Open-air living

You can enjoy the outdoors in complete comfort, lacking nothing, from sun-shielding structures, sunbeds and chairs, rugs, and fans through to outdoor lamps

Connect by Pratic - Photo © Arnaldo Di Vittorio
Connect by Pratic - Photo © Arnaldo Di Vittorio

The idea is to live in the open air with all the advantages of enjoying the landscape and the view of the sky, while completely eliminating any of the little discomforts that being outdoors can bring, such as too much sun, heat, or darkness when evening falls. Here are a few of the must-haves that outdoor fans should surround themselves with, from the biggest to the smallest.

Connect (on cover) by Pratic is the first bioclimatic pergola that combines the essence of open-air living with the pleasure of complete privacy through the use of Spy Glass technology, windows that reflect the surrounding landscape on the pergola’s surfaces, making the interior invisible from the outside. Covered with aluminum sunshade blades – adjustable from zero to 140 degrees or retractable to become compact enough for a very small space – the pergola allows you to naturally adjust lighting, heat, and ventilation. 

Resort by Paola Lenti Landscapes Collection, Design Metrica by Bruno Fattorini, Robin Rizzini - Photo © Paola Lenti
Resort by Paola Lenti Landscapes Collection, Design Metrica by Bruno Fattorini, Robin Rizzini – Photo © Paola Lenti
Noa Open Air by Meridiani, Design Andrea Parisio
Noa Open Air by Meridiani, Design Andrea Parisio

Resort, Paola Lenti Landscapes Collection (designed Metrica by Bruno Fattorini, Robin Rizzini) is a flexible, modular architectural structure that can be used both as a large sunshade or to form many-parted covered paths. The structure is made of shaped profiles in matte, painted aluminum in the collection’s colors. The ground support is in molded cast iron, painted the same color as the structure, with adjustable feet. 

Extra relaxation is offered by the sofas, chairs, and armchairs, such as the Noa Open Air sun bed that Andrea Parisio designed for Meridiani taking inspiration from practical outdoor cots. The polypropylene rope is based on those used in boat moorings and is supported by a painted aluminum frame. It is available in a fully woven version or with a Batyline canvas seat.

Sunlight by KE
Click Zip Ghost 15 by Gibus
Emma Cross by Varaschin, Design Monica Armani
Sunlight by KE
Click Zip Ghost 15 by Gibus
Emma Cross by Varaschin, Design Monica Armani
previous arrow
next arrow
 

 

Sunlight from KE is a winter garden, an outdoor room created to redesign outdoor spaces in perfect symbiosis with the surrounding environment. It can be joined by a variety of closure types, sliding three-way Line Glass panes, or with a vertical drop curtain system from Vertika Sunlight. The main innovation of Sunlight is in the 10 mm laminated glass roof of glass-bearing cross sections in aluminum, leaving ample room for the glass part. 

Gibus introduces the new Click Zip Ghost 15 vertical drop awnings that can be up seven meters wide and are invisible when fully rolled up. Featuring a front section that completely conceals within the cassette, these awnings were developed to be fully integrated into the window unit without visible cassette or guides. 

Urban Balcony, designed by Meneghello Paolelli Associati for Unopiù, configures contemporary balconies. The technical system is a modular structure – which can be mounted on the wall or ceiling – which supports accessories including planters, pots, cabinets, shelves, a worktop or remote working station, clothes drying rack, screening panels and covers. These elements can all be customized and configured as desired to make this the perfect space for a wide variety of uses: eating, reading, studying, working, drying laundry, taking care of plants and flowers, and just resting. 

The Emma Cross compact day bed from Varaschin, designed by Monica Armani, has a large, eye-catching backrest, with a dual weave of rope and band, an acrylic padded band with elegant central embroidery, available in five colors. Inspired by a flower and a shirt collar, the entire collection works with curved, enveloping lines, a guiding theme sublimely expressed in this piece. 

Hashi by Gervasoni, Design Federica Biasi
Hashi by Gervasoni, Design Federica Biasi
Superfan by Kettal, Design Michael Anastassiades - Photo © Eirini Vourloumi
Superfan by Kettal, Design Michael Anastassiades – Photo © Eirini Vourloumi

Federica Biasi designed Hashi for Gervasoni, with a collection consisting of a modular sofa and a rocking chair. Hashi, which means ‘chopsticks’ in Japanese, starts from a system with a minimal and rigid structure that suggests the eating utensils for which it was named. The rocking chair has an iroko structure and steel frame with external treatment. It is upholstered in sustainable, lightweight and waterproof Accardi fabric, meticulously crafted by artisan weavers.

Superfan is a three-blade fan designed by Michael Anastassiades for Kettal with a shape defined simply by three angled blades that meet on the axis of rotation. Every last design decision was made to maximize performance and improve efficiency, including the blade angle, lightness of aluminum material and choice of motor, for accurate speed control and quiet operation. 

Fiore by JANUS et Cie
Twins by EMU, Design Sebastian Herkner
Hi 'n Dri by Perennials Fabrics and Rugs
Diamond by GAN, Design Charlotte Lancelot
Fiore by JANUS et Cie
Twins by EMU, Design Sebastian Herkner
Hi 'n Dri by Perennials Fabrics and Rugs
Diamond by GAN, Design Charlotte Lancelot
previous arrow
next arrow
 

 

The Fiore collection is expanding with the JANUS et Cie chairs and sofas, introducing six new pieces: an armchair, a chair, a chaise lounge with armrests, an ottoman, a three-seater sofa, and an oval coffee table. The Fiore line has a contemporary contour with a subtle reference to antique furniture, crossed backrests, and elegantly worked armrests. Made in sturdy aluminum with JANUScoat™ water-repellent finishes and polyvinyl fabric seats, the Fiore pieces come in five color combinations. 

Twins is the fruit of EMU‘s long-standing collaboration with Sebastian Herkner. The collection plays with material, expressing it in two twin versions, each with its own identity. The first material is entirely in 100% FSC teak, simple and natural, the other is original and more distinctive, the result of an interesting material mix of teak and one of the main components of EMU products: aluminum. In this version, its aluminum edges emphasize its shapes, creating a perfect harmony with the teak structure. 

Perennials Fabrics and Rugs, a leader in the luxury textile industry, is launching Hi ‘n Dri, a collection of material for high-performance upholstered furnishing, ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. Hi ‘n Dri is a selection of leather-like materials available in nine color versions, made from 100% polycarbonate polyurethane. 

Not to be overlooked are the rugs in kilim ‘s outdoor collection Diamond that Charlotte Lancelot designed for GAN. The concept is to recreate a colored diamond with infinite facets made by superimposing different geometric shapes. Each handcrafted piece is made from 100% recycled PET and can be combined with other GAN products to create customized outdoor spaces.

Kissi by Babel, Design Denis Barbiero
Kissi by Babel D, Design Denis Barbiero
Woody by Ethimo, Design Marc Sadler
Woody by Ethimo, Design Marc Sadler

The Kissi collection by Denis Barbiero for Babel D features lines and colors inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic, combining a steel frame and elegant synthetic rope finish to form the backrest of the chairs and armchairs. The entire collection alternates simplicity and complexity: finely crafted details and finishes make every Kissi piece hybrid, suitable for both indoors and outdoors.

For lighting comfort, there are a plethora of lighting options. The Woody lamp was made by Ethimo and Marc Sadler to grace gardens and terraces with soft light in the evening. Made entirely of natural teak, it is 152 cm tall, has a double LED bulb with warm light, and a wired power supply system. The tripod structure holds a lampshade, whose shape is marked by a tight ‘rhythm’ of slats that filter and diffuse light through the cracks, creating spectacular lighting effects. 

FLIA by Luceplan, Design Alessandro Zambelli
FLIA by Luceplan, Design Alessandro Zambelli
Spine by Flos, Design Vincent Van Duysen
Spine by Flos, Design Vincent Van Duysen

FLIA is a highly versatile family of lights that Alessandro Zambelli designed for Luceplan. The portable version with a stem is perfectly suited to functional nomadism. The design’s key feature is its miniaturization of the light source. The carbon stem is supported by a cylinder that holds its vibrant core and makes the lamp sturdy, lightweight, and flexible. 

Spine by Flos is a design by Vincent Van Duysen and lights up the Solo House by architects Mauricio Pezo and Sofia Von Ellrichshausen. This home is part of a series of architecturally experimental homes scattered in a natural park in eastern Spain. Spine heightens the dramatic language of architecture, highlighting its symmetry and precision.