When I was a little kid, a livingroom pillow fort was my own pre-freedom version of today’s studio apartment.  Structure, privacy, colour and particularly spatial planning are some of the major considerations when building a skookum livingroom fort.  Not unlike today’s real estate market, location was also a very important factor… the edge of the sofa always worked well in conjunction with the coffee table, but the back of the sofa (if freestanding) allowed a brilliant “lean to” opportunity.  Of course, a fort is an intimate place for your favorite things, snuggles, safety, private thoughts, and only your most favorite people .  Thankfully, for nostalgic adults with no less need for these things, Vitra has the solution.  Feast your eyes on the Alcove sofa by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec:

Now that’s fort making at its finest.  No roof… but who needs it with towering walls, zippered corners, and a chrome tube surround.  Beautiful from any angle, the alcove brings our childhood efforts to fruition with a perfect elegance.  My thanks to Ronan and Erwan for nurturing a human need for “snuggle space” in a sophisticated and beautiful way.