Best of Salone: upholstered furniture

Beautiful and elegant, but above all comfortable and versatile: amid novelties and (great) returns, here are some of the most interesting sofas and armchairs presented at Salone del Mobile 2022 (in our opinion). With an eye always on new sustainable materials

Minotti, Twiggy, design Rodolfo Dordoni
Minotti, Twiggy, design Rodolfo Dordoni

Flexible shapes and modular systems adaptable to any context (entrance, living room, bedroom). High-quality materials, but above all (new) more environmentally sustainable technologies. These are some of the characteristics of the collections of armchairs and sofas presented at the last Salone del Mobile in Milan, including new products and great returns. Here we have collected the most interesting ones (in our opinion).

Twiggy, MINOTTI (in cover)
Designed by Rodolfo Dordoni, Twiggy is the new seating family that stands out for its ideal of timeless beauty. The armchair comes in Small, Large, and Deep versions, with and without armrests, embellished with stitching that reveals the brand’s manufacturing and tailoring expertise and makes even the most sculptural seats comfortable. All Twiggy have rigorous geometric shapes that are also comfortable and enveloping. Upholstered in leather, nubuck or fabric, they are embellished with a base in semi-gloss brushed aluminum or glossy painted Black Coffee color.

Baxter, Clara
Baxter, Clara

Clara modular sofa, BAXTER
A modular sofa, designed by Christophe Delcourt for Baxter, that can perfectly furnish a living room, a conversation area, or a spacious entryway. The frame is made of fir plywood and the padding of polyurethane foam, while the springs are made of interwoven elastic rubber bands. From the outside, what distinguishes the Clara sofa is the movement of curves, solids and voids, making it extremely flexible and adaptable. The collection’s variable sizes and leathers allow for further customization that adds elegance and style to the environment

Esosoft by Antonio Citterio – Cassina, Photo © Valentina Sommariva
Esosoft by Antonio Citterio – Cassina, Photo © Valentina Sommariva

Esosoft, CASSINA
Architect Antonio Citterio collaborates with Cassina for the first time, designing a sofa that combines past and future. An aluminum exoskeleton supporting an organic shell, Esosoft recalls the 1960s sense of informal comfort while drawing on more contemporary materials. Thanks to the work of Cassina LAB, here we find circular polyurethane for the foam, polyols derived from organic sources, and recycled PET wadding for the cushions. “This product is the first step on a path that will lead us to total circularity of products used in the furniture industry,” explained architect and designer Citterio.

Paul Smith & DePadova, Everyday Life
Paul Smith & DePadova, Everyday Life

Everyday Life, PAUL SMITH + DEPADOVA
Clean lines, refined comfort and extreme attention to detail are the denominator of this collection meeting point between the sobriety of the historic made-in-Italy brand and the creative approach of the English designer. “You can find inspiration in everything” is the mantra of Paul Smith, who here makes a foray into the world of upholstered furniture, the first element of conjunction between the language of fashion and that of design. Sofas, armchairs and ottomans feature typically English contrast stitching, while leather straps complete the design, along with practical pockets for tucking in newspapers.

Desalto, Strong Special
Desalto, Strong Special

Strong Special, DESALTO
A family of seats, armchair and settee, with a curved ø 50 mm tubular steel frame and polyurethane upholstered seat and back with steel interior and fabric upholstery. Eugeni Quitllet has created a clean, consistent design in continuity with the Strong collection. “Strong Special is my special collection,” he said, “a way to respond to functionality and elegance, and bring a new minimalism full of poetry. It is a combination of floating elements that gives lightness to the useful parts and balance between structure and comfort.”

Flexform, Perry
Flexform, Perry

Perry, FLEXFORM
Flexform’s new Indoor Collection interprets changes in lifestyles, with welcoming shapes that give back to everyday objects – sofas, armchairs, but also tables, chairs, storage units – a practical function, but without sacrificing elegance. The Perry upholstered furniture, in particular, by Antonio Citterio, has an irregular shape that lends dynamism to the room, as well as a more informal look. Soft, upholstered volumes in goose down, grosgrain profile or faux leather are the hallmarks of the design, while the variety of modules available – linear, angular, irregular seating elements, poufs, chaise longue – allows for a large number of compositions to be elaborated.

Giorgetti, Soho Sofa
Giorgetti, Soho Sofa

SoHo Sofa, GIORGETTI
The SoHo sofa, designed by Carlo Colombo, is a true modular system-which can be integrated, as desired, with wooden or inlaid tables-that tells the essence of craftsmanship through details. The internal structure of the armrests and backrests is in plywood, the external one in polyurethane foam and polyester fiber. The seat has elastic straps to increase comfort, while the back cushions are in goose down with polyurethane inner support. The feet, made of painted metal, have an end in solid pau ferro, an exotic wood from Brazil and Bolivia. The cover, which is removable, is available in fabric or leather. Nothing is left to chaos.

Lema, Claire
Lema, Claire
Meridiani, Rene
Meridiani, René

Long chair Claire, LEMA
High back with a rounded shape, minimal metal frame supporting the generous upholstery, the personality of this armchair is expressed in the aesthetic contrast between slim and generous shapes and proportions. Embellished with solid wood armrests that add tactility to the product, Claire is a classic seat with a contemporary spirit, a perfect blend of the Danish aesthetic tradition of Norm Architects who designed it and Italian style.

René poltroncina, MERIDIANI
Just like the René sofa, the small armchair is also cozy “like a nest” and is characterized by organic, rounded shapes. The lines designed by Andrea Parisio are harmonious and enveloping, ideal for either a conversation area, living area or bedroom. René is a refined and elegant seat thanks to the upholstery, soft leathers and fine fabrics that enhance its sinuous curves.

Living Divani, Clan
Living Divani, Clan

Poltrone Clan, LIVING DIVANI
They recall one another the new Clan armchairs by Piero Lissoni, sharing the same idea of comfort framed by curved and squared lines, in the sign of elegance and attention to detail. Alta, with its high back embraces the person while ensuring privacy; Bassa offers an elegant conversation space; Grande maximizes the width of the seat; Piccola, re-proposes the concept in a smaller, more versatile size.

Zanotta
Zanotta, Karelia

Re-Connecting, ZANOTTA
Among the new additions to the collection is the reissue of a pop icon from the 1960s, the Karelia armchair designed by Liisi Beckmann, with a double-density polyurethane foam frame and removable cover in Samba bielastic fabric.
After a technical update and an improvement in the structure (which transformed it into a contemporary product for comfort and durability), the armchair inspired by the Finnish region where the designer was born (the undulating sign of the seat recalls the land jagged by inlets, gulfs, and lakes) has been put back into production.