By Cheryl Lai-Lim

Known for its timeless and adaptable furniture solutions, KING designs elegant pieces with multifunctional features. David Hardwick, Head of Product Design at KING, offers an exclusive insight into their innovative design process.

The Covid-19 crisis has undoubtedly highlighted the importance of good design, particularly in our homes. In the year where our abodes have frequently doubled as a workspace or a home gym, well-designed modular furniture has stepped into the spotlight as the answer to flexible living.

The KING Difference

Established in 1977 by founder David King, Australian luxury furniture giant KING has become synonymous with high-quality furniture pieces that marry form and function. At the core of their designs is their expertise in combining innovative functions with comfort.

“King’s products are enduring, hardworking pieces that reflect a relaxed lifestyle,” says David Hardwick. “The designs meet the challenge where furniture is both visually pleasing and incredibly comfortable.”

With innovative modular options that serve multifunctional purposes, you can personalise KING pieces to suit your needs.

Exuding enduring appeal with their stylish forms, the versatile pieces from KING have received many plaudits for their cutting-edge designs that can be endlessly modified to suit different needs.

Take the Eto Desk, for example. Designed in collaboration with award-winning Australian designer Tom Fereday, the desk is sleekly conceived as a stylish and compact workstation at home—it also features the possibility of integrating wireless charging and interchangeable lighting into the table. Additionally, a slim drawer concealed beneath the tabletop offers easy storage.

With its sleek design and integrated technology, the KING Eto Desk is perfect for your home office when working from home.

At the core of the furniture giant is the people. “Behind King is a young, dynamic team of highly skilled master craftspeople and designers who work together to create furniture that’s built to last a lifetime,” says Hardwick. “It elevates KING to push boundaries of what furniture could do—highlighting the ideal moment when technology drives convenience while emphasising on well-being to relieve the pressure of a busy life.”

Designing with a human touch, combined with a keen eye for style, quality, and comfort results in the timeless appeal of products from KING.

Here, Hardwick tells us more about the detailed process that goes into the making of each KING product.

Left: David Hardwick, Head of Product Design at KING. Right: You can opt for a side charge table to accompany your Eto Desk for added functionality.

How are KING’s furniture pieces designed to adapt to flexible living?

DH: Every single piece of furniture from KING is designed to make your home comfortable and stunning whilst advocating flexibility and practicality. Developed to blend seamlessly with the latest technology, gone are the days when a sofa served a single purpose. KING Sofa multi-configuration options, from storage, beds, and charging devices, allow for versatility and adaptability in all homes regardless of space.

The Jasper Sofa, a well-loved piece, provides users the option of under-seat storage, a timber media console to the middle of the sofa, or a side table for smart charging.

What are some innovative features integrated in KING’s products?

DH: Some innovative features in our products include our proprietary TouchGlide™ Control; it features an effortless recline that enables users to adjust head, seat, and footrests with just a touch and swipe of the button. The TouchGlide™ Control can even enhance your personal comfort experience by allowing a seamless lounging experience.

Connect in comfort with our Smart Pocket™ accessories, integrated seamlessly with our wireless charging table, LED reading lights, and Sonos speaker bracket; they're suitable for all occasions, be it leisure or work.

Besides the Eto Desk, what are some other furniture pieces you’d recommend that are suitable for working from home?

DH: Our Seymour Chair is definitely one of the work from home essentials. Designed by Australian designer Charles Wilson, this robust chair offers incredible flexibility with various design options and three different heights for the ultimate support—it's a great addition to any home.

The Crescent Charge Table is part of KING innovative features that inject extra functionality into your furniture pieces.

What are the most popular materials and finishes?

DH: KING uses the best quality and highest-grade premium fabrics, leathers, and outdoor fabrics on a wide range of products. One of our most popular materials in our leather collection is the Prestige, a classic full-grain, semi-aniline leather. Made in Italy from oxen hides, Prestige is drum-dyed for a deeper colour. The full-grain leather retains the character of the original hide, making every product unique.

Hamilton, our most popular fabric material, successfully achieves the look of a casual tailored finish. Made from the finest Belgian flax with a light blend of polyester for durability, it’s a classic linen fabric in a refined basketweave construction that is soft and cool to the touch.

KING's contemporary products are elegantly designed with functional qualities.

What are the trending colours right now, and which is your personal favourite?

DH: Customers are leaning towards darker colours when it comes to their furniture choices. Trending leather colour choices include Casalina Cognac, Prestige Silver and Viva Romano; Luxe Baltic, Club Pewter and Mayfair Mahogany are the top customer choices for our fabric materials. My personal favourite is definitely the Prestige Caviar (a dark grey full-grain, semi-aniline leather), which showcases a true expression of casual elegance.

Sustainability plays a large role in KING's design ethos. Tell us what the sustainable manufacturing process is like at KING, and how it shapes your design process?

DH: We believe that sustainability drives innovation. Thus, from design to delivery, the entire production process includes various forms of sustainability and the use of recycled materials.

These include designing with sustainability by utilising steel frames in the furniture to provide longevity while being recyclable at the end of use, creating modular designs to lower our carbon footprint, and incorporating removable covers to extend the life of the sofa. Sustainability has always been a part of our process and will be something that is constantly at the forefront of our thinking.

Versatile WFH Pieces:

Jasper Sofa