Parachute’s First Living Room Collection Is Built for Comfort, Not Speed

Since 2014, Parachute has appealed to consumers interested in high-end bedding that’s comfortable, environmentally friendly, and relatively friendly on the wallet. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand started as an online retailer but now has storefronts in cities across the U.S.—places like Brooklyn, New York, Boulder, Colorado, and Scottsdale, Arizona—that give buyers, mostly Millennials, a hands-on experience with its soft goods and a few pieces of furniture. Now, the company is thinking outside the bedroom.

"After the success of our bed frames last year, and benches and nightstands earlier this year, offering options for the living room was the next natural step," explains Parachute founder and CEO, Ariel Kaye, of the company’s expanded offering. The brand also just announced that it will be available in select Nordstroms after participating in one of its summer pop-ups.

Parachute calls its Living Room Collection—a total of 15 pieces comprising three sofas, one chair (with a swivel option), six tables, and four lamps—a "California take on midcentury Danish design." Others call that "Scandifornian": Rounded corners and plump cushions have a West Coast casual feel, but the coziness also amps up the hygge, and greige colorways with walnut and white oak accents recall some of Hans Wegner’s classic designs.

For anyone who’s too grown up for the Ikea furniture they bought in their twenties but hasn’t outgrown their affinity to the Scandinavian aesthetic, Parachute’s new collection is the next step. The Danish-modern flavor of the company’s new sofas and chair is reminiscent of the Swedish flat-pack retailer’s accessible albeit unadventurous designs—or, at the low end, what Amazon’s furniture brand Stone & Beam offers—but Parachute’s reputation for producing quality goods with responsibly sourced materials elevates its offering.

Of course, its going to cost a bit more than what you might have paid in your college years. Whereas an Ikea sofa of the same size lands at around $2,600, Parachute’s Cove, Drift, and Pillow sofas range from $3,100-$4,500. Those prices come with more options, however, like fabric type, color, finish, and fill, and having those choices is a standout feature, even among competing DTC brands.

The sofas and chair are by all measures basic—no big statements are being made here. But in part that’s the appeal. They’re blank, comfy canvases for colorful throws, pillows, or the collection’s slightly more adventurous coffee tables, end tables, and lamps. The Dawn table lamp features a mushroom-shaped shade, while the Strand coffee table is built with a travertine slab, chunky wood legs, and curved corners that visually connect with the greige seating options.

Parachute sees its new collection as a remedy to fast furniture trends, which end up creating a lot of waste. In line with its commitment to producing high-quality linens as sustainably as possible, the brand is producing the new collection using PFA-free fabrics, some recycled polyester blend fabrics, and sustainably sourced, FSC-certified hardwood.

As quality-made basics that play nice with third party decor, the sofas, tables, and lamps would ideally serve customers for the rest of their lives. "The living room offering is classic and timeless in a way that melds well with other design aesthetics," Kaye says. "We want these pieces to live and grow with you for years to come, outliving every trend and personal style evolution."

It is hard to imagine still having a sofa that was designed in the ’90s, say. But the home goods sector’s eco-conscious zeitgeist was still a far off cry. Now, the ideal for more responsible consumption is a bell everyone seems to be ringing. In September, Burrow introduced its fourth modular sofa line, the Union Collection, which gives buyers the option to update worn out sections with new pieces instead of purchasing a whole new couch.

Parachute places a lot of emphasis on its commitment to ethical manufacturing practices and the use of responsibly sourced, healthy materials. Just this year, the brand obtained Climate Neutral certification. According to Kaye, that’s a big part of why customers show up. "They have put their trust in us to do the right thing, and we want to continue to build that trust—from intimate spaces like the bedroom, to communal spaces like the living room," she says before tying that into Parachute’s larger vision. "We want to be the go-to destination for high quality, sustainable products for every room, and that includes furniture."

The company’s new collection will surely turn the heads of Millennials aging into their thirties and forties looking to invest in durable, design-forward pieces that have the potential to weather future trends. At the most, the brand’s attempt to create truly timeless furniture for an ever-expanding, eco-conscious population could inspire other DTC makers to follow suite. At the least, our living rooms will be a much, much cozier place.

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