Sitting down with Export Manager Mauro Nastri to look back over latest interior design projects involving Porada, you are struck both by the sheer volume of orders and, above all, by the exclusivity of the names listed. But really, what’s to be surprised about? Porada is renowned for its high-quality design, meticulous artisanal manufacturing techniques and unerring pursuit of the best materials. The brand has turned its origins and history – which are intrinsically linked to solid-wood workmanship – into the cornerstone of its design and distinguishing style feature. Porada furniture adorns a wide range of projects, from hospitality to retail and even corporate projects.
Let’s take Louis Vuitton, for example, which chose the elegant Porada style – represented in this case by the Lenie armchair – to furnish the VIP lounges of all of its stores in the world (over 400). Similarly, fashion house Hermesse chose the Grace chair for the exclusive areas of its stores. And on the subject of high-end comfort, we can’t not mention Porada’s collaboration with renowned architectural studio Foster+Partner, creator of the new Yachting Club in Monaco, for which Porada furnished the lounges, restaurants and bar area with tables, stools, seats and armchairs. Porada is certainly no stranger to large-scale supply: the original design of the First bookcase is now the distinguishing feature of over 400 branches of the NCB Capital bank in Saudi Arabia. Even the airports of England have opted for a touch of Italian elegance courtesy of Porada, with Heathrow and Gatwick both choosing the brand’s seats for their VIP lounges. Alongside this, the world of hospitality is opening up an array of new project possibilities for the brand, with bespoke creations a big part of this.
Two perfect examples are Paris hotels Les Jardins d’Eiffel and Mercure Paris Opera Garnier. For the former, Porada furnished the rooms with standard products (the Stylo and Hugò desks) and ad hoc creations such as cupboards and bed heads, while for the latter Prada supplied bespoke furniture for the bathrooms, with the rooms themselves kitted out with Ziggy tables, Webby benches, Nissa seats and Lenie armchairs. This same range was supplied as part of the restyling of 19 apartments at London’s Metropolitan Hotel, where Porada products are present in both the living and sleeping areas, with a plethora of standard and personalised pieces on show. The Bea armchair, Infinity, Convivio and Spin tables, Surf mirror, Orbit sideboard and Park side table adorn the spaces, transforming them into contemporary environments enveloped in that warm materiality that only Porada achieves.
