#FurniturePhilosophy: Volume 3

Jul 13, 2025

In the Furniture Philosophy format, I regularly show you how designer furniture and our work at Revive are connected to philosophy. In the third issue, we get up close and personal with sensualism.

The idea for this issue came to me as I was strolling through our warehouse recently. Among all the quiet design classics I asked myself: When is a piece of furniture really beautiful ? Of course, there were several beautiful pieces of furniture around me – even as a philosopher I can recognize that. Nevertheless, the question came to me: What is this beauty when no one is looking at it ? Would this armchair be just as shine if there were no observer?

This made me think of the Irish philosopher George Berkeley (1685–1753). Over 300 years ago, he grappled with precisely these kinds of questions! And he had a remarkable insight: "To be is to be perceived . " What does he mean by that? Berkeley says: The beauty of a piece of furniture only exists when someone is there to see, feel, and enjoy it. According to his thesis, even the bright colors and soft fabric of a bright red Bretz sofa in our showroom are only what they are through our perception.

That may sound strange. But it would be even stranger to say: No one has ever seen it—but it's a really beautiful sofa ! That's why Berkeley speaks of sensualism. Because something like beauty only appears to us through our senses.

But what does this mean for our view of furniture and design? Sensualism brings our concrete experience to the fore. Beauty is not an abstract quality that a piece of furniture has independently of us, but something very concrete that we experience with our senses. An armchair is not beautiful because some theory somewhere says so, but because you look at it , its shape and color appeal to you and you perhaps feel how soft its fabric is. The fine wood grain of a table that you trace with your fingers; the scent and warmth of leather when you sink into a lounge chair - it is such sensual experiences that make furniture truly beautiful .

Berkeley reminds us of something very important: a design piece only reveals its value through our perception. An elegant chair that no one ever sits on ultimately remains lifeless. But a beloved piece of furniture that we use every day and consciously look at – for example, when the evening sun bathes it in a very specific light – becomes truly beautiful in a certain way. This thought can inspire us to live consciously. When we observe our surroundings mindfully, every detail takes on significance – the colors, the materials, the light and shadows. In this way, living becomes a sensual experience: what we perceive with all our senses is beautiful .

Personally, I find this perspective incredibly calming and motivating. Instead of constantly striving for the absolute perfect design, we can reflect on what our Delights your senses . If a piece of furniture smiles at you every day because it sparkles and warms your senses, then it's definitely the right one for you. With that in mind, feel free to decorate your home a little bit according to your own feelings and enjoy truly experiencing the beauty of your furniture! Feel free to visit our showroom and see for yourself which piece of furniture speaks to you personally.