Behind the design: Boa Pouf by Sabine Marcelis
The Boa Pouf is Marcelis’s inaugural design in our collection and her first foray into soft-form furniture. This donut-shaped beauty is perfectly sculptural; a bold graphic form that interrupts interior landscapes with its faultless chunky geometry, available in four vibrant upholstery options: Pine, Sulfur Yellow, Cotton Candy, and Oatmeal. Read more about our collaboration with Sabine and the driving, inspirational force behind the design.
Photography by Titia Hahne
How did your collaboration with Hem come to be? What was your brief?
Petrus contacted me on Instagram after seeing a foam-coated donut-shaped pouf I did for a one-off project for a fashion brand in Milan, to see if we could make a commercial product out of it. I was interested in collaborating with Hem to bring the shape to life in the fabric in a seamless way since this hasn’t been achieved in other donut-shaped designs. We were excited to work on the challenge together once I explained this vision to Petrus.
What was your inspiration for the design?
I have this fascination and love with the donut shape. It’s just such a perfectly complete and finite shape. Simple yet not boring. And the curve and void create a beautiful depth in almost all materials. I first worked with the shape when I designed a rug. The donut pattern in different tuft heights turned a flat surface into a lush 3-dimensional landscape. Then I did a charity project where we started casting all left-over resin from candy cubes and other resin designs into donut-shaped molds. I’ve been auctioning off these donuts every Christmas for 2 years now through different organizations with 100% of the proceeds going to charity.
What was the challenge of this project?
Upholstered shapes like these come with many challenges, there are often visible seams that disrupt the perfect shape and illusion of uninterrupted continuity. The way we create the fabric to appear smooth was certainly the biggest challenge in making the pouf.
How and where do you envision people using the pouf?
I think the beauty of it is that it could find a home in a small apartment or equally a larger lobby space. In my own home, I can see it being used as an ottoman by the couch or as a seating space by the bookshelf.
How do you feel this piece fits within your existing body of work?
It is truly the first time I am working with fabric or upholstered material, which has been a fun challenge. The shapes are familiar to me since I’ve long been interested in the donut shape, but working in textile is new to my body of work.
