"Savann is more scenography than sofa", says designer Helena Allard. "The most important thing was not designing an attractive piece, but creating a certain atmosphere in the room".

Savann was initially the solution to a design assignment at Beckmans School of Design, which Helena attended from 1995 to 1999. Fogia built a prototype and thought he sofa was so exciting that they wanted to begin producing it. And thus Savann was Helena Allard's first series-produced piece.

"I started on Savann by deciding that my theme would be community", she says. "What I had in mind was something like having a picnic in your own living room." Savann is wide, low and versatile. It can look a lot of different ways, depending on who will be sitting in it. "I thought it would be fun to dare to let people make their own decisions - work in their own ideas"

Helena often works in just this way. First an observation, which then leads to an idea, which then leads to a piece of furniture. Or ornament, or stage prop - Helena designs all sorts of things and has her own interior design firm. She is trained as a tailor, too, a skill that predates her time at Beckmans.

We asked if she had any idea what was next on her docket.
"I'm working on a table to go with Savann. Then I'd like to do something else. There are a lot of low, flat things around now. Sometimes you get the urge to go the other way. Maybe it's time for me to start working my way up the walls.