Norma Pink Bouclé Curved Sofa

Details

Create a warm, cozy and relaxing atmosphere with our Norma Pink Bouclé Curved Sofa. Its comfortable, sinuous and enfolding silhouette provides a romantic and modern appeal to any room. This fabulous, modern couch is covered in high-resilience Bouclé fabric which is breathable and soft, for a comfy seating surface you'll love to touch. The solid wood frame is firm enough to support years of relaxation with its thickened seat cushions and backrest, offering support in all the right places. Its soothing, ivory color is an exciting neutral shade that can easily liven up an existing design style or set the stage for something exciting and new. And at just under 94 inches, this oversized couch is long enough to let you stretch all the way out — perfect for any room where every wants to get together or a space that's all your own. Sophisticated yet minimalist with an enveloping shape, the Norma Pink Bouclé Curved Sofa is a firm and comfortable piece that is the right choice for your interior.

Editors' Note

Named for Norma Merrick Sklarek, pioneering Black, female architect of the early 20th century, Norma was born to Walter and Amy Merrick in Harlem in 1926. Sklarek was raised in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Both Trinidadian immigrants, Sklarek's father was a doctor, and her mother a seamstress. Showing a marked aptitude for science and math at an early age, Sklarek excelled as a student at Hunter College High School, encouraged by her father to pursue a career in architecture. Spending 1944 at Barnard College to meet the requirement of 1 year of liberal arts education, Sklarek transferred to Colombia University. She graduated from Colombia in 1950 as the only African American in her class —and one of only two women. Though the twin forces of racism and sexism would hinder her early career, with firms either rejecting her or relegating her to menial work, she would soon prove to be unstoppable. Passing her licensing examination in 1954, by 1955 she was working at the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill while teaching evening classes at New York City Community College. Divorced twice by that time, and a mother of two, Sklarek excelled at her work, with help at home from her mother, becoming in 1959, the first Black woman to become a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Later, in 1980, she would become its first African American female fellow. Though still primarily fielded as a project manager rather design architect on most projects — mostly for fear of losing clients reluctant to have a Black woman design their buildings — Sklarek nevertheless garnered a number of impressive credits. Collaborating with Argentine architect, Cesar Pelli, while at Gruen Associates, she designed the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the Pacific Design Center and the City Hall building of San Bernardino, California. An educator as well as an architect, Sklarek taught on the faculty of both University of Southern California (USC), and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After 20 years at Gruen, in 1980 Sklarek became a vice president for the Los Angeles firm, Welton Becket Associates. There she was responsible for the completion of Terminal One at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), ahead of the start of the 1984 Olympic Games. A year later, in 1985, she cofounded Siegel, Sklarek & Diamond — at the time, the largest woman-owned architectural firm in the United States — alongside Margot Siegel and Katherine Diamond. As a result, Sklarek became the first African American woman to own an architectural practice in the U.S. After retiring from her practice in 1992, Sklarek expanded her teaching activities, lecturing at several institutions including Colombia and Howard Universities. Norma Merrick Sklarek passed away in 2012, leaving behind an incredible legacy of work and mentorship.