Furniture News reader favourite Kyoto marked its 30th anniversary year at the January Furniture Show this week, with new products to suit every taste, steadily redefining the role a sofabed can play in the home, explains commercial director Sophia Carbonell …
How does it feel to be celebrating Kyoto’s 30th anniversary this year?
It feels like an incredible milestone, and I’m really proud of what we’ve built over the years. Having been with the company for six years, I’ve seen how much we’ve grown and evolved, so I can only imagine how Nick, our MD, feels after being part of this journey for 30 years.
It’s such a significant achievement, especially in a competitive and ever-changing industry. The last three decades have brought challenges, from economic shifts to changing customer expectations, but Kyoto has remained resilient and adapted to every shift. This anniversary is a true reflection of the hard work, dedication and loyalty of everyone involved, and it’s something truly worth celebrating!
What progress did the business make across 2024?
Kyoto made great progress across the board. We opened a new warehouse, which has allowed us to work more efficiently and keep up with growing demand. Our internal teams also expanded, bringing in fresh talent to help drive our continued growth.
We launched with some exciting new customers and were proud to win two awards for Best Sofabed Supplier (including Furniture News’ Readers’ Choice Award). We also collaborated closely with customers to bring their exclusive designs to life, and introduced a number of new Kyoto products for both our online and independent customers. These achievements have helped strengthen our position in the market and set us up for continued success.
What did you bring to this year’s January Furniture Show?
We showcased a range of brand-new products launching in early 2025, all designed with something for every market.
We’ve developed exclusive products for our independent customers, knowing how competitive the online retail space can be. Our goal is to offer added value and security to our bricks-and-mortar customers, who provide that extra level of service to their clients.
One of the highlights was our expanded range of accent chairs, which were hard to miss on our dedicated chair wall! We’ve really focused on fabric textures this year, offering something unique and interesting for our customers. And, of course, we featured several exciting new sofabeds, continuing to build on our strength in that category.
What’s in demand right now? How are you responding to evolving trends/tastes?
People are more focused on making mindful purchases, so we’re responding by looking at ways we can make the products we design not only stylish but also long-lasting and environmentally responsible. We’re looking at things differently now, ensuring that our products have a longer lifecycle and can be reused or recycled, which helps support a more circular economy. It’s an ongoing challenge, but one we’re committed to as we continue to innovate and improve our processes.
Are you seeing the narrative around sofabeds changing at all?
It’s definitely evolving. There’s a shift towards multifunctional furniture as consumers increasingly seek products that offer greater value and flexibility, especially in smaller living spaces. Sofabeds are no longer just for occasional guest use – they’ve become an integral part of everyday living, often serving as the primary seating in living rooms. The idea that sofabeds are uncomfortable is becoming a thing of the past.
Our corner sofabeds, in particular, offer incredible versatility. They provide both storage and a sleeping solution, but the pop-up section also doubles as a footstool for movie nights, making them a truly multifunctional product for modern living! We love seeing how customers use our products in their homes, and we gain a lot of insight and learning from their reviews, which helps us continuously improve and better meet their needs.
What’s in the pipeline for 2025?
We’ve got a lot on the go. There’s going to be plenty of product development, with some exciting moves into new areas like accent tables, dining, and cabinets. It’s all about expanding our range while sticking to what we do best.
We’re also going to put a big focus on getting to know our customers better. From the very start of product development, we’ll be thinking about who the product is for, and keeping that market in mind through the whole process.
When it comes to our sofabeds, we’re all about making them as comfortable as a regular sofa, but with even more functionality. We’re going to keep pushing to improve those key features.
On top of that, we’re planning to grow our operations with some new warehousing and office upgrades to help us support all this growth and make things run more smoothly.
Pictured: Quinn sofabed