The Font sofa, designed by Swedish designer Matti Klenell, carries a story as rich as its design. Originally created for the restaurant at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, it has recently taken centre stage at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it resides in the newly renovated European art gallery showcasing works from the 1100s to the 1800s.

The journey to The Met began with the museum’s in-house architects, who sought a sofa that could provide a welcoming pause for visitors in the gallery. The collaboration came at a pivotal time for Offecct, the Swedish furniture producer, as they were expanding into the North American market.

But the story of Font begins in Stockholm, where Matti Klenell and a team of designers, including Carina Seth Andersson, TAF, and Stina Löfgren, were tasked with designing the interiors for Nationalmuseum’s restaurant. The vision was to reflect a sense of process and imperfection within a building filled with masterpieces. “We needed a sofa that could stand freely in the room or be placed along the walls,” Klenell explains. Inspired by a reference image of stacked steel tubes, Klenell sketched what would become Font. “Some thought it looked too simple, but the prototype had something — an honesty, a directness that just works. It’s inviting,” he says.

Leather as a Timeless Choice

From the outset, leather was a natural choice for Font. “There’s something iconic about leather; it gives a sense of exclusivity and develops a beautiful patina over time,” says Klenell. The sofa’s unique shape was also perfectly suited to leather upholstery. “The structure of the design gives the leather its own firmness and character,” he explains.

Collaborating with Elmo allowed Klenell to experiment with colour and texture. “With Elmo, we’ve been able to work with a wide range of colours, creating monochromatic combinations between the leather and the frame. It’s exciting to have so many options to play with,” he adds.

The Art of Working with Leather

For Matti Klenell, leather is more than a material — it’s an integral part of the furniture’s identity. “Leather is both aesthetic and functional in furniture design, and it’s one of few materials that gets more beautiful with time,” he reflects. He describes leather as having a duality: “It’s soft but has structure, which can be used to great advantage in upholstery. It has a distinct character that can even influence how you design a piece of furniture.”

Klenell also acknowledges the challenges of working with leather. “It requires precision. You need to respect its properties — it’s neither too stiff nor too soft, but you must work with its natural tolerances. Sometimes, leather allows you to create designs that wouldn’t work with any other material.”

Font was originally created for the restaurant at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. Image courtesy Offecct.

With Font, leather plays a significant role in enhancing its story. The result is a piece that combines timeless simplicity with thoughtful craftsmanship, making it as enduring as the art and design surrounding it. As Klenell puts it, “Font is a sofa that feels direct and understandable, yet leaves room for reflection — a quality that resonates across all kinds of spaces, from museums to homes.”

Matti Klenell has designed the sofa Font for Offecct.