February 2023

Introducing: Jasper

With the introduction of the Jasper sofa, I've become infatuated with the form. From its innovative, sophisticated arm to its perch atop a solid wood base, it is the type of statement upholstery you can build a room around. I took a few moments to speak with the lovely Louise Grape, designer of the Jasper, about her inspiration and the way she works.

Bradley: What was your inspiration for the Jasper?

Louise: This piece, for Lancaster, is probably one of our more modern pieces. I am always looking forward and thinking about how we can push our designs toward what we see as a current contemporary lifestyle. The Jasper leans more modern - it sits lower, it has that special arm, the arm is wrapped with thicker padding so it feels more substantial.

This was one of the pieces where I took the seat down to a 17” seat height, gave it a thinner cushion, didn’t want a huge rail on it, and then incorporated the wood base.

When the Market sample was ready, Bill (the founder of Lancaster) and Scott (VP) were standing around - and I jumped on the chaise and I was like this is exactly what I envisioned and I am delighted the reaction has been fantastic.

What actually do you call that special arm?

I don’t really know! Let’s make something up and call it that! When you see the side of the chaise, I think it's a step arm.

Yes, it’s a step arm. I think what’s also really great is it looks amazing with either a bench seat or a two over two.

There’s lots of options for it that look great. What I’m inspired by is letting designers really make things their own. We are really open to doing anything - a plinth base, a block style leg - whatever finishes the look to become perfect for the home it's in.

You can also raise the seat height if it’s a little low for you. It’s easy.

Yes - it really is. We add to the rail, we add to the cushion a bit - so the look stays as close to the original design as possible.

What do you say to people who look at the price of a Lancaster sofa and may wonder why it can be more expensive than other options out there?

I was thinking this morning about excellence, and how excellence isn’t just one person's effort. It’s about a group of people, each with ownership in the final product, working together.

People should understand this is a quality workroom with deeply skilled people, working with the best materials, working with no quotas, no rushing. Every person here has the ability to say, wait I need to spend more time on this - this moment needs to be perfect.

I spend time role playing when I design. What would this be like in Idaho in a beautiful snowy environment? Or what would it be like in Miami, or the Hamptons? I think about the end user and how this makes them feel - it’s an heirloom piece. There’s not a piece of plywood in this sofa - it’s double dowelled, it's not just stapled, it’s not flimsy. Every delivery person on earth probably hates us - it’s heavy because the frame is built with a locally-sourced quality kiln-dried maple lumber that we can stand behind for decades.

People walk by our showroom and say they can see the quality from the window. You don’t even have to touch it to know this is an amazingly crafted piece of furniture. We love to hear that the quality we put into it shines through on the outside.

I really believe that when a piece starts with excellence from the very beginning - from the sketch you do Louise to the framing to the upholstery - it transfers through. It brings excellence into the home and starts to elevate everything.

It is about art. I know we aren’t making fine art but we are making livable art. It’s like a piece of clothing - you wrap yourself in it. You read a book, you live your life in it, you have the intimate moments in it, the special conversations. It's a luxury piece, for sure, and it elevates the experiences had with it.

If there was ever a time to set the tone for a space - it is the sofa.

We’re all ready for something we can count on! We’re at a point when we just need something that asks nothing of us. Something consistent and beautiful that won’t fail you. We’re coming off the pandemic - our homes are just such a precious place when the outside world is so crazy, and a sofa from us is something you can count on and truly enjoy.

How do you define an icon?

I guess to me, an icon is something that deserves a level of respect - and receives it. A level of reverence. It’s long-lasting reverence - people see it and love it for a long time.

If you think about Saarinen, Eames, or, in interiors, Billy Baldwin - these things were so ahead of the time at their moment. At the time, they can often feel ahead of their time. It's leading the conversation, it's pushing things forward, and then it falls into timelessness.

If you are always looking at other people for reference, you tend to follow. I’m always looking for something different - maybe I’m living in a vacuum - but I don’t look at furniture. I look at fashion.

What’s iconic? I don’t think you know! You have to wait and see how it's received by others that are going to live their lives in it and to learn what resonates with people.

I look at things from the past and keep things moving forward. For me, it is the nudge forward that pushes us to see in a new way we haven’t before - but know there’s a good chance we’ll love it.

I’m really pleased when I see my work resonant with people and that designers want to include it in their homes.

Now, I wanna ask you a question! What is it about Lancaster furniture that speaks to you? You could buy anything! What is it about Lancaster that makes it something you are in love with?

What I always say when looking at upholstery, from us or anywhere else, you are never going to find a finer crafted piece of upholstery than Lancaster. It really reminds me of growing up going to my grandfather’s upholstery workshop where people would come from states over to have their pieces reupholstered. Those sofas and chairs would last for generations, just like Lancaster will, and they wanted the very best to reupholster it.

And now we are full circle back to excellence. Excellence is about integrity - whatever you can do to get to a place where you aren’t making decisions because you need to get it finished. You’re making decisions based on everything that matters to you - the joy, the love, the craftsmanship, the purpose. My hope is every piece exudes what we put into it.