Robert Pattinson, by his own admission, is “quite romantic” when it comes to decor. So when he started thinking about his dream sofa, he found himself fantasizing about a piece of furniture without a lot of hard lines. Something people could embrace—which would embrace them right back. He had some time on his hands after filming wrapped for The Batman (2022) movie, and he did some doodling.

“I started sketching pieces of furniture I thought would make people interact in a playful and informal way,” he tells AD. “They all had disproportionate, oversized elements that were quite fun. And in the process of making some models out of clay, I found that organic overlapping curves had a similar effect.”

The sofa, pictured in the showroom at JF Chen, is about nine feet long and about 50 inches deep. In addition to an ear, Pattinson said he was also inspired by everyday shapes like a pool or a kidney bean.

 Photo: Ye Rin Mok

He began working with designer Nicole Gordon, who’d decorated two of his homes and had done some work on his parents’ home in London. “Rob wanted a piece where you could nestle in to read,” she tells AD, “but was also sturdy and stable enough for a number of people to sit on at a party.”

Gordon says they worked hard on “the curvature of the arm that creates a U-shape so you can nestle your back in there and be comfortable.” The arms don’t swivel, but they can hold up to 350 pounds each.

 Photo: Ye Rin Mok

The pair took his clay models and made 3D renderings, then eventually landed on a blueprint. They worked with designer architect Andrea Cadioli to build a wooden frame covered in muslin and began tweaking and massaging the shape with upholsterer Claudia Bracamontes. Because Pattinson wanted a “floating” effect, Gordon says, “The most challenging technical part was engineering it so it could actually support people and wouldn’t topple over. So we built this metal frame inside the carcass of the sofa that lets you put 350 pounds on each of those floating arms.”

Pattinson also wanted a pop of contrast for the base of the sofa, so he picked out a slab of pink onyx at the stone yard and they carved the slab to match the curvature of the base. They also embedded pink onyx drink trays on either arm rest.

Choosing the fabric was a process, but Pattinson ultimately chose a white linen Velvet by Otis Textiles.

 Photo: Ye Rin Mok

The biggest struggle, Gordon says, was choosing the fabric. “I have a charcoal Labrador named Mason,” she says, “and Rob was like, ‘I want it to look like Mason’s fur!’ So we started looking at grays and shearlings. But then he was like, ‘No, actually, I want more of a strié.’” Ultimately, he ended up choosing a white linen velvet by Otis Textiles.

In addition to the sofa, Pattinson is currently working on a matching table and chairs. Joel Chen at JF Chen says, “I’m just anxiously waiting for his next designed piece. He certainly should not stop.”

 Photo: Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images

Once the sofa was complete, Gordon encouraged Pattinson to sell a limited series somewhere. She wanted to show it to Joel Chen, who owns JF Chen in Los Angeles. Chen was thrilled with what he saw.

“I was in awe of the somewhat complicated design,” Chen tells AD. “The sofa is entirely unique, and Rob’s strong sense of the angled shapes interpreted from everyday objects is incredible. This is the first prototype of a limited series he is making, and it certainly belongs in JF Chen—where we dive into up-and-coming artists.”

Pattinson’s original sofa is now on display at JF Chen, which is selling six of the made-to-order pieces. As for Pattinson, the sofa’s existence is a new marker of how far he’s come. When asked to recall the worst sofa he’s ever owned, his answer is appropriately antithetical.