the artful space.

In this similar dynamic vein, Didier’s Fable collection is extended with an outdoor range that has been designed and fabricated in stainless steel, aluminium, and sand cast moulding for braving the harshest of environments.

Designed for both the residential and commercial milieu, the Puffalo lounging includes 20 individual units that join together into boundless configurations and offers extreme flexibility with a high level of personal customisation.