Since 1977, King Living has proven to be a leader in Australian furniture design, built on a foundation of innovation, quality, aesthetics and comfort. The company was founded by David King, who transitioned from a career in music to support his furniture designer mother in the 1970s.

King Living first made its mark with foam lounge seats that quickly gained popularity at market stalls across Australia. This vibrant decade is often described as a transformative era that defied conventions and set the stage for numerous social and cultural movements that followed.

The furniture scene has evolved over the years, and today, King leads a talented design team that continues to advance the brand’s product lineup, which now includes not only sofas but also dining tables and home office furniture, alongside an expanding range of product categories that have garnered numerous awards.

The success story of King Living is a combination of factors, with sustainability being a key component. The company is dedicated to reducing the amount of furniture that ends up in landfills. Founder King was inspired to address this issue after observing numerous sofas left abandoned on curbs, waiting to be discarded. This prompted him to design furniture that is built for longevity.

Every aspect of the design process receives close attention, with the aim of creating furniture that withstands the test of time rather than contributing to waste. “By maintaining full control over our products, we also manage their sustainability, ensuring that the components we use are recyclable and that our furniture is made to last,” states King.

King is not one to follow trends; instead, his design philosophy is based on minimalist features that endure through passing micro-trends, ensuring the timelessness of designs like steel frames. Engineered for durability, each high-grade galvanised steel frame comes with a 25-year warranty, and steel’s ability to be recycled indefinitely underscores its sustainable nature.

Another sustainability feature is the tailored removable covers, which allow for easy cleaning, repair, and refreshing, thus extending the life of the furniture — some of which date back to the 1970s. Many of their products incorporate responsibly sourced, recycled, and sustainable materials chosen for their durability.

Flexibility is a hallmark of the iconic modular sofas, which allows for easy reconfiguration of components such as arms, backs, and tables to suit changing lifestyle needs. The designs are meant to adapt and evolve alongside users throughout various life stages.

To support customers, the King Care team offers a range of convenient in-home services, including professional cleaning and recovery, ensuring that your King Living furniture maintains its best appearance.

The company’s dedication to sustainability extends beyond internal efforts. It collaborates with like-minded organisations that share the same values and commitment to sustainable practices, contributing to a circular economy. For instance, leather is sourced from two esteemed European tanneries recognised for their high sustainability standards. King Living partners exclusively with these suppliers, who provide premium upholstery leather while upholding strong principles of corporate responsibility.

Award-winning designs

With complete control over its product line, King Living can guarantee sustainability by using recyclable components and designing furniture with longevity in mind. The brand steers clear of current trends, opting instead for timeless, sleek designs at the core of its philosophy.

This dedication has recently been validated through the awarding of two prestigious Red Dot Design Awards to King Living’s 1977 Sofa collection. These accolades add to the brand’s extensive list of achievements, cementing its position as a frontrunner in the furniture design industry. King Living’s in-house design team, recognised for pushing boundaries in furniture design, continually garners acclaim. Its commitment to excellence further underscores its focus on delivering top-tier furniture that combines aesthetic beauty with superior design, durability, and functionality.

The Red Dot Design Award, celebrated globally for recognising exceptional craftsmanship, recognises King Living’s dedication to producing top-quality designs. Their 1977 Sofa collection, which is a reimagining of the brand’s initial 1970s sofa, exhibits decades of design and engineering expertise.

This collection, designed by King in collaboration with Senior Designer Sebastian Clarke, blends the carefree 1970s era with contemporary engineering, showcasing the brand’s innovation. The 1977 Sofa collection’s modular adaptability enables users to create customised seating layouts to suit their individual lifestyles, epitomising King Living’s legacy of creative solutions.

Reviving the essence of the past while embracing modernity, the 1977 Sofa is a testament to timeless design. With its adaptable design and contemporary materials, this collection highlights the brand’s innovative spirit, providing lifestyle flexibility with a nod to classic aesthetics.

The Kato Sofa

This unique collection features floating platforms that provide deep-seated comfort, with options for curved corners and a spacious double chaise that redefines contemporary luxury. True to King Living’s vision of flexible living, the modular components enable you to create the ideal configuration for your space, easily rearranging them to match your lifestyle.

Aesthetically pleasing, Kato combines stylised bronze legs with an elongated platform and expansive chaise, all supported by the engineered King Living steel frame. This well-thought-out design works in perfect harmony with the Postureflex seating system, delivering unmatched comfort and lasting support.

The clean lines and refined stitching enhance the sofa’s elegant design, featuring arms and backs of equal height for an architectural look. A removable bolster on the back cushion complements the low-profile design, adding to its sophistication.

You can personalise your everyday comfort with a selection of modular accessories crafted from premium timber finishes. Thoughtful additions such as convenient shelving, media consoles with hidden storage, and optional smart lighting enhance functionality and style.

Kato can be customised in your choice of European leather or premium fabric, or you may opt for a custom model that pairs a leather base with fabric seats. The covers are designed for easy removal, allowing for professional cleaning or replacement to refresh the appearance. This commitment to durability is just one of the many ways King Living ensures your furniture remains a lasting investment.

Key milestones

In 1977, the King family embarked on a journey into furniture design by crafting foam furniture at home and selling their innovative creations at Paddy’s Markets, which quickly led to the opening of the first King Furniture Showroom in Sydney. By 1978, the brand took a significant step forward by introducing removable covers for their sofas, allowing customers the option to refresh their furniture’s appearance with ease.

The following year, in 1979, the Polo design was launched, marking the debut of the iconic King Furniture steel frame — a hallmark that would define all current sofa designs. This momentous year also saw the company move its manufacturing operations to Annandale and open its flagship Showroom on Parramatta Road, which has since become a design destination.

Fast forward to 1987, when King Furniture unveiled the Madison design featuring the innovative Postureflex Seating System, inspired by the suspension systems found in luxury European cars such as Porsche and Rolls Royce. This advancement introduced a new level of luxury and durability to sofa design while providing adjustable headrests that allowed for customisable comfort to suit individual preferences. As demand continued to rise, the company expanded its factory into larger facilities in Camperdown, NSW, by 1990.

In the early 90s, King Furniture continued its growth by opening a concession in Melbourne’s prestigious Daimaru department store in 1991, followed by an enhancement of its leather range in 1992, focusing on high-quality materials and craftsmanship to achieve a natural, luxurious finish. The decade saw a surge in design activity, leading to an increased variety of new pieces in the collection by 1994. To meet the growing demand for high-quality sofas, King Furniture established its first metal factory in Shanghai, China, in 1995, allowing for efficient steel frame production while maintaining finishing operations in Australia.

The year 1998 marked the introduction of the Delta sofa, which revolutionised modular design with its versatile seating configurations, making Delta a staple choice within the King Furniture range. As the 1990s progressed, many new designs continued to enrich the collection, culminating in 2001 when the Delta sofa received the prestigious Design Mark at the Australian International Design Awards.

In 2003, King Furniture unveiled the award-winning Jasper design, recognised for its series of floating platforms that provided a range of modular options and symbolised the brand’s capacity for creating infinite seating arrangements. That same year, King Furniture began manufacturing in its Shanghai facility, enhancing cost-efficiency while upholding its high-quality standards.

The Delta II garnered international acclaim in 2005 by featuring on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and its popularity soared further in 2007 when it was chosen as the official sofa for Vanity Fair’s Oscars After Party, noted for its simple design and customisable arrangements. The following decade saw the King Furniture Twenty10 sofa showcased at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, specifically designed for the Australian Pavilion and representing sustainable urban living principles. The Delta II’s star continued to rise, making another appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in 2010.

In 2011, the brand expanded into outdoor furniture with the King Outdoor collection, starting with the beloved Delta design and adding the Jasper Outdoor and Baby Jasper Outdoor lines, tailored for Australia’s climate and lifestyle. By 2012, King Furniture opened its 13th showroom in Adelaide, continuing its expansion across the country.

The introduction of the revolutionary Neo sofa design came in 2013, earning the Australian Furniture of the Year Award for Best of the Best. The following year, King Furniture made its presence felt in Perth with the opening of its 14th showroom. By 2015, the brand took a significant international leap with the opening of new showrooms in Singapore and New Zealand. The growth continued in 2016 with the release of the King Cove Outdoor sofa, which garnered accolades at the Australian Furniture Awards, solidifying King Furniture’s reputation for quality and innovation.

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