For Eileen Gray, who had studied fine arts, the early 1920s in Paris marked her breakthrough as a designer: commissioned by the glamorous Madame Matthieu-Lévy, Eileen Gray designed the complete interior of Matthieu-Lévy’s apartment on Rue de Lota, including numerous pieces of furniture, lacquered walls and paravent screens. Completed in 1924, the work of art was acclaimed by the press and became known far beyond the city limits of Paris. Named after the street where the apartment was located, the Lota sofa is still part of the ClassiCon catalogue today – a comfortable, yet timelessly elegant, piece of upholstered furniture.

Luxurious yet casual: the Lota sofa with lacquered side panels

The spacious Lota sofa with sumptuous cushions and side panels painted with multiple layers of lacquer was an attraction of the apartment's interior design. Eileen Gray liked it so much that she later had a second one made for her own apartment. As photos at that time show, she kept this favourite piece of furniture for the rest of her life.

ClassiCon still has the sofa in its portfolio today as extraordinarily comfortable, yet still contemporary piece of furniture. It consists of an upholstered beech wood frame with a spring core. Between the distinctive, cubic side boxes is the comfortable seat, which is complemented by loose back and side cushions. This combination lends the furniture a luxurious, yet casual, look.

Art, architecture and design: the multifaceted work of Eileen Gray

With her design and architectural theories, Eileen Gray (1878-1976) has shaped our idea of interior design; her work is considered the epitome of modernism. Gray's tubular steel furniture, revolutionary at the time of its creation, is now considered a classic. Her Adjustable Table E1027 is one of the best-known and most copied designs in the world and one of the bestsellers in the ClassiCon collection. As early as 1978, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in its permanent collection. Numerous other pieces of furniture – chairs and armchairs, daybeds, rugs and lamps – by Eileen Gray can also be found in the portfolio of ClassiCon.

Photos: François Halard, National Museum of Ireland, Gerhardt Kellermann, Daniel Breidt, Elias Hassos