Two-seater sofa Artifort C647 by Kho Liang Ie – fully restored

This sofa began its life as the C647, designed by Kho Liang Ie for Artifort in the 1960s. I acquired it directly from its first owners, in a villa in Maastricht, where it had survived in its original black leather upholstery. After removing the leather, the internal wooden construction proved to be in remarkably good condition and was able to be preserved. The characteristic aluminium structure and armrests were carefully cleaned and restored. The soft parts, however, became the subject of a deliberate intervention. Inspired by the C647 family The C647 belongs to a closely related family of designs created by Kho Liang Ie for Artifort. Within this family, I have always been particularly drawn to the purity of the C680 without armrests and the versions with buttoned cushions. There is something both futon-like and about those large soft, buttoned surfaces: generous and comfortable, while being contained within Kho Liang Ie's precise architectural language. This became the starting point for my interpretation of this C647. The existing foam was rebuilt and reshaped where necessary. Rather than trying to exactly reproduce the original upholstery, I deliberately reinterpreted the buttoning and the shape of the soft volumes. For the new upholstery, I chose a substantial and richly textured wool from Maharam, replacing the original black leather. The heavy mixed wool enhances the softness of the cushions and creates a strong contrast with the rational aluminium construction. Restoration or intervention? For greater transparency, this is not a historically accurate restoration of the C647. It is an original Artifort C647 that has been preserved, restored where appropriate, and deliberately reinterpreted in my upholstery workshop in Maastricht. This distinction is important for my work. When I work with vintage furniture, I look at what needs to be preserved, what can be rebuilt, and where there may be room for a new intervention. Sometimes, the original materials or components no longer exist. Other times, a worn object contains the potential for a surprisingly contemporary piece of furniture. At that point, restoration begins to touch on design. Kho Liang Ie designed the C647. Artifort produced this example. Decades later, I disassembled it, preserved its original construction, and reinterpreted its soft layer. These different parentages are intentionally left visible. Designer / original model: Kho Liang Ie, C647 Manufacturer: Artifort, Netherlands Period: 1960s Provenance: first owners, Maastricht, Netherlands Original upholstery: black leather Preserved: original wooden internal construction and aluminium components Intervention: rebuilt and reshaped foam; reinterpreted buttoning and upholstery New upholstery: heavy mixed wool from Maharam Intervention by: Zachte Zaken, Maastricht Not a reproduction of the past, but a new chapter in an existing design.