Czech designer Lucie Koldova has designed a sofa for Belgian design brand Per/Use using cork as the primary material (+ slideshow).

"Cork is an incredible material with natural origins. I became familiar with it when I was working at a smaller scale and I liked the texture and the fact that it is completely sustainable," said Koldova. Cork is harvested from the bark of cork trees every nine years. The process doesn’t harm the trees, which often live for over 200 years.

"Cork is mainly used for tableware or accessories. I wanted to explore the idea of a large-scale piece that could be central to the interior. I was amazed by being able to sculpt an object out of a soft, textured material and I wanted to explore that further too," explained Koldova.

The sofa is carved from a single block of pressed cork, made as a byproduct of bottle stopper production in Portuguese factories. It is then varnished, resulting in a durable and tactile finish.

"I paid a lot of attention to every curve of the cork body, since the cork forms both the construction and also the final visual result," said the designer.

Upholstered cushions are closely fitted to the shell. "It's not only a functional addition to the comfort of the sofa but also a visual statement," said Koldova.

"The contrast between the smooth polished cork surface and the softness of the Kvadrat fabric is an important point for this sofa. Kvadrat provide a fabulous palette, which resonates with my affinity for bright colours. For the first pieces, I have chosen a bright strawberry melange Divina for a fresh vivid look contrasting with the texture of the cork."

The Corques Sofa is available as a double seater sofa and armchairs and comes upholstered in a choice of four Kvadrat Divina fabrics in black, white, red or lilac.