Lightness, minimalist rigour and precise silhouettes have been founding principles of Vincent Van Duysen’s work. Now the Belgian architect makes his debut into the B&B Italia collection with a new chaise longue that encapsulates his design ethos while offering a modern interpretation of comfort.

‘This collection explores how structure can shape comfort, and how comfort in turn gives meaning to structure,’ explains Van Duysen. The design is based on an elongated structure holding a rattan woven surface, which stretches into a loop to create a gentle reclining form. The material’s tactile warmth is at the core of the design, and it was chosen for its breathability and organic lightness.

The structure is conceived to remain discreet, as the seat’s sensuous curve is the star of the show. ‘Every piece begins with a gesture of structure, but it ultimately exists for the body and the way we choose to live with it,’ continues Van Duysen. ‘Sometimes a small detail can completely transform an object. A simple chamfer or a continuous line can redefine the way we perceive a familiar form. The project is about balance, between structure and softness, precision and comfort, architecture and the body.’

Find out more at bebitalia.com and vincentvanduysen.com

Follow the Wallpaper* editors’ updates from Milan Design Week 2026 with our live blog

We’ve had our first teasing hints of spring here in the UK, and suddenly we’re swept up in reveries of sun-warmed afternoons and long, lingering evenings. Our thoughts turn immediately to readying our outdoor spaces for the season ahead – and, more specifically, to furnishing them with the 2026 offerings from some of our favourite design brands here at Wallpaper*.

There was a time when outdoor furniture felt like an afterthought – functional, but stylistically lacking. That is no longer the case. Today’s design houses are unveiling collections that marry elegance with innovation, combining refined aesthetics with advanced technologies that make outdoor furniture more durable and versatile than ever.

Below, we present our favourite spring launches of 2026 – pieces we’re itching to put through their paces on the patio as the season turns.

Tectona

Tectona presents ‘Cicala’, conceived by designer Julie Richoz as a meditation on balance – between strength and delicacy, tradition and innovation. A graduate of ECAL who went on to collaborate with Pierre Charpin before establishing her Paris studio in 2012, Richoz is celebrated for her materially driven approach.

With ‘Cicala’, she orchestrates a dialogue between warm teak and polished stainless steel, pairing the tactile depth of wood with the precision of metal. Soft curves meet crisp lines in compositions that feel both architectural and light. For 2026, the collection expands to include a lounge set crafted through traditional cabinetmaking techniques enhanced by advanced metal technologies. Generous proportions and stackable elements define a line that embodies sobriety, elegance and comfort.

RH

RH’s Outdoor 2026 collection explores the intersection of contemporary vision and archival revival. In collaboration with Australian duo Harrison Condos and Nicholas Condos, the American brand unveils the ‘Brera Teak’ line – sculptural barrel-back forms anchored by tulip-shaped plinths, crafted from solid teak and detailed with handwoven all-weather rope. An alternative blackened teak finish further accentuates the natural grain.

Alongside these new introductions, RH reissues emblematic collections including ‘Antibes’, ‘Klismos’ and ‘Catalina’, each rendered in all-weather cast aluminium. Drawing from classical Greek precedents and neoclassical English garden traditions, the silhouettes balance sweeping curves with architectural clarity.

Molteni & C

Under the creative direction of Vincent Van Duysen, Molteni & C’s 2026 outdoor collection unfolds as a cohesive architectural narrative. Developed with long-standing collaborators Yabu Pushelberg and Studio Dordoni, and complemented by lighting created with Vibia, the collection integrates furniture, accessories and illumination.

At its centre is ‘Soleva’, a system spanning seating, dining and lounge pieces, characterised by slender tubular aluminium frames and vertical marine plywood slats softened with EVA coating. Powder-coated finishes in ‘Nuvia White’ and ‘Selva Green’ feel measured and elegant, while concrete and gres accents introduce sculptural depth. Modular sofas, stackable sun beds and adaptable tables underscore structural lightness and durability. Complementary lines – including ‘Chelsea Outdoor’ and the foldable ‘Club’ chair – extend the architectural coherence of the offering.

Cassina

For 2026, Cassina expands its outdoor universe with new systems and archival re-editions that, again, merge innovation with legacy. At its core is ‘Vidalenta’ by Patricia Urquiola, a modular collection conceived as a tranquil counterpoint to the fast pace of contemporary life. Voluminous cushions – made using recycled materials – rest on slender stainless-steel tubing, achieving a balance between rigour and warmth. Fluted tables in travertine, enamelled glass or iroko wood echo the structural cadence of the seating. Fully disassemblable, the system reflects Cassina’s research-driven approach.

The brand also introduces ‘Eloro Outdoor’ by Rodolfo Dordoni and the ‘Torei Outdoor’ tables by Luca Nichetto, alongside re-editions such as ‘Dalila’ by Gaetano Pesce and ‘Novetrenta’ by Vico Magistretti – extending an ongoing dialogue between past and present.

B&B Italia

B&B Italia marks 2026 with the outdoor debut of ‘Tufty-Time 20’ by Patricia Urquiola, celebrating two decades of the iconic modular sofa system. Reimagined for exterior settings, the design preserves its distinctive tufted geometry while adopting a sustainable, fully disassemblable structure suited to open-air environments. Ten modules – including a new curved element – enable fluid, convivial compositions.

Alongside it, the ‘Erica’ collection by Antonio Citterio evolves with expanded seating typologies, from curved sofas designed for sociability to high-backed versions offering intimacy and retreat. With corrosion-resistant frames, recyclable padding and generous proportions, the 2026 proposals reaffirm B&B Italia’s quest for continuity between indoors and out.

The problem of the sofa bed is perennial: to opt for aesthetics or practicality? For anyone short on space, it’s an obvious lifesaver. No guest room? No problem. But the sofa bed has been plagued by affiliations of lumpy seating and protruding springs and, for design lovers, the thought of sacrificing style for function, especially with a piece as central as a sofa, can feel like a knife to the heart. The good news? You no longer have to. Our curated pick of sofa beds are sleek, sophisticated and comfortable – totally undetectable by day and indulgently cosy by night.

Icon of modern and contemporary Italian furniture, B&B Italia, has unveiled the Tufty-Time 20. The release marks the 20th anniversary of one of B&B Italia’s best-selling sofas, the Tufty-Time modular system designed by Patricia Urquiola.

The contemporary evolution of the iconic sofa preserves the essential characteristics of the Tufty-Time: the modularity, of course, is a defining characteristic, as is the sinking, enveloping comfort. Changes have also been made: the new model has even more padding, and the seat height has risen by a few centimetres. Additionally, a thick Dacron layer placed between polyurethane and fabric makes for an even softer, more cushioned feel. Tufty-Time 20 also comes in a new fabric: chenille with a bouclé effect, which blends sophistication and tactility.

The Tufty-Time 20 is composed of 14 modules, offering versatile, fluid compositions. B&B Italia has added a curved module, which enhances and expands the system’s potential, allowing for rounded layouts that are particularly conducive to hotels and offices, encouraging face-to-face interaction. ‘Tufty-Time is a very flexible system,’ says Demetrio Apolloni, B&B Italia’s CEO. ‘The modules allow for the creation of countless configurations, from linear sofas to sofas with chaise longue, corner sofas and ‘islands’ that provide a 360-degree seating solution. Tufty-Time is able to adapt to the changing needs of the living spaces and the people inhabiting them.’

Elsewhere, the sofa now offers the option of complete disassembly, ensuring that all the components and materials can be reused or recycled at the end of its life. This reflects the evolution of not only the Tufty-Time, but also the brand, which now incorporates a focus on responsible environmental behaviour into its business model.

To accompany the 20th anniversary Tufty-Time model, B&B Italia has also released a new coffee table series designed to fit neatly between the sofa’s modules.

When the original Tufty-Time launched, following a collaboration between B&B Italia and Urquiola on Fat-Fat and Lady Fat, a series of small tables inspired by the once-popular sand-filled ash trays, it was an immediate commercial success. ‘It redefined the concepts of comfort and modularity, merging the spirit of Chesterfield and capitonné traditions with a modern lifestyle,’ says Apolloni. ‘It re-visited the theme of modularity from the 1970s, to then arrive at an informal, versatile system with a young, relaxed attitude. It offered an alternative to conventional sofa types.’

Since 2005, the Tufty-Time has gone through many iterations: there was the original Tufty-Time, Tufty-Time in leather, Tufty-Too and Tufty-Time ‘15 (all of these versions are still part of the B&B Italia’s catalogue). With Tufty-Time 20, the system steps into the future while continuing to respect the integrity of the original and remaining true to its innovative spirit.

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In a first for the hotel brand, Mandarin Oriental Residences, Beverly Hills, recently unveiled a three-bedroom West Coast model home furnished by B&B Italia.

Located in one of the most desirable zip codes in the world, this fifth-floor turnkey condominium is staged amid the 54 standalone residences, developed by SHVO, and is now on display for potential buyers. 'B&B Italia’s unique approach to design is defined by understated and elegant materials, creating an environment perfectly suited to the needs of residents,' says Michael Shvo, chairman and CEO of SHVO.

B&B Italia Mandarin Oriental Residences, Beverly Hills

The inspiration for Francesco Farina, CEO of B&B Italia USA, was to connect the natural materials of the space's architectural elements – marble, travertine, light oak, and glass – and hues found in the landscape of Los Angeles, and translate the whole into an airy colour palette that would embrace the spacious surroundings. 'With soft sands and warm whites, the key to our design for this space was to showcase how our furniture can open the space.' 

The vast living room area with a view of Palm Drive is fitted with anchor pieces such as the 1970 ‘Camaleonda’ sofa (among our pick of reissued design classics) in a sage green hue by Mario Bellini. The cushions have metal fasteners that unclip for different configurations. 'Over 50 years [since it was first designed], we cherish the modularity and the ease this sofa provides for so many generations,' Farina comments. 'The “Camaleonda” directs a tone to this interior allowing for the faded greens of the landscape to gently enter the space.'

Adding to that aesthetic, the neutral-toned ‘Husk’ armchair and ottoman by Patricia Urquiola is cocooned in a corner window with a view of the towering palm trees. To round out the room is a square glass ‘Alanda’ cocktail table, designed by Paolo Piva that, Farina comments, 'evokes the principles of Bauhaus, from which B&B Italia and Maxalto share their foundation'.

Lighting plays an integral role in the fluidity of the interiors, and includes standout pieces by Flos and Gabriele & Oscar Buratti, which are dotted throughout the space and illuminate modern art pieces courtesy of Creative Art Partners. The custom made Molteni & C kitchen is fully fitted with Miele appliances, including a hidden wine fridge, and Turkish marble counters selected by SHVO.

The grey-hued home office or bedroom features Michael Anastasiades’ ‘Jack’ bookcase and ‘Copycat’ lamp, along with Bellini’s cozy ‘Le Bambole’ armchair (1972.)

The primary bedroom’s earthy taupe tone is centred by the ‘Alys’ bed, designed by Gabriele & Oscar Buratti and layered with Frette linens. Softening the space is the classic ‘Febo’ armchair by Antonio Citterio, from the Maxalto collection.

'The B&B Italia model that we designed is a collective ensemble of icons, and it evokes a harmony of style, with wide spaces and “treehouse” views that promote a sense of privacy,' states Farina.

Shvo adds, 'Combined with the legendary services and amenities of Mandarin Oriental, and exclusive culinary experiences by Daniel Boulud, this is a one-of-a-kind lifestyle.'

mo-residencesbeverlyhills.com

Stella McCartney’s iconic S-Wave monogram has become synonymous with her sustainability-forward brand. Implemented as a patterned fabric, the design reflects soundwaves, sacred geometries, the golden ratio and the concept of living in harmony with nature. The British talent has long been a pioneer of circularity and material innovation. It's no wonder that her take on B&B Italia’s quintessential ‘Camaleonda’ sofa system – the original having been designed by Italian master Mario Bellini in 1970 – should be upholstered in responsibly sourced fabric but also adorned in the distinct motif. 

B&B Italia and Stella McCartney in Miami

Launched during Miami Art Week 2023 and the opening of B&B Italia’s new 1,950 sq m Design Studio Miami, the reissue is cast in trend-conscious salmon pink and earth-tone beige colourways, with the printed line pattern rendered in a contrasting black. The collection is also McCartney’s homage to Bellini and his game-changing design –a low-lying settee that uses hooks and cables to combine different modular configurations.

‘I have loved Mario Bellini’s designs for years, and I cannot put into words how thrilled I am to see my prints on his pieces once again,' says McCartney. The deep-tufted ‘Camaleonda’ is generously plush – organic yet rectilinear – perfectly suited to anchor the unmistakably modified textile. 

'The S-Wave is a symbol of our commitments to conscious luxury, which are so perfectly embodied in this design, constructed from pioneering materials kinder to Mother Earth. This collaboration truly is a harmony of our shared passions for next-generation sustainability and timeless craftsmanship.' Though durable and conducive to everyday use, the OceanSafe naNea yarn implemented in the S-Wave upholstery is biodegradable, Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold, and doesn’t shed persistent microplastics into the environment.

Meticulously outfitted by heavyweight Italian architect Piero Lissoni, B&B Italia’s refreshed and expanded Miami flagship covers two open-plan floors with various staged vignettes – including one dedicated to McCartney’s ‘Camaleonda’ reissue. 

Catering to retail and project planning needs in equal measure, the sprawling storefront also plays host to displays by other Design Holding brands, such as Maxalto, Arclinea, Louis Poulsen, and Flos. Top-quality products by established design studios such as Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby carry across the diverse offering of kitchen cabinetry, lighting, indoor and outdoor furnishings. Enclosed entirely through curtain-wall exposures, the glass-box space comes together as a contextualised domestic space.

B&B Italia Design Studio Miami
4141 NE 2nd Ave
Suite 115 / 114
Miami

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Discover the Wallpaper* guide to Salone del Mobile 2023 and Milan Design Week 

Singaporean designer Gabriel Tan has created a sophisticated collection of furniture imagined to bring functionality to different spaces of the bedroom. Marking his first collaboration with B&B Italia, Tan’s collection comprises a writing desk, a stool, a bench, a bedside table and a folding screen, and was conceived following the designer’s research into ‘quietness’.

‘The bedroom is more than ever becoming a place for reflection, quietude, and rituals,’ says Tan. ‘“Quiet Lines” is a range of bedroom furniture that embraces a paradox: inviting rest and comfort, while awakening the senses.’ The collection is defined by strong graphic silhouettes combining slim structures supporting soft leather surfaces characterised by gentle curves, in a colour and material palette that contributes to the calm visual approach chosen by the designer. 

The choice of materials is also conducive to achieving Tan’s desired quietness: the choice of leather for the objects’ surfaces is both an invitation to a tactile experience and a functional choice. 

‘Curved, padded surfaces form a protective layer for us to sit on or display our most precious possessions, bringing tactility and comfort while dampening sound when objects are placed on them,’ Tan explains. ‘Sling-like elements that define the seat, shelf and screen of each piece are offset subtly from the steel frame to give a feeling of lightness. The silhouette of each piece in the collection consists of curved and straight lines, forming iconic and graphic compositions.’

The collection was driven by circular design principles, as Tan explains: '“Quiet Lines” has been designed to be easily disassembled and separated so that each part can be individually repaired, refinished and reupholstered when needed, thereby reducing waste while extending the product's lifespan.'

B&B Italia, Via Durini 11, Milan

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gabriel-tan.com

See the May 2023 issue of Wallpaper*, on sale 13 April, for more Salone del Mobile previews. Wallpaper* is available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

B&B Italia's latest outdoor furniture collection includes pieces by long-term collaborators, both new designs conceived for a relaxed approach to outdoor living, and al fresco interpretations of iconic designs from recent collections. 

B&B Italia outdoor collections by Piero Lissoni, Monica Armani and Foster + Partners

The collection includes Piero Lissoni's ‘Nooch’ seating system. A tubular structure in recycled aluminium forms the base for the modular system enriched by wooden elements and cushions padded with polyurethane recycled from production waste, with a top layer made of virgin bio-polyurethane. 

'‘Nooch” is a large connection of small pieces. If you combine them together, the collection becomes a huge family of different dynamic and endless solutions,' comments Lissoni. 'The name “Nooch” is in-between England and Asia and means “bamboo labyrinth”. The structure of the seating system is like a labyrinth but made in aluminium.'

Also part of the new offering is Foster + Partners' ‘Cordoba’ chair, now launched in a new outdoor version to make the most of the engineered forms and well-considered ergonomics. Featuring a natural teak frame, the chair is composed of a polypropylene-reinforced canvas cover. Rough to the touch, the material is developed to convey the effect of a natural textile, and is available in colours inspired by nature, including green, blue, brick and dove grey. 

‘The “Cordoba” chair is a timeless design,' comments Mike Holland, head of industrial design at Foster+Partners. ‘The ergonomics have been finely tuned to provide the highest level of comfort and support. Conceived as an addition to the office or the home, now it also becomes outdoor.’

Finally, Monica Armani's Jackie O'-inspired collection gets extended into the outdoors, with new versions of her ‘Allure O'‘ table and ‘Flair O'’ chair. With nods to the 1960s, the table is defined by soft lines and bold forms, here enhanced by a bold, glazed ceramic top as well as a lightened grey concrete version. 'The ceramic colour so present in the common memory finds a new life,' says Armani, nodding to the palette that includes ocean blue, clay and dove grey. 'Vibrant, reflective surfaces with unique colour depth and transparency renew the allure of these objects.'

Meanwhile, the ‘Flair O'’ chair, itself inspired by 1960s fashion, comes back for the garden with ‘a sort of summer dress with sophisticated transparencies, designing a sort of macro, sinuous and vibrant lace’.

bebitalia.com

Back in 1972, the architect and designer Mario Bellini conceived ‘Le Bambole’, a playful sofa for groovy living rooms that would go on to become one of the icons of 1970s Italian style. Manufactured by Piero Ambrogio Busnelli and Cesare Cassina’s C&B Italia (which would become B&B Italia in 1973 when Busnelli took full ownership), it is a vital piece of Italian design history that was awarded the Compasso d’Oro prize in 1979, and is still produced today by B&B Italia.

Without courageous and far-sighted entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks and put their trust in talented emerging designers to bring forth innovation, ingenuity can fall by the wayside. Bellini and his manufacturer found one another, and the rest is history. And to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bellini’s design, B&B Italia is now releasing a re-edition that looks at the sustainability of its manufacturing process.

Le Bambole's 1972 debut

The sofa’s debut was spectacular: it was the first time a model had shared the stage with a piece of furniture in an advertising campaign for the latter. Photographer Oliviero Toscani, never one to shrink from controversy, shot scantily clad American model Donna Jordan – muse to Andy Warhol and the entire New York creative scene – frolicking on armchair and loveseat versions of ‘Le Bambole’. Toscani was already an intriguing visionary; Jordan’s posture was that of a spoiled child playing with a new toy, but her facial expression was considerably more grown-up. At a time when advertising had just become highly influential across the fashion and design industries, some applauded the campaign’s outstanding and innovative visuals, while others considered them too disruptive. Censorship prevailed soon after the photographs of the topless model and curvy sofa were presented for the first time in the corridors of Salone del Mobile in 1972. The ads for ‘Le Bambole’ had to be toned down, but nonetheless became an emblem of contemporary living, as well as a manifesto for freedom.

Bellini is rumoured to have come up with the idea for ‘Le Bambole’ after seeing a bag left on the floor that resembled a large cushion. The sofa is formed from a super-light, concealed tubular steel frame, which is surrounded by flexible polyurethane foam, and it is this combination of the frame and the polyurethane that keeps the shape consistent when the sofa is in use. It stimulates our imagination and welcomes us into its soft and comfortable embrace, as only a project created from a single padded cushion can offer. 

B&B Italia's reissue of an icon

In 2007, 35 years after it was first created, the sofa was revised by Bellini himself in a slimmer version with fully removable covers to create a new collection comprising the ‘Bambola’ armchair, the two-seater ‘Bibambola’ sofa, and the three-seater ‘Tribambola’ sofa, alongside matching ottomans. This year, B&B Italia celebrates ‘Le Bambole’s 50th anniversary with an innovative and more sustainable re-edition, which sports the rounded form of the original design and includes the ‘Bamboletto’ bed and the ‘Granbambola’ three-seater sofa, a deeper version of the ‘Tribambola’. Thanks to advanced manufacturing technologies, the re-edition uses no adhesives and significantly less polyurethane, while its rotational moulded structure is made from recycled material. It is available in three new upholstery options: full-grain leather version Kasia, bold floral print fabric Manila, and super-soft sablé-weave fabric Sila.

‘Sustainability is a crucial theme not only for us, at the company, but also for our investors at Design Holding [whose other brands include Flos and Louis Poulsen],’ says Gilberto Negrini, B&B Italia’s CEO. ‘We are very concerned about the fact that our projects need to carefully consider the entire process of realisation, which starts from the designer’s idea, the choice of materials, the production phases, until the real experience of those who buy and use the product. But we are also concerned about the end of this cycle, the recycling of materials and components. “Le Bambole” is a project that we are very proud of, a collection that bears exceptional content not only in the creative aspect, but also for its comfort, endurance and sustainability.’ It is a great testament to its design that such an icon can keep up with the urgencies of today. 

INFORMATION

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A version of this article appears in the May 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe today! 

It all started with Patricia Urquiola’s ‘Canasta’: the 2007 design featured a polyethylene macro weave with a motif combining Mediterranean tradition and Viennese patterns. The collection – including a round-edged, oversized sofa as its most distinctive piece – marked the first foray into outdoor furniture for B&B Italia, a story that has very successfully continued over the following decade and a half, in collaboration with some of the most celebrated furniture designers of today.

B&B Italia outdoor furniture: from cutting-edge design to sustainability

Over the years, the Italian furniture company has called upon its rich roster of international creatives to build its outdoor offering, launching 40 collections by 13 designers, who worked closely and experimented with the B&B Italia Research & Development Centre.

Designers who have contributed to B&B Italia outdoor furniture include Naoto Fukasawa, who created a sinuous wooden bench that references public seating with a refined edge; Antonio Citterio with his take on classic garden chairs; more interpretations of the weave by Urquiola; and an outdoor version of the popular ‘Tobi-Ishi’ dining table by Barber Osgerby. Philippe Starck’s ‘Oh, it rains!’ sofa cleverly folds to protect the seat from the weather; while Doshi Levien’s ‘Bay’ series brings a sculptural quality to the collections. 

Among the latest launches are Piero Lissoni’s ‘Borea’, a 2021 collection inspired by aeroplanes and designed to express lightness (with additional pieces, such as a round daybed, being added to the range). Together with Urquiola’s ‘Husk’ seating, ‘Borea’ has marked an important shift towards sustainability for B&B Italia, employing materials such as aluminium and upholstery textiles made from polyester fibre obtained from recycled PET plastic bottles.

‘These steps, and those that will come after, are making the circular economy a concrete reality for B&B Italia,’ reads a statement from the company, as B&B Italia celebrates its outdoor furniture milestone. ‘We move towards a new understanding of design and its industrial processes.’ 

INFORMATION

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The Trento-based Italian architect and designer Monica Armani looked back in time to a particularly glitzy period to create her new family of ‘Allure O’ tables and small ‘Flair O’ armchair, seen here ahead of their presentation at Salone del Mobile. The designs’ ‘light, precise, harmonious and lasting volumes evoke the fantastic glamour of the 1960s’, and as their names suggest, one of the decade’s most famous style icons, Jackie O.  

‘I love her glamorous style; it’s always precise, never excessive,’ explains Armani. ‘She’s the interpreter of what I consider true luxury: the search for detail, harmony and balance.’ Recalling the elliptical geometric shapes of the designer’s 2017 ‘Madison’ mirror, itself inspired by Jackie O’s signature sunglasses, the new series of tables and armchair feature similarly graceful and sinuous lines.

Made in Italy, the ‘Allure O’ is available with a square or rectangular top, both with bevelled edges, which sit on a perfectly proportioned truncated pyramid base. Each design comes in two sizes, and is available in either solid light and black oak, as well as a variety of glossy and matt painted finishes in 18 different shades. If you’re feeling particularly groovy, you could also mix and match finishes to create a design with a contrasting top and base; or else, you could enhance the top with a slab of Carrara white marble, Marquina black marble or black glass.

Along with ‘Allure O’ comes the matching ‘Flair O’ armchair, which features the same truncated cone base and rounded edges, and can be upholstered in any of the myriad fabrics in the B&B Italia collection. This upholstery embraces the ‘Flair O’ like a tailored suit, covering it completely from the seat to the base. The swivel chair also boasts an automatic return mechanism that will make it go back to its original position as soon as someone gets up from the chair.

‘I dream of having dinner on a total black “Allure O” with a Marquina marble top, in a penthouse overlooking the city skyline, with a perfect and coordinated mise en place, sipping a glass of Ferrari Trento DOC and enjoying a big white fish in salt,’ says Armani. Sounds like the ideal night in.

INFORMATION

Prices on request

bebitalia.com

For his latest outdoor furniture collection for B&B Italia, Piero Lissoni was inspired by the concept of lightness, an idea that has fascinated him all his life. ‘As a child, I liked the idea of building planes, but they always turned out wrong, they were too heavy,’ he recalls. For this collection, the notion of lightness was key: ‘Let’s make a light product, something between a plane and a bike.’

Borea: garden furniture inspired by planes

Lissoni created an outdoor furniture collection comprising seating and tables based on an essential design principle, featuring a slim, seamless tubular aluminium frame supporting cushioned seats and enamelled lava-stone surfaces. In the spirit of lightness, the frames are minimally designed with a gently protruding foot elevating the pieces from the ground. 

A complete garden furniture collection, Borea includes outdoor chairs, sofas, armchairs and tables, creating a landscape of light furniture that is stackable, versatile and suited to face the elements. The frames are available in four painted earthy colours – anthracite, sage, clay and tortora – while the seats come in a selection of monochromatic and printed outdoor upholstery fabrics. 

Borea is designed to be 95 per cent sustainable, featuring both recycled and recyclable materials, and built to be disassembled (so that each part can be disposed of separately at the end of its life). Explains Lissoni: ‘When it has lived its life, it will be recycled to become something else: maybe another machine, a can, another sofa. Or maybe, a plane.’

Watch: Piero Lissoni on Borea for B&B Italia

INFORMATION

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‘Kite’ armchair, from €1,733, by GamFratesi, for Porro. ‘Formakami’ lamps, from £133, by Jaime Hayon, for &Tradition. ‘Woodlines’ rug, from £652, by Naja Utzon Popov, for Carl Hansen & Søn. ‘Offset’ coffee table, £1,485; stool/side table, £308, both by Philippe Malouin, for Resident. ‘Pin’ bowls, from $27, by Jonas Wagell, for From the Bay. ‘Chrysalis Cocoon’ floor lamp, from £2,099, by Marcel Wanders, for Flos. ‘Bonsai’ sofa, from €3,676, by Claesson Koivisto Rune, for Arflex. ‘Fondale’ vase, £284, by Office for Product Design, for Rosenthal. ‘Jeu de Signes’ fabric panels, part of the Voyage à Kyõto-Shi collection, £161 per m, by Misia

‘Alfred’ table, price on request, by David Dolcini, for Porada. ‘Jens’ chairs, from £1,173 each, by Antonio Citterio, for B&B Italia. Pinch pot, £40, by Constantinos Hoursoglou, for Shibui. ‘Piippu’ pot with filter holder, €165, by Kaksikko, for Skagerak. ‘Ceramics’ pot, SEK3,320 (€340), by Carina Seth Andersson, for Fogia. ‘Taranto’ rug, part of the Fresco & Nimbus collection, £1,367 per sq m, by Luke Irwin. ‘Bankside’ sofa, from £1,888, by Jasper Morrison, for B&B Italia. ‘T’ lamp, £2,121, by Marcel Wanders, for Moooi. ‘Salix’ fabric, £135 per m, by Sahco

‘Sign Filo’ chair, €1,409, by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga, for MDF Italia. ‘Kanji’ lamps, from £430, by Denis Guidone, for Fontana Arte. ‘Blau’ low table, from €1,050, by Fran Silvestre, for Gandia Blasco. ‘Yixing’ ceramics (scattered throughout), from £40, by Christopher Jenner. ‘Ren’ magazine rack, £1,404; side table, £1,536, both by Neri & Hu, for Poltrona Frau. ‘Cato Blues’ rug, part of the Mosaic collection, from £15,783, by Luke Irwin. ‘Torii-S’ stool, £179, by Satoshi Seto, for Karimoku New Standard. ‘20.Venti’ desk, from €4,494, by 967Arch, for MDF Italia. ‘Hven’ armchair, DKK3,995 (€537), by Anton Björsing, for Skagerak. ‘Wander’ light, $250, by Jonas Wagell, for From the Bay. ‘Pensée Masaï’ fabric, part of the Rêve de Burchell collection, £147 per m, by Misia

‘SW’ sofa, from £2,597, by OeO, for Stellar Works. ‘Rift’ mirror, from €4,440, by Giancarlo Bosio and Centro Ricerche, for Giorgetti. ‘Grey Sari Silk’ rugs, part of the Sari Silk collection, price on request, by Luke Irwin. ‘Jens’ chair, from £1,173, by Antonio Citterio, for B&B Italia. ‘Georg’ stool, £239, by Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm, for Skagerak. Bureau, £3,080, by Patricio de Arkaia, for Arkaia. ‘Gaia’ pendant, €798, by Emiliana Martinelli, for Martinelli Luce. ‘Noah’ bed, from €3,785, by Philippe Allaeys, for E15. ‘Kosi Bank’ bench, €1,336, by Moritz von Schmeling, for Zeitraum. ‘Night Owl’ table lamp, £122, by Nicholai Wiig Hansen, for Republic of Fritz Hansen

‘Axy’ table, from €2,545, by Claudio Bellini, for MDF Italia. ‘Dash Dot’ desk set, $425, by Quentin de Coster, for Othr. ‘AP’ stool, £290, by Shin Azumi, for Lapalma. ‘Teorema’ stackable unit, £883, by Ron Gilad, for Molteni & C. ‘Splendido 1000’ rug, price on request, by Matteo Thun, for Object Carpet. ‘Float’ stool, €550, by Nendo, for Moroso. ‘Cutter’ bench, £639, by Niels Hvass, for Skagerak. ‘Tokyo’ chaise longue, from €4,750, by Charlotte Perriand, for Cassina. ‘Cupolone’ pendant, £389, by Elio Martinelli, for Martinelli Luce

Illustrator: Tishk Barzanji. Interiors: Amy Heffernan. As originally featured in the January 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*226)

Left, coat, €1,365, by Dirk Bikkembergs. Jumper, £350; trousers, £295, both by Coach. Shoes, £2,092, by Raf Simons. Socks (worn throughout), £15, by Falke. Right, jacket, £760; roll-neck, £135, both by Paul Smith. Trousers, £295, by Coach. Belt, £230, by Marni. Shoes, £710, by Prada. Fashion: Jason Hughes. As originally featured in the September 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*222)

At just 23, Anders Hayward has already fit three careers under his beautifully buckled belt. Among his many talents, the dancer, model and experimental choreographer has the rare ability to turn a hectic fashion shoot into a carefully orchestrated waltz.

For our September 2017 Style Special, we tapped Hayward to direct the movement for a menswear fashion shoot photographed by Liam Warwick, in which we celebrate clashing checks and plucky plaids. Creating a sense of movement beneath all these juxtaposing Prada, Calvin Klein and Salvatore Ferragamo patterns was essential. ‘During the styling process, I chose thematic movements that I felt would suit the clothes,’ Hayward explains, ‘I’m interested in designers that create clothes for characters – I enjoy creating fashion narratives.’

Game to become the leading men were our models, Georges Labbat and Baptiste Faure – despite their differing levels of dance experience. Labbat was the perfect match for Hayward, having trained in Belgium under intensely musical choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. But Anders enjoys the surprise and (sometimes inelegant) quirks that come from working with models with minimal formal dance training, like Faure. ‘It’s great to see a model who has never really been choreographed before come out with some really interesting, organic movement. On the other side I love pushing more experienced dancers, like Labbat, to move in ways that they’re not necessarily familiar with.’

Hayward also grappled with a sculptural set and an eclectic mix of refined furniture – including pieces from Aram, B&B Italia and Rodolfo Dordoni. ‘I had sketches and blueprints of what the space was going to look like before, so I had a few ideas in mind – especially for the image with the two boys in the circle,’ says Hayward. ‘We found that it worked best if they were constantly moving. When the two were in constant flow, I could just tweak a hand movement, a shoe placement, or the flourish of a lapel.’

Though we’re only treated to the static, freeze-framed result, the arching backs, awkward necks and stretching fingers of each model capture Hayward’s momentum-filled choreography – while proving one can do impressive backbends in a tailored Fendi suit.

Left, coat, £1,560; top, £780; trousers, £620, all by Calvin Klein 205W39NCY. Right, coat, £1,825; trousers (part of suit), price on request, both by Salvatore Ferragamo. Roll-neck, £155, by John Smedley. Belt, £310; shoes, £710, both by Prada. ‘Pollock’ armchair, £1,755, by Charles Pollock, for Knoll, from The Conran Shop. ‘Cesar’ side table, £808, by Rodolfo Dordoni, for Minotti

It’s a hot day at B&B Italia’s headquarters in Novedrate, north of Milan, and Giorgio Busnelli is taking aim with his driver at the large foam ball attached to Gaetano Pesce’s ‘Up’ chair. ‘My wife used to say my three priorities in life were firstly B&B Italia, secondly golf and thirdly her,’ he later says. His company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and Busnelli is in a playful mood.

It is not hard to see why. Giorgio Busnelli is the son of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, who founded B&B Italia in 1966, and followed his father to take the helm of the business. And while home furnishings might be the recognisable output of the company, what B&B Italia represents is rather more than sofas. To chart the history of the company is to chart a history through modern manufacturing and culture; its list of notable innovations and achievements across the last five decades is mind-boggling. That B&B Italia today is not just still around, but still considered a pioneer – and not just in the Italian market, but globally – is certainly something to be celebrated.

The story goes that in the early 1960s, Piero Busnelli, then a young armchair manufacturer, was in London and happened upon a rubber duck factory (as you do). His attention was drawn to the cold-pressed polyurethane, or more specifically to the moulds that this liquid was injected into, which then solidified and minutes later emerged whole in perfect duck-form. Back in the manufacturing heartlands of north-east Italy, furniture-making was still a traditional handcrafted skill using wood and padding. Sofas were constructed beautifully but slowly. Busnelli spotted the opportunity to industrialise this labour- and time-intensive process. If a wooden frame could be replaced with an iron one, then inserted into a furniture-shaped mould, injected with foam and left to set, then sofas could be made in 30 minutes not 30 days. B&B Italia’s process today is still almost identical.

Speed and efficiency were only part of Busnelli’s vision. Relationships were critical too and he quickly became a patron of the great designers of the region, challenging and enabling them to design furniture that responded to modernity. It began with Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s ‘Coronado’ lounge chair in 1966, which required just two screws to assemble. Gaetano Pesce’s ‘Up’ lounge chair, without any frame at all, was sold in flat vacuum-packed slices, to inflate on opening right in front of the customer’s eyes. Mario Bellini’s ‘Le Bambole’ in 1972 was a sofa that embodied the louche lounging of the decade, resembling an oversized pillow. It was awarded the Compasso d’Oro, the Italian accolade that recognises progress and quality in industrial design – the first of four that the company would later rack up.

But Piero Ambrogio Busnelli’s legacy was more than the sum of the designs he manufactured. He turned furniture into culture. He transformed his manufacturing capability into a lifestyle brand. Those are words that today sound hollow. Yet consider that in the 1970s, he hired a cruise ship for four successive years, stripped out the furniture to replace it with his own, and then hosted 500 colleagues, customers and friends for a three-day retreat. Busnelli believed in a world where furniture was connected to people and to life, and he saw it as his responsibility to join the dots.

Parties in kaftans with cocktails on boats make for a powerful statement of intent: you don’t just buy my sofas to sit on, you buy the culture that surrounds them too. In this spirit, he commissioned Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers in 1971 to design his new headquarters in Novedrate. B&B Italia was the first furniture company to advertise on television. He commissioned Oliviero Toscani for the campaign to launch ‘Le Bambole’, which featured a topless Donna Jordan with heeled legs in the air (the prudish powers that be at that year’s Salone insisted black tape cover her breasts).

The spirited Busnelli was far cannier than the boats and breasts playboy you might mistake him for. Relationships, culture and communication were matched by a forward-thinking financial reinvestment of profit into R&D. Foam might have revolutionised the sector, but he understood that continued innovation would be critical to staying relevant and ahead of the industry, then expanding beyond Italy or even Europe, and quickly becoming global. Today, more than three per cent of annual sales are reinvested and the R&D department employs around 25 specialists.

Cut to the present, and Piero’s son Giorgio, who has put away his golf club, is sitting in a conference room sipping espresso. The furniture industry is very different now and Italy’s role within it has waned. The relationships that powered the manufacturers in the latter part of the 20th century have been turned on their heads in the last decade with designers emerging as brands, producers and even retailers in their own right. Is B&B Italia at 50 looking to the future or is it resting on the laurels of its former glory days?

You can tell a lot about the health of a company from the state of its offices. Here in Novedrate, the windows are gleaming. Staff are smartly dressed and clearly busy. Giorgio brings to mind the beautiful Italian word ‘disinvoltura’ – relaxed precision. In casual conversation he deftly covers a succession of topics: Brexit; his memories of buying chicken and chips while studying English in London; his love for Herzog & de Meuron’s architecture; and the acute differences in the New York and London skylines. There is a quiet fierceness to him too, which recalls the portraits of his leonine father. These are all qualities that have surely served him well in making one of the most difficult decisions in the history of his family and B&B Italia.

‘I’m 64 and this company is my life,’ he says. ‘I spent 40 years working with Daddy and today my son [Massimiliano Busnelli] works in the R&D department and wants to stay there. I have asked myself how can I save B&B Italia, how can I keep it great and move it forward? I’ve seen so many companies who keep things locked in the family descend into infighting and stagnation.’ Busnelli’s answer came in the form of an offer from Investindustrial, a private equity fund headed by financier Andrea Bonomi, which specialises in medium-sized Italian and Spanish manufacturers.

Bonomi counts another great Italian family manufacturer, Flos, as one of his current success stories. ‘I spoke to Piero Gandini [CEO and son of Sergio Gandini, the founder of Flos] and the experience sounded positive,’ Busnelli says earnestly. ‘We had our fingers burnt by an investment sale previously, and fought through dark times to buy their share back into the family. I needed to know this would be different.’ Fears reassured, the acquisition was announced last year. Busnelli has remained B&B Italia’s CEO and a partner, with a 20 per cent stake in the firm.

It would be easy to feel nostalgic at this point. But Busnelli is buoyant, and it’s not just a brave face for the camera. ‘My responsibility is and always will be to this company,’ he asserts. ‘I am interviewing for a managing director role and once I’ve found the correct person with the right amount of initiative and soul, I will then spend four years downloading all my knowledge to them, so I can go back to the R&D department where I started back in the 1970s.’ He later discloses that he’s seen 14 candidates so far, an indication of how big the boots that require filling must be.

Investindustrial has plans to grow the brand by acquiring like-minded Italian furniture companies (announcement of the first acquisition is due this autumn), then to build the business in emerging markets. Busnelli is a key part of these developments and speaks openly of the difficulties that small- to medium-sized manufacturers face when it comes to growth: ‘If we aren’t able to adapt and change with the times, then we suffer. As Italian manufacturers, we are stronger together in a globalised market, where we face competition from so many angles.’ And opportunity abounds – B&B Italia’s Swiss market is currently bigger than its Chinese one, but it is opening a dedicated B&B Italia China office before the end of the year.

Given these big plans and high hopes, it feels churlish to quiz him on how he will ensure the culture his father inspired will remain undiluted. But he is quick to point to the 50th anniversary as a year of celebrating the stories of B&B Italia by way of reinvigorating what the brand stands for beyond its 1,200-strong catalogue of design projects. It has made a film, a doorstep of a book, put on a forensic exhibition at the Triennale in Milan, and is hosting a series of dinners in the many cities where it is known and loved. ‘It’s like my father’s cruises,’ he says. ‘We are bringing our world to the people who we love and work with. We are a quality, serious brand with a very strong ethic. We have consistently innovated for 50 years with effort, determination and without compromise.’

The most heart-warming sign that it’s still business as usual at B&B Italia is in Busnelli’s clear optimism for the future. At the start of our time together I wondered if the golf club stunt was a metaphor for freedom from the ball and chain that a heritage family firm could bring with it. After hours in his company, it’s clear his ties are stronger than ever – he’s just excited there may be a little more time to play golf, with real golf balls.

As originally featured in the October 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*211)

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the B&B Italia website

'I didn't want to create something just to sit on a coffee table. It is a reflection on the many different elements that help explain how B&B Italia sustained its contemporary identity,’ says the Milan-based editor Stefano Casciani of the epic tome he co-curated with Italian architect Paola Bellani to mark the 50th anniversary of the Italian furniture powerhouse.

The beautifully executed 360-page book, divided into four hefty chapters with elegant graphics by Pitis e Associati, is aimed at a wide audience, from architects to design enthusiasts, chronicling how the cultural context of the day inspired entrepreneurial founder Piero Ambrogio Busnelli’s strategy of combining innovation, technology and communication with style and design.

‘He was constantly looking forward to what was coming next, so in creating the book we wanted it to be a tool for people interested in design and wanting to understand how industrial production of contemporary furniture works,’ Casciani explains.

The book also offers an in-depth study and visual feast for fans of B&B Italia’s most iconic works, from the 'Le Bambole' sofa by Mario Bellini to the 'Grande Papilio' armchair by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. Much of the material is drawn from the company’s extensive (and often previously unseen) archives and includes intriguing personal design insights from some of the renowned designers it commissioned.

B&B Italia’s campus (home to the company’s first factory, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa) and its Renzo Piano-designed headquarters (illustrated by architecture photographer Iwan Baan’s striking images) offers an unusual behind-the-scenes glimpse of the production process.

The final chapter concludes with a salutary lesson in the visual narrative of design, exploring the company’s famed visual communication, from controversial photography to the company’s stores around the world.

The book is currently available in Italian and English versions from the B&B Italia store in Milan and will be available in bookstores worldwide from this September.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the B&B Italia website

Italian design industry leader B&B Italia celebrated its half-century anniversary with a series of events including a film, a book – The long life of design in Italy – B&B Italia: 50 years and beyond, edited by Stefano Casciani – and an exhibition designed by Migliore+Servetto Architects in the Impluvium of La Triennale di Milano.

Unsurprisingly, given the architects’ track record for creating innovative displays, the exhibition eschewed the ubiquitous traditional furniture show format, instead providing an immersive cinematic installation interpreting ‘density’ in a very broad sense through a series of fleeting glimpses of the material product, designers and conceptual ideas.

At the centre of the compact rectangular space were eight high vertical cages with swirling ribbons of images, digital screens and beams of light that reflected intersecting stories of the key people and products; though these were almost upstaged by images of the fascinating industrial manufacturing processes conducted in B&B Italia’s Renzo Piano-designed workshop at its headquarters in Novedrate, Como.

The company, founded by Piero Ambrogio Busnelli and continued by his sons, has collaborated with some of Italy's most lauded design stars, including Antonio Citterio, Mario Bellini and Pierluigi Cerri, along with a host of international designers and architects such as Piano, Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, and the late Zaha Hadid.

Glamorous designers and technological innovation aside, the exhibition’s highlight were two sidewalls featuring long bands of video, showing an intriguing series of micro-stories of the company's distinctive communications.  We were particularly taken with the original, but timeless, photo shoot by legendary photographer Oliviero Toscani of a bare-breasted Donna Jordan posing seductively on the 'Le Bambole' sofa collection designed by Mario Bellini in 1972. 

‘The company was founded in the late 1960s but has always been about innovation,’ says monograph author Casciani.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit B&B Italia website

'Everyone I wanted to see in Milan is in this room right now,' beamed Rossana Orlandi behind her oversized white sunglasses as she mingled among the architects and designers who gathered at a special dinner to toast this year's Wallpaper* Design Award winners; and we couldn’t have agreed with the design doyenne more.

High-profile creatives such as Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci of Dimore Studio (whose 'Lamp 061' won for Best Space Race), Rodolfo Dordoni (winner of Best Executive Office), mingled happily with high-powered CEOs including B&B Italia’s Giorgio Busnelli and Poltrona Frau Group’s Dario Rinero, together with local hotshots such as chef Carlo Cracco and art director Tanja Solci.

The setting was the dramatically-lit Carlo e Camilla in Segheria, which is not only Milan’s current top dining destination - and run by Solci and Cracco - but also the winner of the Best New Restaurant award, crowned from a shortlist chosen by Wallpaper’s pernickety staff. Other winners including Designer of the Year Patricia Urquiola (who joint-scooped it with Konstantin Grcic) and architect Vincenzo de Cotiis (Best Grid for his ʻDC 1406Aʼ brass chandelier) were caught at home with a nasty bug that had half of the city bedridden last week - although Urquiola's partner in business and life, Alberto Zontone, was there to accept the award on her behalf.

But the crowd nonetheless swelled with some of our favourite Milan-based talent including art director Giulio Cappellini, architect Fabio Novembre, Gufram owner Charley Vezza, Molteni’s Francesca Molteni, curator Caroline Corbetta and Salone Satellite founder Marva Griffin Wilshire. They were joined by Vogue Italia editor-at-large Cesare Cunaccia, art director Roberto da Pozzo, Philipp Plein head of marketing and PR Ludivine Pont, Seletti owner Stefano Seletti, Henraux president Paolo Carli and Leclettico owner Claudio Loria.

The awards were handed out in a rowdy, rambunctious way by our own fearless Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers who kept spirits high, while guests feasted on a sumptuous meal of lime-zested risotto and lamb shanks, staying in the glorious setting into the wee hours of the morning - which is exactly our kind of awards evening.

A visit to Design Miami in December has always included a stop at Luminaire Lab, the experimental gallery for cutting-edge contemporary design on NE 2nd Avenue. In time for this year's event, however, Luminaire has given us good reason to trek out to its Coral Gables flagship. The 1,400 sq m showroom and exhibition space relaunches on 1 December with an interior by Piero Lissoni and an entire wing dedicated to its new retail partner B&B Italia.

Luminaire, launched more than 40 years ago by Nasir and Nargis Kassamali, launched the 'curated boutique' concept in Florida, drawing European brands and up-and-coming designers to show their work exclusively and lecture to the public. The couple is almost entirely responsible for getting revolutionary products in the heads and the homes of Miami's New Guard and making pioneers like Marcel Wanders, Philippe Starck, Ron Arad and Ingo Maurer household names around the penthouses and poolsides of Miami.

To celebrate 30 years in Coral Gables, the Kassamalis enlisted their longtime collaborator Lissoni to open up the minimalist emporium with an almost spiritual simplicity, creating a space that's both intimate and open in the Miami vernacular. Vast tracts of overhead glazing bring introduce shafts of light and shadow, which interact spectacularly throughout the interior design.

Luminaire will be the sole official source for B&B Italia in the southeastern United States, so the brand gets a 650 sq m slice of the ground floor here - all the better to promote its expansion into the US market. The showroom will carry several exclusive pieces, including the new boiserie-effect 'Backstage' wardrobe system by Antonio Citterio.

ADDRESS

Luminaire Coral Gables
2331 Ponce de Leon Boulevard
Coral Gables FL 33134

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Italian furniture brand B&B Italia is launching a new minute incarnation of Gaetano Pesce’s 'UP5' chair. Named the 'UPJ' – where the 'J' aptly stands for 'junior' – the iconic design has been scaled down to child-sized dimensions.

Originally launched in 1969 as part of a seven-piece collection of polyurethane foam seats, the chair is an emotional piece of design that combines craftsmanship with social commentary and humour. The sensual shape of the piece suggests a woman’s body, the womb being the seat while the ottoman symbolises a ball and chain - a design that was intended to communicate Pesce's denouncement of sexism.

No stranger to changing scales, a giant seven metre-high version of the 'UP5' was recently installed at the MAXXI in Rome as part of the museum's major Pesce retrospective exhibition. Now, reduced to tiny proportions, the chair's playful character is further enhanced, making it a perfect introduction to classic design for a new generation.

By any standards, London has been experiencing an extraordinary spring. In the lead up to July’s Olympic Games, the city is blooming with new hotels, the latest being the Bulgari. This is only the third Bulgari hotel in the world, following the much lauded properties in Bali and Milan.

Housed in an entirely new building among Knightsbridge’s traditional architecture, it features a façade constructed from Portland Stone, a material that also adorns London’s most important sights, including St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery and the British Museum.

Leading the design team is the architect and Bulgari stalwart Antonio Citterio, who has furnished the 85 rooms and suites with his trademark palette of stained oak and glossy Sapele mahogany, plus acres of leather, masculine furnishings and silver, the latter a subtle nod towards the brand's heritage of silverwork. Much of it is Italian designed, of course, from the solid-silver chandeliers and thick textiles to the custom-made silk curtains and bedside lamps that pay homage to Bulgari’s classic range of candlesticks. Many of the upholstered furnishings are collaborations between Citterio and B&B Italia for its Maxalto collections.

Robbie Pepin, who opened Alain Ducasse’s Italian restaurant La Trattoria in Monaco, headlines the in-house restaurant Il Ristorante with a Brit-influenced Italian menu. And for a post-prandial treat, there’s something to be said for settling into a plush 47-seat private cinema, which boasts a library of around 500 films, curated by British producer, David Puttnam.

But best of all is, of course, the spa, one of the largest in London, which takes over the two lower floors of the building. The pool area is faced in sandblasted Vicenza stone and features a 25m pool lined with mosaic tiles in nuances of green and gold.

ADDRESS

171 Knightsbridge
London SW7 1DW

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Watch the film

To celebrate Patricia Urquiola's recently launched Bend Sofa, B&B Italia's 1,000th project, Wallpaper* has teamed up with acclaimed film director Johnny Hardstaff of Ridley Scott Associates to make this unique film, currently being shown at the B&B showroom in London.

Based on the design of the Bend Sofa itself, what initially intrigued Hardstaff was the flexibility and versatility of the furniture system. Setting the film within a room-sized invisible spatial grid system, vague and esoteric social movements are triggered as the seating system moves into various configurations.

As he explains: 'These vague and deeply abstracted social moments would be defined by the activities that might/would take place on/around these seating systems. For instance, social interactions and alienation might be evoked, and sex would be suggested.'

B&B Italia has long been known for its visionary and avant-garde campaigns in advertising. Most notable were early advertising campaigns by photographer Klaus Zauggin in the 1960s for the 'UP' range by Gaetano Pesce and the campaign for 'Le Bambole', where photographer Oliviero Toscani captured a bare-breasted model, Donna Jordan, nestling seductively in an armchair.