Harvey Probber

Yes. Harvey Probber is widely credited with inventing the modern modular sofa in 1944. The American furniture designer pioneered a system of interchangeable upholstered units that could be combined in multiple configurations, making him the first to commercialize modular sectional seating in the United States. His approach — treating a sofa as a kit of parts rather than a single fixed piece — laid the groundwork for nearly every modular sofa design that followed, and earned him the nickname “the godfather of modular seating.

Harvey Probber (September 17, 1922 – February 16, 2003) was an American furniture designer born in Brooklyn, New York, and the founder of Harvey Probber, Inc. He is widely credited with inventing modern modular, sectional seating in the 1940s. His company, headquartered in New York with manufacturing in Fall River, Massachusetts, produced high-end upholstered seating and hardwood case goods from the 1940s through the 1980s. His work is collected today alongside contemporaries like Edward Wormley, Vladimir Kagan, and Milo Baughman.