When two distinct styles come together, something truly special emerges. 

And that's exactly what happened when King Living joined forces with Materialised to craft a one-of-a-kind sofa. 

The Aura Sofa, by King Living Designer Zara Fong was covered with one of the designs from the new Materialised fabric collection by contemporary Indigenous artist Lizzy Stageman. The result? A perfect, artful pairing. 

In this article, we'll delve into conversations with Lizzy and Zara, gaining insight into what this unique collaboration means to each of them and share how you can win this incredible design.   

Featuring the Aura Sofa, covered in Lizzy Stageman’s ‘Against The Elements’ Original artwork, printed on Palermo fabric.

From artwork to upholstery

When Lizzy created a series of three paintings titled ‘Against the Elements,' she never could have guessed the design would be turned into a fabric and later used for the Aura Sofa.  

After falling in love with Lizzy’s Against the Element series, the Materialised team wanted to try and make the artwork work as a repetitive pattern that would be suited to a fabric.  

“They played around with it and made it into a repetitive pattern. And then to see it on the Aura Sofa. Words can’t describe. It was just perfect in every way.”  Lizzy shared.   

Blending her traditional art with furniture design has enabled Lizzy’s piece to come to life in a whole new way.  

“It's now not only a piece to love and admire on the wall but also a comforting and special place to enjoy. I can imagine myself relaxing back on my Aura with a cup of tea in hand and I couldn't be prouder.”  

For Zara, the pairing created a unique result, adding a new dimension to the already artful design of the Aura Sofa.  

“Aura is an artful piece in itself. The curves are beautiful from every angle and create a sense of flow. This was complemented perfectly by the message behind Against the Elements about going with the flow and capturing the multi-directional rain.” 

Featuring a Lizzy Stageman fabric flat lay, created by Materialised.

Inspiring the Against the Elements Series

The main inspiration behind Lizzy’s design is a message to go with the flow and know that you will come through the other side of life’s challenges.   

“The rain can come in all different directions, and even though you're against the elements, you can get through it.” Lizzy shared.  

“We don't know where it will end up, but we prepare ourselves to go through whatever the storm brings.”  

This message comes through the colours and patterns in Lizzy’s work, which is influenced by the rain and storms passing.  

“I was trying to create the feeling of being in a storm and watching it form in the sky. That moment when the sun fades, the moon is starting to show its face, and there are dark clouds. It’s a glimpse of light and shade.” Lizzy explained.   

“I played around with some colours. There was a lot of sponging work and picking out little bits of colours until I got the right effect and it all just worked.” 

Creation of the Lizzy Stageman fabric collection.

Merging art and design

 A perfect pairing, the Aura Sofa is like no other in the King Living Sofa Collection, and Lizzy’s artistic style is entirely unique to her.   

Together, these two female creatives' art and furniture designs have merged to create a one-of-a-kind art piece.   

“Aura was designed to respond to how we live today – there is a lot more compact space. We wanted Aura to be an art piece, but at the same time be comfortable and functional to suit modern day life.” – Zara Fong, King Living Designer.    

For Lizzy, the Aura Sofa in her fabric design conveys a feminine style that lends itself to some beautiful styling possibilities.  

“It's very feminine, but it's also strong in the meaning that you can get through anything. It’s ying and yang in that way.” Lizzy explains.   

“You could have beautiful curtain sheers and then strong sculptural pieces alongside. It's a strong piece in its large form and really speaks for itself – you wouldn't want anything to take away from it.” 

Featuring the Aura Sofa & Ottoman, covered in Lizzy Stageman’s ‘Against The Elements’ Original, printed on Palermo fabric.

Win the Aura Sofa in Lizzy Stageman fabric 

Feeling inspired by this one-of-a-kind design?  

To celebrate the fabric collection launch, Materialised is giving away a King Living Aura Sofa & Ottoman covered in Lizzy Stageman fabric. 

To enter, visit the Materialised website and submit your entry by 30 October 2023. 

To learn more, explore the Lizzy Stageman Collection by Materialised, visit Lizzy’s website and Instagram, or shop the Aura Sofa. 

If you’re a King Living Trade Partner interested in using Materialised fabrics, contact your local showroom trade representative or to email [email protected] for more information.