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"It's amazing that something designed in 1998 could be the perfect sofa for today." — David King, Founder.
To mark the launch of the new Delta 5 Sofa, Founder David King and Head of Design Chris Cooke sat down in the King Living studio, surrounded by prototypes and fabric samples, to share its unique design history.
First launched in the late 1990s, the original Delta Sofa set a new benchmark modular design. Over the decades, it has been continually refined through innovation and customer insight, evolving into what is now the Delta 5.
A nineties revolution
In 1998, King Living launched the Delta Sofa, a design that changed what people believed furniture could do.
At the time, city living was shifting, with larger homes giving way to more compact apartments. David designed the original Delta as a direct response, a flexible sofa that could adapt to any space and grow with whoever called it home. David shares,
"We built a sofa for the way people actually live. Not a fixed piece of furniture, but one that could change and evolve with real life."
The secret was in the connecting system. Where other modular sofas moved only horizontally, Delta went further, introducing vertical flexibility too with its steel-frame construction. Providing a robust, durable foundation, the King Steel Frame supports any configuration, allowing complete customisation.
You could move backrests and arms, add modules and reconfigure the layout entirely. It was, as Chris puts it, "really intelligent modularity”, which revolutionised Australian furniture at the time. And people noticed immediately.
When the first Delta came out, it was an instant success.
A global success
Delta had been designed to adapt to any home, from small apartments to more expansive spaces, and it did exactly that. Global interior designers began adopting it for larger, statement interiors, and the wider world soon took notice. Then came the call about the Oprah Winfrey Show.
"Someone said they'd like to use Delta on the Oprah Winfrey Show," recalls David. “We initially thought it wasn’t real.” But it was, and Delta soon appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, marking a defining moment in its global recognition.
The following year, Delta also featured at Vanity Fair's 2006 Oscar Party. More than 90 modules made the journey to Los Angeles, configured into generous U-shape settings and formations across the venue.
Shaped by decades of customer feedback
From the earliest days of King Living in 1977, when David and his mother Gwen handcrafted foam sofas to sell at Sydney’s Paddy’s Markets, to today, every step of that journey has been shaped by the people who live with our designs.
“The new Delta 5 didn't begin with a blank page,” says David. “Some people have owned their Delta Sofa for nearly thirty years. We’ve listened, refined, and learned exactly what our customers value most in the design.”
From deeper, more adaptable seating to greater freedom in how a sofa can be configured, each refinement reflects the way people want to live. More curves, more corners, more possibilities. Delta 5 is, in David’s words, “the best Delta ever made”.
Reimagined for the way we live now
At the heart of every Delta, past and present, is the King Steel Frame and Postureflex® Seating System. This engineering foundation is what makes the truly modular design possible. Building on that legacy, Delta 5 introduces a softer expression of the design.
“Gentle curves soften the silhouette while preserving Delta’s geometric simplicity, giving the sofa a more contemporary presence suited to today’s interiors,” Chris Cooke explains.
New forms, including a round chaise, expand the modular system even further, offering more possibilities than ever to shape each layout around the way you relax.
Comfort built from the inside out
Comfort remains central to the design. Delta 5 introduces a sculpted bolster headrest for enhanced neck and shoulder support, alongside greater depth in the seat. Using the King Connect Bracket, you can switch between standard and deep seating to tailor your posture and comfort.
Three graduated foams sit within the back cushions, soft, medium and firm, delivering balanced whole-body support, enhanced by KingCell® springs for lasting performance.
“Each layer of foam is designed to be separated and recycled at end of life,” Chris adds. “It is sustainability by design, not afterthought.”
Considered down to the last detail
These additions sit alongside the features Delta owners already know: removable, washable covers available in over 200 premium fabrics and leathers, optional under-seat storage and smart accessories designed to integrate seamlessly through the Smart Pocket® system.
“One of my favourite features is the timber charging table,” says David. “People didn’t have smartphones in 1998, but now it feels essential, and it’s only visible when you actually engage with it.”
A design that grows with you
And for those who have lived with their Delta for decades, the story does not begin again. It simply continues. Compatible with existing Delta designs, Delta 5 allows you to add new modules over time, evolving the sofa you already own rather than replacing it entirely.
"That flexibility, that longevity, that sustainability — that is what the future of furniture looks like," says David.
Delta 5 is the result of nearly three decades of listening, refining and building on what endures. A sofa created in 1998 that still feels entirely of the moment, designed to adapt to your life with more possibilities than ever.
Shop Delta 5 online or visit your nearest King Living showroom to experience it for yourself.
Ready to go deeper? The Delta 5 buying guide has everything you need to start designing your layout.
Continue exploring
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The Behind the Design series on YouTube
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Behind the design article: The making of King FreeForm
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Honest Review: Is the original Delta the right sofa for me?
DATE PUBLISHED
28 March 2026
FEATURED EXPERT
David King, Founder
Chris Cooke, Head of Design
WRITTEN BY
