INSIDE & OUT : Close Encounters
Getting up close and personal with family and friends is easy to do with the HuddleCouch, a popular piece of furniture from the ‘70s enjoying a revival.
The original concept, created by Jim Hull in 1976, has been revised by his son, Kory Hull, 24. Always interested in design, Kory Hull, who grew up with a HuddleCouch, began working on prototypes while attending UC Santa Barbara as an art major.
“I’ve lived my whole life on a HuddleCouch,†said Hull, who a few weeks ago opened in Los Angeles a showroom that he built himself. “I know there’s a market for this, especially with the new ‘90s emphasis on family, communication and togetherness.
“It’s a new kind of entertainment center.â€
Hull’s rendition--lighter, easier to assemble and more durable than its predecessor--is both a couch and a bed. Its steel tubular frame, which supports a mattress, is covered by stretch canvas panels. The pillow covers and panels slip over the frame and are attached with hook-and-loop fasteners for easy cleaning or to change the look.
The HuddleCouch frame adjusts to any standard-size mattress--double, queen or king--and two sides can be removed or added in about 30 seconds. It comes apart completely, so transporting is simple.
“It’s great for families to hang out on and turns bedrooms into a living space,†Hull said. “It doesn’t replace a conventional couch, but it’s especially great for studio apartments or a bachelor’s pad because you don’t have to take it down like a sleeper couch.â€
The HuddleCouch ($750 for three sides and mattress cover; $850 for four sides and mattress cover) is available in four colors--natural, black, navy blue and forest green.
For information or to order, call (800) 483-3587 or visit the showroom at 11163 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.
Phone Home
Cicena Inc. has introduced a line of inexpensive telephones that have a sculptural, biomorphic look that is pleasing to the eye and smooth, streamlined curves designed for easy handling when talking and dialing.
“We wanted a designer phone for the mass market,†said spokeswoman Margery Newman. “These phones are a step up.â€
Three models--basic (about $25), deluxe (about $35) and duo (about $45)--are available in five colors: black, ivory, burgundy, teal blue and forest green. The handsets have built-in volume control, hold buttons and LED indicators. The keypads are illuminated and easy to read.
The deluxe telephone has three one-touch dials, 10 speed-dials and ringer volume control and is hearing-aid compatible; the duo has all of the above features plus two lines and three-way conferencing capability.
For information or for the store nearest you, call (800) 875-1213.
Streamline Style
The look of high-speed, high-flying machines is captured in Tiffany’s Streamerica stainless steel collection, which includes accessories for the desk--the Trylon letter opener and Perisphere nesting boxes.
The 32-piece line idealizes America’s industrial period, from 1927 to 1939, in form and with such details as steely seams and rivets in miniature.
The letter opener ($200) takes its shape from the Trylon obelisk of the 1939 World’s Fair. The nesting boxes (small $140, medium $165, large $200) draw their look from the fair’s Perisphere.
Other pieces include picture frames with the early aerodynamic lines of airplanes and an ashtray reminiscent of the portholes of luxury liners.
The collection is available at Tiffany, South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa.
