When trawling for products through the morass that is the World Wide Web-one of our favorite pastimes here at 3rings-it’s always a thrill to find an under-represented company that deserves some good press. Such is the case with Austria’s Brühl, a Salzburg-based manufacturer showcasing the work of favorite daughter and namesake, Kati Meyer-Brühl.

Mosspink. Designed by Kati Meyer-Brühl. Manufactured by Brühl.

Why does Brühl deserve our accolades? The answer is threefold, dear readers: 1. An aesthetic that fulfills the avowed intention of “reduction to the essentials and modernity”; 2. An appealing fusion of spontaneity and restraint; 3. A firm commitment to principles of sustainability and environmental awareness. This last is manifest in a comprehensive policy that extends to all aspects of the manufacturing process, including use of long-lived, non-toxic materials; integrated recycling processes; and ergonomically-designed workplaces. The previous two take shape in the form of a pair of distinct yet complementary sofas by Meyer- Brühl: the geometric and modular and the playful, if slightly off-kilter, Mosspink.

A modular sofa that’s painlessly converted into a day bed, the Plupp-Ap is basically constituted of two components: a rectangular lounging surface atop a minimalistic metal frame and side/head rails that attach along the lounge’s outer ridge. The piece thus demonstrates tremendous functionality. Use one Plupp-Ap for impromptu over-nighters, or scoot two together and attach the backrests for an enveloping and cozy double bed. Of course, any configuration is possible, and the manufacturer encourages both L and T shaped arrangements as well as a ¾ railing set-up that’s perfect for long weekends lost to the phosphorescent indulgence of TV.

While the Plupp-Ap is linear, Mosspink undulates and curves. And though this may contradict Brühl’s core principle of “clarity in design” as “simple, straight-lined, essentially right-angled,” it also affirms the notion that “curves and sloping surfaces set sensitive accents.” Sensitive accents are the name of the game with Mosspink, a sofa/daybed whose triangular profile is in harmony with its three-sided backrests (of course, the edges are blunted to soften the look). Mosspink requires its users have a sense of humor, or at minimum an affection for affable disorder. Looking at the rest elements, I’m somehow reminded of the work of Shel Silverstein, a children’s author whose aesthetic and left-of-center sense of humor often appealed to adults as well. Though this might be explained by the resemblance of Mosspink’s pillows to Silverstein’s long-sought “Missing Piece,” it could just as easily suggest that the sofa’s playful unconventionality appeals to the fresh eyes of youth.