BH | Studio Berlin 4-Piece Sectional Sofa with Ottoman

A sofa built from separate upholstered blocks was a new idea around 1970, when designers in Italy and Switzerland set out to make seating that could be rearranged as easily as it was sat on. Its roots go back to the Bauhaus, the German school that spent its final years in Berlin and taught that good furniture could come from plain, standard parts. A sofa with a loose ottoman is that thinking at its most relaxed.

Three low, square-cornered seats line up into a sofa, and the ottoman can sit in front as a footrest or pull up beside a seat for stretching out. Every cushion rests on pocket springs and dense foam, giving a supportive sit that holds its shape. Broad, flat track arms close each end, and French piping, a slim corded seam, keeps every edge crisp. The cover is a hard-wearing woven polyester over a plywood and wood frame, on non-marking foot caps, with connectors to keep the seats aligned.

Put it in a family room or an open-plan living space, facing the television or the fire, with the ottoman free for feet, a tray of drinks or an extra guest. Because each piece stands on its own, the arrangement can shift as the room does. This set includes one left-arm chair, one right-arm chair, one armless chair and one ottoman.