A Flat-Pack Sofa Designed by the Bouroullec Brothers

French designer brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec turn down 90 percent of commission work offers, but when Danish design brand Hay asked them to create a flat-pack, self-assembly sofa, they accepted the mission and (to no surprise) went beyond the design of your typical comfortable sofa. The Can sofa takes its name from the idea that “you can do it,” or “don’t be afraid, anyone can assemble this sofa.”

“The intention is to reinvigorate the whole idea of the sofa, from something inherently complicated, to something simple, relaxed, and for everyone,” according to Hay. Here’s a look at the collection.

Photography via Hay.

Above: “The sofa comes flat-packed and is easy to assemble at home. We believe people are keen to get things in a quick and simple way, it is better for all resources, it is less transportation, less volume, less stock, it is just much easier to do,” say Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec during an interview with Dezeen.

Above: The Can Sofa comes in a two- and three-seater model; there’s also a lounge chair. It features earth-tone colors and is supported by a tubular steel framework.

Above: The sides and back of the seat are formed from panels of material stretched across a frame. The sofa is versatile and can double as a sofa bed when the cushions are removed. All components can be assembled at home.

Above: The Can Three-Seater Sofa costs €1,849 ($1,633) from Scandinavian Design. The powder-coated steel frame comes in four colors: gray, black, warm red, and light gray. The canvas (surrounding the frame) is available in gray, blue, and army green, and the cushions (made from foam and feathers) come in seven different colors. “The idea was to do something simple to buy, with different combinations of color,” Ronan Bouroullec told Dezeen at a recent launch event.

Above: The Can Two-Seater Sofa costs €1,715 ($1,942) from Scandinavian Design.

Above: The Can One-Seater lounge chair is available via Scandinavian Design for €1,199 ($1,358). All the Can sofas are also on offer via Nest Co. UK and Connox in Germany.

Here’s a video showing the self-assembly of the three-seater Can Sofa.

Did you know that the Bouroullec brothers designed a TV Collection for Samsung? We think it’s a piece of art.