Zurich, Switzerland

SULA – A world of bold and colourful design

What began 2012 as a visual experiment by photographer and creative director Nadja Stäubli has evolved into a full-fledged design studio specialising in rugs, textiles, furniture, and objects for the home. The collection blends function, comfort, and strong aesthetics — shaped by SULA’s passion for storytelling, analogue inspiration, and contemporary culture. Collaborations with international artists, designers, and brands allow them to explore fresh ideas across mediums, from handwoven wool rugs to digitally printed trays and one-of-a-kind accessories. SULA’s products are produced in partnership with expert artisans and innovative manufacturers around the world, combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies. The result? Soft textures, statement pieces, and quality design made to last.

The SULA showroom in Zurich recently got a glow-up – now featuring the iconic modular furniture of USM. A match made in design heaven. Both SULA and USM share a love for craftsmanship, function, and bold simplicity.

We sat down with founder and creative director Nadja Stäubli to dive into her creative journey and longtime connection with USM Modular Furniture.

Nadja, what’s your personal take on “Swiss design”?

It’s very clean, solid, of good quality and well thought through. But it’s a new chapter for Swiss design now and we want to bring a lot of joy and warmth into design landscape with SULA.

What are some values that SULA and USM share as Swiss design brands?

The commitment of our clients to live with our products: they are made to last for a lifetime and the next generations to come. The craftsmanship highlights the tradition, and with their fun colours these pieces are contemporary and timeless. Plus: the quality of course.

SULA is bold and expressive, while USM is clean and modular. How do these two design languages complement each other?

From a client perspective, I personally think every room needs this combination. The juxtaposition of the materials and the combination of a clean USM piece on our very bold designs uplifts every home or public space.

This isn’t the first time SULA and USM have teamed up – what have you created together in the past?

I had the pleasure to curate a show of Swiss design for the Swiss general consul in New York. Of course, USM was a desired partner, and I was able to configure a bar and a DJ booth that enhanced the whole exhibition and event.

Are there more collaborations or creative exchanges planned between the two brands?

Yes! We are now creating photographic content with the products and I am currently designing something for a future showcase :) And I have many, many ideas in my head for this partnership. Working with USM has been a dream of mine for quite a while; so I am making sure this is really happening. We also expanded our Studio Services, so SULA will certainly use many USM items in the future to create spaces, scenographies and installations for clients.

Your designs often evoke a feeling – joy, wanderlust, reminiscence. Does your creative process shift when collaborating with other brands, or do you always start from that same emotional starting point?

I have this core visual language within myself, but not a strict recognisable style. I am interested in many aesthetics, so being able to work with different brands inspires me into new ventures. and I love nothing more than experimenting with new challenges. But I do always want to evoke some kind of emotion in the viewers.

For the SULA showroom, you chose USM Green and Gentian Blue for your custom USM Haller. What drew you to these shades – and what story do these colours tell in the context of SULA’s world?

I love the USM colour palette. And since we have many textiles in the green and blue world, they totally complement each other. For our joint clients, it’s interesting to see how you can combine the USM classics with bold items from SULA without being too loud. I think it absolutely represents the new era of Swiss design. Still clean, but certainly bold.