BD Barcelona is one of the few truly international contemporary, yet historical design brands born from Barcelona culture. It is a brand that consistently produces pieces that mediate between the classic and innovative; a position that is difficult to maintain for a customer base that desires the creativity of the artistic yet demands the tried-and-true performance of tradition.

Designed by Stephen Burks, Grasso is an intuitive and immediate response to both aspects of BD’s heritage and culture. In many ways, the concept of extreme visual comfort is both a starting point and an end goal.

Pushing away from the foundation of the exaggerated expression of traditional overstuffed upholstery allowed the furniture manufacturer to find an unexpected place of abstraction where the voluminous form not only recalls the traditional smoking lounge chair but also expresses something of the artistically absurd.

The BD Bolon collaboration happened quite naturally, as the large surfaces of Grasso seemed perfect for an organic colourful textile.

“When Bolon approached BD with interest in Grasso, I was imagining some natural treatment of the leather that could be reminiscent of flaws in the skin, scarring, burning or branding,” explains Burks. “I had no idea how we would have pulled that off, so Bolon with it’s incredibly chic albeit sustainable factory in the small town of Ulricehamn, Sweden, was a welcome balance of style and expertise. Nearly everything I could’ve imagined was being worked on in Bolon’s small yet experimental research and development studio. The resulting textile collection of the two textile workshops we held are both couture, more delicate and requiring hand-finishing, and contract, more durable and ready for use straight off the loom.”

Burks continues: “Independently or in combination with Bolon, Grasso is more than fat. It’s a bit sloppy and overflowing. It’s uncontrollable. These are the ideas of comfort we wanted to play with the Grasso collection. Both, in the upholstered furniture pieces and in the ceramics, there is a feeling of forms reaching the limit of expressiveness. As the collection evolved, we found new ways to overstuff the strict tubular steel frame, which is left intentionally bare in contrast to the luxurious feeling of the puffy leather surfaces. Together, the lounge chair, footrest and bar stools create an impression of radical elegance rarely seen in this typology, as only BD can present it.”

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