(Photography by Edmund Lee)
Prior to 1960, living room furniture was more decorative than functional. You sat in a chair with your back straight and when you were finished with your task in the room, you left. It was all quite formal, in fact, and the idea of relaxing on a sofa would have been considered a little ludicrous.
So when King Living founders Gwen King and her son David started selling their comfortable, timelessly designed and uniquely modular furniture at Paddy’s Markets in Sydney, Australia, it was understandably a huge hit — the world was ready to look at the interior of their homes in a different light. King Living, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, is today Australia’s leading furniture manufacturer-retailer with 14 branches across the country as well hugely successful showrooms in Auckland, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
“I remember how my grandmother would sit upright on her sofa, she would never let us lean on the back or sit on the arms,” David recalls with a good-natured laugh, lounging on a gorgeous leather sofa in King Living’s furniture showroom at IPC Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya. “In the 1970s, the realisation sort of hit that furniture was for entertaining and, actually, living. Something you’ll hear from me a lot is this — you spend the best hours of your life on your sofa. Everyone works really hard and when you get home, that is your time to relax. Everything we sell is meant to enhance that experience.”
---
For the full story, pick up a copy of The Edge Malaysia (Apr 2, 2018) at your nearest newsstands. Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.
