The boundaries between inside and outside are getting blurry, while the desire to live outdoors, for regeneration and reconnection with nature, keeps growing. To enjoy relaxing on comfortable cots and sofas, or for serene moments of convivial life, outdoor furnishings are designed for maximum pleasure, using innovative materials, all with a focus on sustainability and functional quality.
The Cassina Outdoor 2021 collection presents the Trampoline sunbed by Patricia Urquiola, a new cot with a welcoming oval form. Available with fixed legs or rear wheels, it is a versatile proposal for moments of total open-air wellbeing. The structure is in stainless steel, powder-coated in the colors ivory and mud; the cot comes with a comfortable pad and an adjustable back.
The new Kasbah modular sofa by David Lopez Quincoces for Living Divani reinforces the bond with nature, in a style that becomes relaxed and informal, without sacrificing delicate, elegant forms. The solid teak base creates a horizontal sign for various modules that can be combined at will, on which to place inviting cushions and a roll that acts as an armrests or a headrest, when the unit is used as a cot.
An unexpected mixture of different materials: aluminium, wood, stone and cord set the tone of the Patio sofa designed by the Italo-Danish studio GamFratesi for Minotti. The outdoor seating system is conceived as a dynamic mosaic for easy reconfiguration, gauged to the available space and the desired atmosphere. The structural design makes it possible to place backs in various positions along the entire perimeter, for the creation of zones for conversation, relaxation and face-to-face situations, alternating the seats with small tables, ottomans and benches.
Perennials and Sutherland present the Franck Modular outdoor furnishings by Vincent Van Duysen. The designer has chosen an architectural outlook to create these pieces, going beyond mere forms to develop true spatial relationships. Functional quality, comfort and durability are the three pillars of Franck Modular, which combines refined details, excellent craftsmanship and impeccable precision. The new Perennials by Van Duysen textile collection adds a touch of exclusive elegance to the upholstered pieces.
Les Arcs, the collection of Unopiù designed in collaboration with Meneghello Paolelli Associati, has been revised in terms of form, material and color. The line now includes a new single armchair, sofas with corners to the left and right, and two small tables. The focus is on natural materials and the idea of woven cords to cover the backs, responding to the needs of different types of clients and different usage contexts. The original design of the woven arches is matched with the choice of aluminium, a light, recyclable, efficient and ductile material.
An outdoor lunch can also become a moment of recharging for body and mind, especially in the company of friends and loved ones. For these occasions, Paola Lenti presents the Altopiano dining table designed by Robin Rizzini. The top, composed of parts in Glaze, a printed porcelain stoneware, rests on an aluminium structure that can also house round or rectangular accessories available in the same finishes, which slide and can be positioned along the central axis of the base.
The TIMELESS collection now includes a ‘club chair’ designed by José A. Gandía-Blasco and Borja García for Gandiablasco, with teak armrests, a noble, warm material combined with the multiple tones and textures of the other finishes, in contrast with the minimalist character of the aluminium profiles. In a game of angles, oblique lines, volumes and patterns, the chair can be completely personalized thanks to a vast range of colors, from the classics (white, anthracite, sand, bronze, concrete) to intense tones like orange-brown, bottle green and wine red.
The Ringer Collection is the result of the first collaboration between Kettal and Michael Anastassiades. The name refers to the traditional game of horseshoes. Michael has relied on Kettal’s experience in the fabrication of aluminium to create a sturdy collection that is easy to move. The chair has a single armrests and back. The challenge has been to make the single elements of the chair apparent, without visible joints but with a solid structure.
For the Lyze collection by EMU, Florent Coirier has designed a refined, contemporary family of furnishings. The unusual back in stainless steel is mechanically attached to the aluminium seat, permitting various sophisticated color combinations.
“Each stave is like a hemicylinder resting on the frame, and then attached thanks to precise 3D software modeling to convey a pleasant effect of visual and tactile softness,” says Raffaello Galiotto, who has designed the new Doga collection for Nardi, composed of seating with or without armrests, a lounge chair and a mono-block table in fiberglass resin, based on the theme of slats. The color range includes bright hues and elegant tones like white, anthracite, tobacco and cappuccino.
For the evening hours, Ethimo offers Tetris, a floor lamp that is also a practical table or garden ottoman. The various pieces in teak interlock precisely as in the video game of the same name, and the lines of juncture filter the light generated by a rechargeable LED system hidden inside the unit.
The historic bookcase system designed by Mario Trimarchi for Caimi Lab heads outdoors, in the open air, to become Socrate Outdoor. This is a modular system composed of a basic structure of posts, crossbars and grilles, made in galvanized and coated steel rod. The color blends perfectly with the hues of nature: the structure is in anthracite gray and pastel turquoise, while the metal accessories are in anthracite gray, pastel turquoise, olive green and green-white.
A nomadic lamp, ready to adapt to different types of spaces and needs, Flia has been designed by Alessandro Zambelli for Luceplan. The miniaturization of the light sources is the key feature of the project. The carbon stem is supported by a cylinder containing the functional core, giving the lamp strength, lightness and flexibility.
To bring life to gardens and terraces, Slide presents the Ambrogio table by Favaretto & Partners, made with an innovative entirely recycled plastic material derived from Tetrapak. The table, in the form of a butler, is a compact unit; thanks to its circular approach, customers can feel responsible in their choice to reactivate a material that would usually end up in an incinerator or a dump.
