Tag Archives: Furniture Design

Crème de la Crème — The Finest of Furniture Brands

The best furniture brands are those that specialise in one key material or expertise. Here are five brands that showcase their artisanal craftsmanship and devote millions of dollars to research and development. When it comes to the best of the best, these furniture brands are the ones to note.

Arflex

Marenco sofa designed by Mario Marenco for Arflex in 1970. This is the 2022 version without armrests. Image: Arflex.

No furniture brand knows upholstery like Arflex. Since its founding in 1947, the brand has won numerous awards and accolades along the way for its experimentation with new technologies and materials for seating solutions. In creating, modern, timeless furniture objects, Arflex is renowned for its artisanal approach to upholstered sofas and armchairs.

9000 sofa system designed by Tito Agnoli for Arflex. Image: Arflex.

Its most iconic product is the Marenco sofa designed by Mario Marenco in 1970. It snagged the best reissues for sofa design by Wallpaper Design Award in 2007. In addition, the 9000 sofa system by Tito Agnoli clinched the Compasso d’Oro (Golden Compass) Award in 1986.

To learn more about Arflex, click here.

Ceccotti Collezioni

DC 90 is the Ceccotti Collezioni armchair designed by Vincenzo De Cotiis. Image: Ceccotti Collezioni.

For 66 years, Ceccotti Collezioni was one of the pioneer specialists in wood-processed furniture. But in 1986, the brand leapfrogged with the help of renowned Italian architect Paolo Portoghesi who contributed to the design of some of the most recognisable pieces produced by Ceccotti Collezioni. Through its artisans, the brand was able to create original designs with constructive complexity. Each Ceccotti piece is functional without aesthetic frivolity.

Ma Belle armchair computer generated 3d model. Designed by Roberto Lazzeroni. Image: Ceccotti Collezioni.

Working with many types of wood, their luxurious pieces could not materialise without high-quality craftsmanship. If you have a penchant for Italian wooden furniture, look no further than Cecotti Collezioni.

To learn more Cecotti Collezioni, click here.

Glas Italia

Donald tables designed by Philippe Starck for Glas Italia. Image: Glas Italia.

Founded in 1972, Glas Italia’s hometown in Brianza, Italy has had a long love affair with glass. Focused on creating some of the most astounding glass furniture, the brand produces unique, purposeful glass objects for the Milan furniture fair every year. Collaborating with many preeminent designers, the brand’s inexhaustible passion for glass is evidenced in unique treatments and techniques to create different types of coloured glass.

Quantum glass shelf designed by Piero Lissoni for Glas Italia. Image: Glas Italia.

Always coming up with innovative textures and hues for glass, they devote a huge amount of money to R&D. The brand creates some of the most striking glass furniture that seems almost ethereal. With special invisible glue to connect each glass piece together, you can hardly spot the joinery. If you have a penchant for glass furniture, then Glas Italia furniture pieces will get your tongues wagging.

To learn more about Glas Italia, click here.

Poltrona Frau

Vanity Chair designed by Renzo Frau for Poltrona Frau. Image: Poltrona Frau.

For over 100 years, Poltrona Frau made a firm commitment to producing leather-based furniture. Its founder Renzo Frau took pride in creating the brand from scratch back in 1912. Based in Turin, Italy, Poltrona Frau tells its story through its leather products. Their expertise in leather puts them at the forefront of leather quality for furniture. Their artisans know how to treat and tan their leathers, allowing designers to create many mesmerising leather furniture pieces that have snagged awards worldwide.

1919 armchair designed by Renzo Frau for Poltrona Frau. Image: Poltrona Frau.

Some of their iconic works include the 1919 armchair designed by its founder Renzo Frau. Also, Frau’s Vanity Fair armchair is currently the brand’s design motto. Its classic form may be ubiquitous but the brand set the path for other brands to pursue the “Made In Italy” quality and mindset.

To learn more Poltrona Frau, click here.

Marsotto Edizioni

See Saw tables designed by Nendo for Marsotto Edizioni. Image: Marsotto Edizioni.

Marble is regarded as an ancient material. However, when a furniture brand such as Marsotto Edizioni embraces marble, it churns out some of the most remarkable objects for the home. Through the wisdom of its skilled craftsmen and the partnership with renowned designers, Marsotto Edizioni offers a beguiling collection of furniture pieces that convey luxury while being purposeful and stylish for any home.

Ballerina tables designed by Nendo for Marsotto Edizioni. Image: Marsotto Edizioni.

The brand was founded by James Irvine in 2009. Headquartered in Verona, the brand is situated in one of Italy’s most venerable stone-carving sites. Through their R&D and technical expertise and know-how, Marsotti Edizioni’s marble furniture pieces will make your eyes pop. If you’re scouting for an arresting marble piece for your home, your best bet is to look at Marsotto Edizioni’s portfolio.

To learn more about Marsotto Edizioni, click here.

For more decor reads, click here.

New Talent, Materials and Brands In Salone de Mobile Making Their Debut

New Talent, Materials and Brands In Salone de Mobile Making Their Debut

From exploring new materials and making their debut collection at the recent Salone Del Mobile 2022 (6 to 12 June), we find an array of intriguing products and new talents! The furniture industry is rife with designers being curious about materials or brands breaking ground with their innovative designs and artisanal know-how. Here’s our pick of the crop.

Poltrona Frau

Poltrona Frau Secret Garden collection by Roberto Lazzeroni. Image: Poltrona Frau.

Roberto Lazzeroni’s Secret Garden armchair for Poltrona Frau is the brand’s foray into outdoor furniture. The renowned designer has designed for countless furniture brands such as Flexform Mood and Baxter. The chair’s rounded corners and edges make it stand out all thanks to impeccable woodwork craftsmanship.

Poltrona Frau’s first outdoor collection by Roberto Lazzeroni. Image: Poltrona Frau.

The wooden teak frame is designed to embrace the sitter while the backrest comprises two-tone cotton, woven straps in ecru and taupe hues. All cushions are removable and make light work of water to dry quickly.

www.poltronafrau.com

Flos — Exploring New Material

Flos Arco K 2022 limited edition. Image: Flos.

The Arco floor lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni brothers in 1962 has become an icon for Italian lighting brand Flos. This year, it marks the sixtieth anniversary of this legendary lighting instrument. Dubbed the “Arco K 2022” limited edition, this will be the first time Flos engineered a crystal base to support the spun aluminium reflector and its curved stainless steel adjustable stem.

Flos Arco K 2022 limited edition floor lamp with crystal base. Image: Flos.

The original Arco was conceived as a weighted marble base and the iteration for 2022 will be Flos’ inaugural exploration of utilising new materials. The Arco K 2022 will definitely be a collectible item for my design heads everywhere. This stunning lamp is an exclusive online limited edition.

www.flos.com

Gan Rugs – Kengo Kuma Debuts His Masterful Designs

Goz rug by Kengo Kuma for Gan Rugs. Image: Gan Rugs.

Master architect Kengo Kuma’s Goz rug for GAN is all about getting your feet to feel nature. Goz echoes the meticulous devotion to artisanal techniques through the intricate weave and thin wood slats. The inaugural collection for Gan demonstrates the architect’s deep love for genuine handmade objects using organic materials in their natural state.

Wooden rods and woolen weaves of Goz rug. Image: Gan Rugs.

The collection offers three rugs called Kiri (fog), Ame (rain), and Tsuchi (soil). Gan taps on expert craftsmen who utilise manual looms to interweave teak wood rods – circular, semi-circular, or square cross-section — into a complex weave where virgin wool enriches the tapestry.

www.gan-rugs.com

Depadova – Courting With Paul Smith

Depadova + Paul Smith furniture collection. Image: Depadova.

Paul Smith’s sartorial magic for DePadova marks his first collaboration with the feted Italian furniture brand. His flair for colour is evidently displayed in the numerous details found in the collection of sofas and armchairs. There are coloured leather straps to bind the seat’s structure, not forgetting the leather pockets hooked onto the finely rounded armrest with its pleasurable ergonomics.

Midnight Blue upholstery of the Depadova + Paul Smith collaboration. Image: Depadova.

However, Smith’s Midas Touch is found in his signature colour palette: deep shades of midnight blue and peacock, sublime ecru, earthy brick red, or a splash of lime green belonging to the upholstery. This project is a confluence of fashion and furniture dubbed “Everyday Life” by Paul Smith. Even the poufs offer contrasting stitching which demonstrates this master’s sartorial know-how.

www.depadova.com

Gemla — Swedish Debut

Gemla Open lounge chair, features intricate weaving. Image: Gemla.

Gemla’s Swedish roots delved into the manufacturing of tennis rackets. However, the brand is now more renowned for creating furniture pieces today. The Swedish furniture brand’s first participation in the Milan furniture fair – Salone Del Mobile — clearly excited attendees at the fair. British designer Samuel Wilkinson’s “Gemla Open” lounge chair features elegant armrests and a sinuous, sculpted backrest.

Gemla Open Lounge chair by Samuel Wilkinson. Image: Gemla.

The wood of the chair is derived from solid FSC-certified ash. To create the curved aesthetic, the wood has been bent by hand with steam while the seat is constructed from solid wood. Most striking to the eye is the intricate weaving made from paper twine. The open weave design provides good support and echoes the brand’s history in making tennis rackets, hence, the name “Gemla Open”. The leather parts are derived from Swedish natural leather from Tärnsjö Garveri.

www.gemlaab.se

Flos — New Talent Arising

Flos To-Tie lamp. Image: Flos.

It is Italian designer Guglielmo Poletti’s first time dabbling with lighting design and the fruition of his work has paid off. His creation “To-Tie” lamp for Flos is an execution of three elements united by a subtle structural balance — the glass encasement, the bar on which the cable is wound, and the critical cable that joins the cylinder to the bar via tensioning. The very thin tensioned cable supplies power to the lamp while the bar not only blocks the glass encasement thanks to the knotted cable, it also holds the LED light source.

Flos To-Tie lamps come in three variations. Image: Flos.

This also serves as a handle to move the light around. Poletti has worked with renowned designers such as Gordon Guillaumier who is artistic director at Desalto. To-Tie was a slow cooking project developed during the time of worldwide lockdowns and Poletti’s idea of using tension cables has clearly materialised into a tangible, purposeful lighting object.

www.flos.com

For more decor reads, click here.