[Passersby] have to look at it. They’re taken by the style, showroom manager Cher Battoe said. “It’s just such a clever idea.” The conversation piece doesn’t just spark a conversation by its construction (the chairs are actually built to form together where loungers can face each other) but incites one because of its drastic design. Considered a “trailblazer in terms of the new trend for ‘counterforms,’ as characterized by the interwoven yin-yang or puzzle-type effect,” as Battoe describes, the Confluence designs are truly drastic. What defines this structure even more so is its wide color palette, perfect for centering a room or extracting excitement from a small space. For the reason of frugality, French-based Ligne Roset went with a theme of “form meets function,” where designs played not only a purpose but an emotional aesthetic. With bright colors and futuristic designs, the company’s European designers have brought the simplicity of the chair or wall adorning and transformed it into a statement. For many, much like the Confluence sofa, the designs are pleasing to those “lovers of radical design … who are seduced first and foremost by the freedom of posture and unheard-of conviviality,” Battoe said. Still, buyers are being more cautious with their money, purchasing for a purpose. As Ligne Roset’s season lies between fall and winter (the 2010 designs are currently being showcased in European furniture fairs in Milan, Paris and Cologne), designs must stand out early. Roman and Erwan Bouroullec’s Clouds, in collaboration with Kvadrat, accomplishes this with its drastic compulsion for the extraordinary. This 3-D “tile concept” was designed as a room divider or wall garnish. Combining color and design in one, this piece remains multi-functional as home owners thrive for designs that push boundaries while additionally serving a purpose. The “Archie,” a best seller in Ligne Roset’s La Jolla home, has combined the concepts of 1960s designer Pierre Paulin into one. “Timeless pieces never cease to go out of style or look dated,” Battoe said. Fusing concepts from the Fireside Chair and Armchair, “the comfort of [the Archie] is far more superior than the design,” Battoe added. With a high back and seat proportions that mold with the body, Archie’s concept fills the need of a consumer buy that both provides and entertains. The colors in the design are equally as vast for the season, from chartreuse to citron.