Sleeper Sofa concept for MCAD Room & Board design competition 2010. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.

1. Design Proposal
Tribeca Sleeper Sofa
Kelly Jo Kokaisel
MCAD
2010

2. Kelly Kokaisel owns the copyright for this document and all its contents. This proposal should be considered private and confidential and may
not be shared with any third party without the prior written permission of Kelly Kokaisel.
Executive Summary
Timeless design | Authentic handcraftsmanship | Serious comfort
When it comes to furniture, Room and Board believes quality and style should always go hand in hand.
Room and Board partners with small, family-owned companies that share their commitment to quality
and sustainability. Room and Board prides themselves on offering a collection of furniture that's 80
percent American made, and provides the kind of service we'd want ourselves if we were making
important decisions about our homes.
Client | Room & Board
Handcrafted American-made furniture and accessories. Timeless, elegant, practical pieces. Furniture
that will journey with you as your needs change.
The Present Situation
Market | Minneapolis | Chicago | Denver | San Francisco | New York | Santa Ana, Calif. | Washington
D.C. |Boston |Seattle |New Jersey |San Jose, Calif. |Miami | Dallas
Clients of Room and Board are the target audience for this product. The average customer is 40 years of
age, middle to upper middle class, and has a keen eye for design. They are particular about what they
want, and will wait to buy until they find it. They may have a small or large space, and may require
versatility. They are coming to Room and Board to shop because they appreciate the aesthetic, comfort,
quality and great customer service that Room and Board provides.
Need | Alternative to the Sleeper Sofa
Create a product concept that provides an innovative alternative to the traditional sleeper sofa. The
standard sleeper sofa design has not changed much over the past 50 years, and it’s inherent issues makes
them rather undesirable to today’s modern consumer. They are heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable. They
are rather inconvenient to pull out, the bar is always in your back, and the mattress is rather thin. The
mechanism in which the sleeper sofa pulls out with needs a total redesign. Room and Boards products are
environmentally friendly and produced domestically, the sleeper sofa redesign must meet these
requirements.
The Innovation
Dimensions | Studio Sofa H: 25'' | W: 80'' | D: 35'' | SH: 19'' | O: 80 X 70

3. Dimensions | Sofa w/back H: 34.5'' | W: 80'' | D: 35.75'' | SH: 19'' | O: 80 X 70
Manufacturing Information
This design could be manufactured through Room and Boards current vendors.
Assembly Information
This design could be assembled through Room and Boards current vendors. The optional back rest
accessories are simple to assemble by the customer. Merely slide the aluminum back rest bars into the
slots underneath the sofa and place the loose back pillows in front.
Materials Information
Frames | Built using quality materials and reinforced. Aluminum legs and back rest. Solid wood is
responsibly forested maple, cherry, oak and walnut. Certified sustainable kiln-dried hardwood frame.
Cushions | Back cushions are foam core wrapped in down feathers. Seat cushions are multilayer soy- or
plant-based polyfoam wrapped in fiber-down blend and encased in downproof ticking.
Fabrics | Natural fabrics. Upholstered in 100% cotton weave or 100% bison leather with stain-repellent
treatment and topstitched detail.
Foam | Eco-friendly flexible foam made with BiOH®. This foam uses soybean oil polyols to replace a
portion of petroleum-based ingredients used in traditional polyurethane cushions.
Lifetime of the Innovation
The quality and life duration of this design is equivalent to all other products sold at Room and Board.
Sustainability
Timeless, well-crafted furniture is an investment in the future of your home and the health of the planet.

4. When you choose furniture designed and built to last, you don’t have to worry about it breaking or going
out of style. That means less waste, less energy consumed and more money in your pocket. –Room and
Board website. This design adheres to Room and Boards current sustainability ethics.
The Plan
Creative Strategy
This design was inspired by Room and Boards current designs, best sellers, customer feedback, and
customer service interviews. A painting of a man on a lounger by Francis Bacon also had an influence.
In this painting the seat cushion of the lounger had slid off to the side, and inspired me to think, ‘why
can’t it be that simple?’ This aha moment inspired the idea to have the top cushion simply slide off and
be placed to the side of the bottom cushion to form a larger sleeping surface. Legs underneath the top
cushion flip down and align the top cushion to the height of the bottom cushion. The bottom cushion is
equal in comfort to the top cushion. The optional back cushions are of a density that can be used as
sleeping pillows if desired. The top cushion can stand alone and be used as a 2nd sleeping space also if
desired, giving a unique versatility to the product. The various options of this design stand it apart from
anything currently on today’s market.
Technical Strategy
The frames of the seat cushions are made of a lightweight aluminum that allows them to be easily
handled and moved by one person. Cloth webbing and lightweight foam adhere to this necessity as
well. The high density foam is specially chosen because of its structural integrity, retaining its shape,
and also for its unique softness and comfort. The aluminum feet are flat and wide, allowing them to fold
easily on the top seat cushion, and are modeled after the existing Chelsea line of furniture sold through
Room and Board. The back rest bars and cushions are sold as an option, allowing a customer a choice in
styles or needs.
Tasks
Client consultation and Project Brief
• In-depth discussion with the client to determine requirements was completed on two
occasions, once at MCAD during the project brief, and once at Room and Board.
• Project brief, presentation board, and scale model due Thursday April 15th, at which
point 5 finalists will be chosen. Presentation boards and models will be on display in
store for almost a month. Customers and employees of Room and Board will vote and
decide a winner.
• Formal awards presentations will take place Thursday May 13th at Room and Board.
Design direction and development
One design provided in person on April 15th. Sign off either by email or in writing.
Implementation
One design concept will be provided. Design will be outlined in presentation board and project
brief. A scale model of the design will accompany this.

5. People
George Mahoney | Instructor
Kelly Kokaisel | Designer
Room and Board | Client
If chosen, for a period of one year, Room and Board will retain the rights to the design. Room and Board
will hold exclusive manufacturing rights during this time. The design will be manufactured exclusively by
Room and Board until they discontinue the product, at which time the right of the design will return to
the designer.
Time
Proposal, Drawings and Model due Thursday, April 15th 2010
Winner to be notified Monday May 3rd 2010
Formal award presentations will take place Thursday May 6th 2010
The Prototype
Refer to Drawings & Model
Conclusion
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a proposal. I hope my design solution meets the needs and
desires of Room and Board and its customers.
Team Biographies
George Mahoney | Faculty, Furniture Design | MCAD
Owner, Furniture Design Studio | Solv
Kelly Jo Kokaisel | Design Student | MCAD
Contact Details
George Mahoney
2501 Stevens Ave South
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, MN 55044
gmahoney@mcad.edu
Kelly Jo Kokaisel
1259 Landmark Trail South
Hopkins, MN 55343
kkokaisel@mcad.edu
612.987.4889