Let's discuss your project
Trade terms for professionals and design studios
A sofa looks like a single object and is specified like one, which is why upholstery decisions so often stall. The Arper documentation for Shaal breaks the habit by naming three distinct surfaces: ES for the external shell, IU for the internal upholstery, C for the decorative cushions. Each carries its own material, and the document is organised around that separation rather than around a colour chart.
The practical consequence is a clear order of decisions. The shell is the surface the room sees first, in covered plywood wrapped as a continuous panel. The internal upholstery is what the body meets, on deep cushions whose covers come off. The cushions are an accessory, offered in two sizes and, by the manufacturer's own note, intended for the sofa rather than for every piece. Doshi Levien designed the collection in 2022; it spans a freestanding two- and three-seater, end, central and 90° corner modules, a daybed and an ottoman. It serves lounges and waiting areas, hospitality and restaurants, collaborative floors, break-out spaces and the home office. La Mercanti prepares the composition on your layout and stays with the project through delivery and installation.
Design: Doshi Levien, 2022, for Arper.
Construction: outer structure made of a wraparound panel in covered plywood; deep inner cushions with removable covers.
Types: freestanding two- and three-seater sofa; modules for composition (left and right end module 1.5 seater, left and right end module 1 seater, central module, 90° corner module); freestanding daybed; ottoman.
Finishes: entirely upholstered in a single material and colour, or bi-material in different colours, in specially designed combinations. Materials: fabric, leather, coated fabric or customer's own material. The ottoman is single-material only.
Declared bi-material pairings: Divina 3 with Vidar 4, Elmosoft with Vidar 4, Synergy with Main Line Flax, Valencia with Fabthirty, Pelle Fiore with Fiord 2.
Accessories: decorative cushions in two sizes, intended for the sofa.
Standard: EN 16139 — Furniture, strength, durability and safety, requirements for non-domestic seating. Level L1 general use; level L2 extreme use.
Care: vacuum fabrics on low suction, preferably weekly; dab non-greasy stains with a clean lint-free cloth and warm water, then soapy water or washing-up liquid following the declared formulas. Coated fabrics with a microfibre cloth, avoiding alcohol, solvents and abrasives. Keep leather away from direct sunlight and heat sources, blot immediately and work from the edges inwards. Test on a hidden area and wait twenty-four hours.
End of life: separate upholstery and padding, structure and base by material type before disposal.
Applications: lounge and waiting areas, offices, hospitality, contract projects, collaborative spaces, restaurants, break-out areas, residential.
Share the finishes you wish to evaluate
Five steps for a project that cannot be paid for all at once, and should not look unfinished in the meantime.
