Faye Toogood’s Poltrona Frau debut from 2024 is etched in our memories as a brilliant example of how a creative mind can shake up a traditional furniture company. Working with the heritage of the Tolentino-based furniture manufacturer, Toogood created a collection of curvaceous furniture that she described as ‘English Folk with Italian Horsepower.’

Dubbed ‘Squash’, the collection featured mirrors, rugs and an armchair which, Poltrona Frau CEO Nicola Coropulis said, ‘epitomised the essence of a Poltrona Frau armchair, effortlessly evoking feelings of comfort, innovation, and forward-thinking creativity, all ensconced in a cocoon of leather.’

Lie Low bed by Faye Toogood for Poltrona Frau

Poltrona Frau is now unveiling the next chapter in this fruitful collaboration, presenting Toogood’s Lie Low bed (with matching bedside table) at Milan Design Week. Toogood’s sculptural approach to furniture design meets Poltrona Frau’s precise curation of forms and materials, and the result is characterised by the designer’s signature ‘chubbyness’, with a sculptural headboard that makes the most of the leather company’s expertise in the material. Rather than stretched tight, Toogood chose to leave the leather to ‘crinkle and gather’, revealing a sense of informal comfort.

‘I have been working with the artisans at Poltrona Frau for a couple of years now, and there’s nothing they don’t know about leather craft,’ observes Toogood. ‘I want to celebrate the hands-on knowledge and skill of the workshop, but propose new ways of thinking about process and material. Rather than being perfectly taut, the leather of the Lie Low bed is wrinkled, giving it movement and malleability. It’s a bed that entirely embraces you.’

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After five years of closure, architect Fabio Tudisco in collaboration with Poltrona Frau have unveiled the freshly restored Teatro della Cometa, a historic theatre in the heart of Rome. The Italian luxury furniture company worked closely with the architect to refurbish the space with decadent seating that nods to its storied past, while adapting the space for contemporary viewing.

Inside Teatro della Cometa

The theatre was originally designed in 1958 by architect Tomaso Buzzi and Countess Anna Laetitia ‘Mimì’ Pecci Blunt. Now the theatre has lifted the curtain on its new visual identity by Studio Sonnoli, reflecting its diverse offering and contemporary approach to musical performance.

For the interiors, Tudisco worked alongside Poltrona Frau’s Custom Interiors branch, specialising in designing and producing custom seating specifically for shared spaces such as auditoriums, performance venues and hospitality establishments.

Wanting to reclaim the building’s original beauty and functionality, Poltrona Frau worked on a solution that was inspired by its own ‘TLT’ model (a seating plan originally designed for historic theatre settings), which was expertly tweaked to accommodate the theatre's distinct layout.

Across the stalls and two balconies, three different seat heights were implemented, positioned in a way to give every viewer optimal sightlines. Each armchair was designed to match the building’s original 1950s interiors, while the inclination of the seats and backrests were set to enhance visibility and performance.

The chairs were upholstered in lavishly rich red Rubelli fabrics, injecting elegance and old-world opulence.

‘It is a privilege for us to contribute to the restoration of Teatro della Cometa,’ says Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau. ‘Through our Custom Interiors Business Unit, we collaborate on some of the world’s most distinguished auditoriums and theatres, yet contributing to the rebirth of such a historic Roman landmark holds a truly special significance. This project reflects Poltrona Frau’s ability to unite craftsmanship and technical innovation, bringing new life, value, and beauty to a symbolic place of Italian culture.’

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.

The term ‘console’ derives from the Latin ‘consolor’, meaning ‘to alleviate’ or 'to lighten' – fitting for a piece of furniture that brings both function and finesse to a space. Console tables were originally designed in 17th-century France as half-moons fixed to the wall, but the definition of what passes for one has loosened over time. Now freestanding and highly versatile, console tables serve as punctuation marks within an interior, and merit just as much consideration as coffee tables and dining tables.

Proportion is key in your console: too deep, and it overwhelms; too narrow, and it loses purpose. Materiality matters, too – solid wood lends warmth, marble adds gravitas, metal injects an industrial edge. Placement is just as crucial: in a hallway, it’s a landing zone for keys and post; behind a sofa, it’s a place for lamps; and it can also anchor a seating arrangement. Look for details that elevate – elegant joins, a subtle curve, or a tactile finish. The best console tables work hard but look effortless.

The best console tables for every space

'Primal Mysteries Scarp' console table by Ralph Pucci

'Light Tension' console by Tipstudio for Movimento Gallery

'MC23 OTO' medium console table by Studio Πfor Mattiazzi

'Origata' console by Nao Tamura for Porro

'The Source' console table no. 2 by A Space

'Contourage Quartz Sand' console table by Johan Wilen for Studio Tooj

'Mise En Scène' console by Tatjana von Stein

'Loggia' console table by Matteo Leorato for Portego

'Blink' console table by Yabu Pushelberg for Stellar Works

'Fidelio' console table by Roberto Lazzeroni for Poltrona Frau

Also see: our favourite coffee tables and dining tables

A master of enchantment, Gio Ponti had a fascination with symbolic, figurative, and ornamental design elements, one of which was the hand. Although these motifs appeared in his work as early as the 1920s, they continued to resurface throughout his career, notably in his interiors and decorative arts of the 1960s.

'Ponti's hand represents the human ability to imagine, to go beyond the world of objects to enter those of theatre, poetry, and playfulness,' explains Salvatore Licitra, curator of the Gio Ponti Archives. 'They are a tribute to the craftsmanship of the artist's and ceramicist's ability to animate matter with his own hands.'

To mark the 60th anniversary of the ‘Dezza’ armchair – a piece Ponti designed in 1965 – Poltrona Frau is unveiling a limited-edition version featuring a never-before-seen hand illustration by the designer. The pattern, discovered in a privately owned, unpublished drawing purchased at auction, was selected by the brand after meticulous research. It features 26 stylised hands, each with its own name and identity, such as 'Gloved Hand', 'Starry Hand', 'Pierced Hand', and 'The Fortune Teller’s Hand'. Each armchair in the limited run of 60 is individually numbered with a metal tag on the back, and the chair is upholstered in Pelle Frau ColorSphere Less Impact leather. A select number will be available to purchase exclusively online in certain European markets from today (13 February) until 1 April 2025.

The Dezza armchair holds particular significance for Poltrona Frau, as it was the first piece to signal the brand’s new direction following its move to Tolentino in 1962, where it remains headquartered today. The relocation anchored the company in a region renowned for its artisanal expertise, setting the stage for its evolution into a global design powerhouse.

With its modernist, squared lines balanced by curved armrests and slender, tapered legs, the Dezza’s design conveys a sense of movement, and as a testament to its enduring appeal, it has remained in continuous production since its debut.

At the time of its launch in 1965, Gio Ponti was at a late but highly productive stage in his career, still actively working across architecture, design, and publishing. He had recently completed the clifftop Hotel Parco dei Principi in Sorrento, a project defined by its striking blue-and-white ceramic tile scheme, reflecting his deep love for pattern and surface design. Inspired by the hotel’s airy, joyful interiors, Poltrona Frau has selected a blue and white colour palette for this new edition of the Dezza that pays homage to Ponti’s aesthetic vision.

Reflecting on today's launch, Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau shares, 'With our re-editions, we always strive to deepen the cultural significance of the original design, offering something truly exclusive that not only enhances the materials and finishes but, above all, celebrates the creative process behind the products.'

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It can feel a little trite attempting to parse trends in design. Design is a slower industry than fashion, and developments tend to be more gradual, with incremental change from year-to-year. This is why we talk about decades having a readable personality as movements, rather than seasons. That said, design responds to the present and heralds the future, and it is always an interesting lens through which to view the forces and values that shape our lives and lifestyles at any given moment in time. In place of trends, it feels more appropriate to call these shifts.

Watch: global design director Hugo Macdonald and head of interiors Olly Mason on design worth celebrating

The shifts we’ve noticed in the past year stem from a combination of factors that are symbiotically connected. The world is a pretty scary place at the moment, and the sanctuary or sanctity of home is keenly felt. Comfort is hardly a trend, but we note the abundance of generously upholstered furniture entering the market. Examples that caught our eye include Hannes Peer’s ‘Pillow’ chair for Baxter, an outrageously cosy piece of furniture, as its name suggests. Faye Toogood’s ‘Squash’ collection for Poltrona Frau is playful, comfortable and utterly delightful.

Cassina returned Carlo Scarpa’s 1973 ‘Cornaro’ armchair to production – a beautifully bouncy padded room within a frame. We welcome this great ensoftening of seating; our busy minds and tired bodies deserve some plush pliability in place of the sharper forms and harder edges that we inherited from modernism and its offspring.

For all of their louche appeal, there is a resounding elegance to these pieces, and this handsome mood was prevalent in more structured furniture, too. Michael Anastassiades’ richly lacquered ‘123’ chair for Molteni & C has an almost liquid quality to it. The exquisite stone surface of Jean-Marie Massaud’s ‘Adrien’ table for Poliform is a strikingly smart, grown-up anchor for any space. Meanwhile, Giampiero Tagliaferri’s ‘Ethan’ coffee table for Minotti has an organically shaped surface that appears to float on its chrome-plated base. Jialun Xiong’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ side table, in tempered glass and aluminium, has an Eileen Gray-level of industrial sophistication.

To call these works ‘timeless’ would be lazy, but they definitely have a contemporary heirloom quality that rises above fashion or trend. They achieve that rare balance of quiet charm and archetypal confidence with vivid material expression. Clever, beautiful and eminently easy to live with for a lifetime or two.

Intriguing material developments and applications were in plentiful supply this year, as the quest continues with ever-more commitment from the design industry to find better, smarter, healthier solutions to replace our wanton ways.

The ‘Gathering’ lamp, by Faber Futures, is a beguilingly brutalist object made from biomanufactured materials. Sheyang Li’s spectacular ‘Aluminium Cast Connection’ chair is made from an industrial construction component, with joints forged by melting and forming the same material.

One of the more stellar discoveries of the year for us was Raphael Kadid’s ‘Philae AL’ modular bookshelf. In collaboration with surface technology firm BWB, each aluminium panel was hand-anodised to form a surface treatment that resembles abstract landscapes. Kadid was inspired by aerial photographs of bauxite mining sites. Bauxite is the world’s primary source of aluminium and the humble bookshelf thus becomes an ode to its mineral origins. Ingenious, poetic, ethereal, otherworldly.

A current seam in design that we are particularly enjoying is the celebration of analogue qualities, surely in response to the overcomplication of our increasingly digitised lives. There’s an empowering quality to living with furniture when you can read how it has been constructed and – deep breath – perhaps even assemble, fix or repair it yourself. If Ikea immediately springs to mind, think again – this low-fi movement is increasingly high spec. Anastassiades’ ‘Card’ bookcase for Molteni & C is effortlessly assemblable, while Formafantasma’s mesmerising ‘Superwire’ collection for Flos is a genius component system of glass tubes, each containing an LED light source, which can simply be clipped in and out to allow easy repair.

We could play all day with Jamie Wolfond’s aluminium ‘Set’ table lamp for Muuto; the shade reflects the light source and can be rotated up and down like a hefty corkscrew to manage your desired light intensity.

We were similarly tickled by the easy joy of Anna Karlin’s ‘Post’ floor lamp, which comprises just an illuminated tube strapped to a steel base. Complexity can be overrated.

Objects of a ritualistic function abound at the moment, which we understand as a consequence of paying closer attention to the quotidian domestic acts, turning mundane activities into moments of more ceremonial enjoyment.

We have chosen to highlight Barber Osgerby’s magnificent ‘Pilotis’ candlesticks for Puiforcat and Soft-Geometry’s steel vase, inspired by the fluid curves of the Malayalam alphabet. Both have a soothing serenity and, though we cringe to discuss mindfulness in the realm of lighting candles, there’s no denying they bring a meditative presence to any tabletop.

If it’s all getting a little earnest, take note of Tom Fereday’s sand-cast aluminium speaker for Pitt & Giblin, a veritable beast that puts the woof in subwoofer. Devin Wilde’s sculptural ceramics have a similarly powerful presence with their ancient cosmic forms and tactile glazes.

We round out our hoard of awards with Giles Tettey Nartey’s ‘Serwaa’ chair, a reinterpretation of the West African Lobi stool, here made from welded aluminium.

The surfacing of stories, ideas and voices that have gone unheard by our Western-centric design industry is an ongoing endeavour. With ‘Serwaa’, Nartey has reimagined the Lobi stool as an industrial creation, taking it out of its vernacular craft context and inserting it into the canon of idolised 20th-century furniture. An extraordinary sculptural object in its own right, it encapsulates the special power of design to bridge time and place, inviting us to ask questions about where we have come from and where we want to go.

A version of this article appears in the February 2025 issue of Wallpaper* , available in print on international newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Browse our Design and Interiors Award Winners for 2025

Inching ever closer towards the holiday season, there can be a fly in the ointment of excitement in the shape of those special loved ones for whom we always struggle to buy a present. As each day passes, yet more options are slayed: international shipping; shipping full-stop; and finally shopping itself. When all else fails, home-made presents are always (often?) charming. But we’re not quite there yet and, though design lovers have a reputation for being ‘hard to buy for’, in fact they are some of the easiest to please if you keep your head straight and don’t fall for the reversible sequin cushions that still seem to be everywhere. What follows is my suggestion of presents with archetypal qualities that won’t fail to charm even the most curmudgeonly aesthete. Ding Dong Merrily Design.

Wallpaper* gift guide: global design director Hugo Macdonald's picks

Poltrona Frau dog leads

It can be hard to show our beloved pets quite how much they mean to us, but giving your pooch a Poltrona Frau dog leash for Christmas will send all the right messages. You can build your own lead to suit your (and your dog’s) preferences. Available in Pelle Frau leather or reinforced jacquard woven ribbon, with galvanized brass hardware and a ring for a treat holder, this is the last word in canine luxury.

The Poltrona Frau Dog Leash is available at poltronafrau.com. Price available upon request.

Les Couleurs Suisse AG by Tekla

This range of beautiful Tekla blankets piqued our interest for their peculiarly familiar colour palette, which is derived from the preferred hues used by Le Corbusier in his work. The perfect present to soften-up any die-hard modernist, the blankets come in either cashmere and lambswool or lambswool, both woven in Scotland, or in mohair, woven in Spain. We feel Le Corb would definitely approve.

Tekla Mohair blanket is $940 and available at teklafabrics.com

Kalvolan Kanto vases by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala

Originally designed by Tapio Wirkkala in 1947, Iittala’s creative director Janni Vepsalainen has reintroduced the Kalvolan Kanto vases in all their molten glassy glory. Eminently tactile, perhaps even lickable, they come in clear, sultry dark grey or a brand new zesty Seville orange, which would be our preference for a bit of yuletide pep.

The Kalvolan Kanto vases by Tapio Wirkkala for Iittala are £600 and available at iittala.com

Undesigning the Bath by Leonard Koren

A bona fide seminal text for anyone interested in design, Leonard Koren’s Undesigning the Bath makes the case that bathing is never improved by design, leaving the reader to ponder whether design only distances us from our primal, animal experience in life at large. Long out of print, our friends at Blunk Books have brought it back into existence. We could not be more thrilled.

Undesigning The Bath by Leonard Koren is $26 and available at blunkshop.com

Sutherland Sentinels by Oliver Spendley for Bard

Call me biased - because they were made by Sutherland-based Oliver Spendley for Bard, our gallery in Edinburgh - but I would be very happy to wake up on Christmas morning with a Sutherland Sentinel candle holder under the tree. It would come straight upstairs to sit beside the bath, because bathing (as you’ll read in Leonard Koren’s book) really is a transcendental experience. Oliver was last month awarded Best Sculptural Object in the Wood Awards; his Lewisian Gneiss rocks with their brass inserts, perched on charred larch bases, demonstrate why.

The Oliver Spendley Tall Candle Holder is £1,920.00 and available at bard-scotland.com

Samu candle snuffer by Juli and Mika Tolvanen for Nedre Foss

A candle snuffer is a very good present, and this charming cast brass one has the added boon of being a beautiful object in its own right. Designed by American and Finnish duo, Juli and Mika Tolvanen, your friends will thank you for no more singed fingertips at the end of the night.

Samu candle snuffer by Juli and Mika Tolvanen for Nedre Foss is $84.80 and available at finnishdesignshop.com

Magazine rack by Carl Aubock

Whenever stuck for present inspiration, Carl Aubock Werkstatte is a very good place to start. For well over a century, the Viennese dynasty of Aubocks have been casting curios in brass, and using wood, cane and leather to turn quotidian objects into works of wonder. This wall-mounted wicker magazine rack brings a fun and literal opportunity for someone to display their Wallpapers on the wall.

Magazine rack by Carl Aubock is £2,800 and available at sigmarlondon.com

Sarabande artist posters

The veritable gift that keeps on giving, Sarabande is the wonderful foundation set-up by Lee McQueen in 2006 to nurture future generations of creative talent. Sarabande has since incubated and birthed an incredible range of artists, craftspeople and designers into the world. For Christmas, their online House of Bandit’s gallery has launched a series of beautiful A2 posters by four Sarabande artists: George Richardson, Hamed Maiye, James Tailor and Kasia Wozniak for a mere £30 each, with all proceeds directly feeding back into the foundation.

Sarabande Exclusive Poster X George Richardson. Regular price £30.00 and available at sarabandefoundation.org

Of The Gods eau de parfum by To My Ships

One of our most favourite discoveries of the year, To My Ships has been keeping armpits and bodies fragrant with their deodorants and body wash since their launch in September. With 99.97% naturally derived ingredients and packaging designed by Formafantasma, the brand’s design credentials are outstanding. It’s the fragrance, however, with which we are smitten. Green citrus notes of Polygonum, Petitgrain and Patchouli have us stopped almost hourly and asked where it’s from. The perfect present for someone with a fine nose, who enjoys having their neck sniffed.

Of The Gods eau de parfum by To My Ships is £170 and available at tomyships.com

D.847.1 desk by Gio Ponti for Molteni

On a recent trip to Molteni’s headquarters in Giussano, we were reintroduced to the wonder that is Gio Pionti’s writing desk, which Molteni reintroduced 70 years after its original launch in collaboration with the Ponti archives. It is slim, but just right - made from honey-stained ash with brass feet - with jaunty winged ends and a small drawer. Graceful and elegant for that rakish, bookish love in your life.

D.847.1 desk by Gio Ponti for Molteni is available at molteni.it. Price available upon request.

Grau Fire lamp

Designed and manufactured by our friends at the GRAU campus in Germany, the mobile Fire light has an aluminium body and a hand blown glass head. We’ve been smitten by the soothing qualities of the dimmable, programmable orb, gently glowing on our desk and bedside. With 50 hours of battery life after just two hours of charging, you can take your Fire with you wherever you go.

Grau Fire lamp is £348 and available at grau.art

Poltrona Frau unveils a new collaboration with British designer Faye Toogood; comprising furniture as well as interior accessories, the collection marks Toogood’s debut in leather and upholstered forms. The collaboration is part of Poltrona Frau’s Imagine collection, presented during Salone del Mobile 2024 at the company’s Milan showroom. 

‘We've dedicated this collection to the concept of imagination, a notion close to our hearts,’ says Poltrona Frau CEO, Nicola Coropulis. ‘Imagination serves as the driving force in our domain, breathing life into the nonexistent, transcending mere logic, and fostering the birth of fresh ideas and perspectives.’ Toogood’s work for Poltrona Frau exemplifies this ethos, ‘by seamlessly transforming objects into sculptural artefacts.’

Poltrona Frau and Faye Toogood: the ‘Squash’ collection

Toogood’s first visit to Poltrona Frau left a lasting impression on the designer, for the company’s rigorous approach to craftsmanship, but also for their incredible history. ‘Visiting the showroom shows you a kind of quality and craftsmanship that are out of this world,’ she says. ‘And then they have this beautiful museum [in Tolentino], where they keep an archive of the heritage pieces. I was just blown away by some of the 1970s designs, which were just really courageous in their form, their approach, their attitude.’ And so she set herself the challenge to bring that attitude back, ‘but also to add the female softness that I felt lacked from their collections. A lot of them felt quite angular, masculine in a traditional sense; fewer curves, less expression.’

Expression is a distinctive trait of Toogood’s. Her work is sculptural with soft edges, inspired by three-dimensional artworks and informed by nature, with a nod to ancient artefacts and folk. And the exploration of the archives, paired with Toogood’s own universe, resulted in what she describes as ‘English Folk with Italian Horsepower.’ She explains: ‘visiting the [Poltrona Frau] manufacturing facilities felt like walking into an Italian sports car factory.’ It’s a parallel that is not too far off, given that Poltrona Frau also works on the interiors of Ferrari sports cars. ‘And here I am, this English girl, who designed a lot of wooden chairs and has this slightly more folksy attitude.’ Improbably, it was precisely in folk art that she found some similarities between her and Poltrona Frau’s worlds, with many English folk pieces being made of leather, a narrative that helped her bridge the gap between their heritages.

The collection features mirrors (in sizes ranging from freestanding to pocket), which were informed by old English folk leather mirrors, and a rug referencing an early folk game. ‘I wanted to bring this naivete and human folksy element to the collection,’ she explains. The hero piece of this collaboration so far is undoubtedly the Squash chair. ‘To me, this piece encapsulates everything that characterises Toogood's refined and visionary art; an exuberant creation that transcends time, seemingly belonging to a future era that defies definition,’ says Coropulis. ‘It effortlessly evokes feelings of comfort, innovation, and forward-thinking creativity, all ensconced in a cocoon of leather, epitomising the essence of a Poltrona Frau armchair.’

The chair is defined by voluptuous, ballooning forms erupting from a rigid yet curved structure. Toogood’s first upholstered piece, it offered an opportunity for her to tinker with Poltrona Frau’s pristine leather manufacturing (what the company calls ‘Leathership’, drawing from a tradition dating back to the company’s founding in 1912). ‘They allowed me to be expressive, and to let myself loose in the factory,’ she says. ‘I wanted to create something that was really comfortable, really soft, retained all the sculptural nature of my own work, but had that immediate softness about it, which is one of the reasons why I called it “Squash”, I wanted to achieve that really squashy feel, which I saw a lot in early 70s Poltrona Frau designs.’

Among the collection’s colours (which include brown and blue) is a bold red hue, a shade that feels unusual across Toogood’s usually more composed palettes (and achieved through Poltrona Frau’s 21-step tanning process that dyes the leather through, maintaining the colour even if scratched). ‘Somehow, the attitude of the red combined with the shape just felt right. Maybe I just wanted to disturb the politeness of it all.’

Her presence at the Poltrona Frau’s manufacturing facilities must have certainly felt disruptive, as she tried to push her sculptural approach to the extreme for a result that is expressive, rather than rigorous. ‘With the first prototype, they wanted to reduce, clean up the design, if the leather was wrinkling a bit they wanted to fix that,’ she recalls. ‘But I insisted that I didn’t want the leather to be stretched and perfect, I want to give the feeling that you can sink into it, to look like it’s already been sat on, like it's already had a life. To me this is the beauty of this material.’

Having started her career as magazine editor and stylist, Toogood founded her studio in 2008, over time experimenting with a variety of creative disciplines, from furniture and interior design to fashion, also launching a fashion label and a furniture and accessories collection under her name. ‘Faye stands out as one of the most captivating figures in contemporary creativity, distinguished by her unparalleled and curious multidisciplinary approach to the art of design,’ says Coropulis. ‘And it was precisely this expansive perspective, also expressed in her works within fashion, that resonated with our vision at Poltrona Frau.’

Toogood feels that this collection might offer a turning point for her practice. ‘I'm at a very interesting moment in my career where I'm neither emerging nor fully [part of the] establishment, I would say I am in a sort of limbo,’ she observes. ‘And once you have a heavyweight Italian manufacturing company come to you, as a designer who essentially didn't train and design, who is female, who works in fashion and art, that does feel like I potentially pushed down a barrier. The world doesn't necessarily need any more chairs, but if I'm going to do something, then I hope that it will help push down barriers for myself, but also for others that are coming up behind me.’

Faye Toogood’s collaboration with Poltrona Frau, part of the company’s Imagine collection, will be presented during Salone del Mobile 2024, 16-21 April

Poltrona Frau
Via Alessandro Manzoni, 30
Milan

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Fornasetti and Poltrona Frau join forces on a new edition of the iconic ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, featuring the designer's distinctive prints in black and white on Frau leather. The ‘Vanity Fair XC Imagine Reality Edition’ will make its debut during Salone del Mobile 2024 as an edition of 50, with Fornasetti's motifs digitally printed on Pelle Frau Impact Less.

The new chair is also part of Poltrona Frau's upcoming Imagine collection, a mission for the Italian company to expand its creative horizons beyond conventional furniture design in collaboration with global creatives, following collections by Savile Row designer Ozwald Boateng and Spanish artist Felipe Pantone. 

Poltrona Frau Fornasetti collaboration

A 1930 design by Renzo Frau, the ‘Vanity Fair’ features a distinctive arched back and a design that is classic yet timeless, also thanks to Roberto Lazzeroni's update in 2020, on the occasion of the chair's 90th anniversary. 

'As Poltrona Frau expands its horizons into the lifestyle realm, no brand makes better sense to partner with than Fornasetti – especially to mark the launch of our 2024 Imagine collection,' says the company's CEO, Nicola Coropulis. 'Founded in the 1940s by Piero Fornasetti and now led by his son, Barnaba, Fornasetti has sparked the imagination of its devotees for nearly a century. As two of the most recognisable and historic Italian brands still operating today, Fornasetti and Poltrona Frau represent the best of Made in Italy excellence.'

Founded in the 1940s, Fornasetti's fantasy world merges classical iconography with architectural motifs, often rendered in black and white and with a tongue in cheek approach. For the ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, Barnaba Fornasetti dug into his archives and selected two illustrations depicting a sun and a moon rising over swirling clouds.

'Even as a young child, people used to tell me that I had my head in the clouds,' says Barnaba Fornasetti. 'So, I replicated the clouds from an old print in my bedroom and used them as wallpaper and decoration on various objects. The sun, with its face and stylised rays, is one of the themes my father interpreted obsessively, to the point that it became a Fornasetti icon. 

'When I sat on the “Vanity Fair” armchair, I felt like I was on a cloud and began to daydream. Then, as if by magic, I met with Poltrona Frau and I was fascinated by this company that manages to combine manual craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology. It was a chance to revisit my youth and return to the clouds, yet another example of "practical madness".'

Vanity Fair XC Imagine Edition is available in Europe, for purchase online from poltronafrau.com

This Mancala Game, handcrafted  By Giobagnara, is part of the Poltrona Frau Culture & Craft collection in collaboration with Ozwald Boateng: a collaboration launched in 2023, the collection is defined by the Savile Row designer’s interpretations of the Italian furniture company’s classics. 

The collection includes quintessential Poltrona Frau icons such as the ‘Chester’ sofa, a 1912 design conceived by the company's founder and inspired by Edwardian Chesterfields, and the ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, from 1984, which feature a distinctive
embossing of his signature ‘Tribal’ print on Frau leather. A pattern referencing traditional Kente Cloth Motifs, it becomes both a subtle decoration and a powerful aesthetic exercise once placed on the designs. 

But the collaboration expands beyond furniture and into Poltrona Frau's ‘Beautilities’ collection: featuring pet accessories, stationery, ceramic and glass objects as well as toys by a variety of creatives and craftspeople, the series expands Poltrona Frau’s offering into a sphere of wellbeing and culture. For this, Boateng has left his mark on rugs, wallpaper, cushions, scented candles and a Mancala board game, reflecting the spirit of the designer's approach to creation.

One of the oldest board games in history, Mancala derives its name from the Arabic word ‘Naqala’, meaning, ‘to move’. Boateng interpreted the traditional board and pieces (always 48 in the game, a number sacred across West African populations) in solid wenge and handcrafted Murano glass. ‘For me, this partnership is really about tradition,’ says Boateng, who for this collection also revisited his distinctive Tribal print as an embossed motif on brightly hued leather. The design is part of Boateng's mission to 'find a new language around tradition, the same way I did in Savile Row. There’s a subtlety to getting the balance of the two worlds right.’ We think he’s nailed it.

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A version of this article appears in the February 2024 issue of Wallpaper* – dedicated to the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024 – available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

For our 2024 horoscope, we asked Italian astrologist Lumpa for a detailed reading of each star sign's fortunes, and the design objects that identify them:

Lumpa: Happy 2024 everyone! Before proceeding to the annual destinies of the individual signs, I’d like to say something about the year ahead. 2024 is a leap year, and 29 February will be a day full of lucky surprises for some (and unlucky for others). It is a year marked by the transit of Saturn in the sign of Pisces, like in 1994, 1995 and 1996, so it will be easy to notice similarities with those years. So if you were born with Saturn in Pisces, or in the years mentioned above (but also between 1964 and 1966), watch out, as you might easily enter into crisis.

Unlike 2023, which was a very slow year, 2024 will seem to pass very quickly, because Mars and Venus will not retrograde (well, at least until December, let's say). It is a condition that can result in new love, and that makes couples thrive.

It will also be a Chinese Year of the Dragon, which according to tradition should bring rain after periods of drought (and possibly more children).

Wallpaper* 2024 horoscope by Lumpa

Aries

Even if early January is a bit annoying, a very important and beautiful year is about to begin for Aries. It could even be the first of a series, because future years will bring more growth. The year will be defined by a great life change and the beginning of a new cycle of luck. A wish is about to come true, in your emotional or professional life: you saw the first signs of it in 2023, even if that was still a tiring, stressful year. In 2024, you are going to consolidate a new step – it could be a new life, a new career, an important family event, or something in your private sphere. Children are on the way for many Aries. Signs of improvement will be noticed as early as February and March, with a peak in the birthday season. One of the happiest months will be August.

Design for Aries: Aries enjoy bold and colourful pieces – sometimes their choices can be playful or flashy. We picked a classic of Sottsass' Memphis era, a cacophony of colours and shapes. 

Taurus

Many Taureans will feel that just making it to 2024 is an achievement. Recent years have been difficult on many fronts: at work, as a couple, even in health. For many, self-esteem and personal power need to be recovered. The new year ushers in greater strength, physical health and even a bit of luck: the recovery begins. This is a year in which Jupiter will be in your sign and Saturn in your favour, a perfect condition for recovering energy. However, there are also changes to be made; in work, it is necessary to take a new direction and leave your comfort zone, something that is always a little difficult at first, but which will then succeed well. Overall, it is a good year for finances. Even in the area of affection, there is greater wellbeing – anyone looking for a partner, or just wanting someone alongside them, will find what they need.

Design for Taurus: When it comes to interior design, Taureans are big spenders. Always enjoying the most expensive pieces, their style is very classy and sober. Gio Ponti's classic designs feel like a natural fit for this discerning star sign. 

Gemini

2024 will be a memorable year for Geminis, mostly a lucky year, but not entirely easy to manage. Saturn in Pisces is in a critical position and the bearer of changes that are not always easy to implement. Saturn usually brings break-ups, at work and in love, and more generally, challenges personal growth. It is the planet that makes us age, as it brings mental heaviness. This year's events are somehow related to what happened in 2016/17, two critical years. However, there is also good news: the changes brought by Saturn can prove difficult to live with, but positive for your career, and indicate the moment in which you can make a real leap forward. Of course, nothing is free; it all depends on how serious and responsible you have been in recent years. What guarantees that things will go well is mostly the presence of Jupiter in Gemini, always a carrier of luck (and often new love). Those who have the courage to change will be rewarded.

Design for Gemini: Geminis discover new trends and embrace new concepts before everyone else: they fall in love with ideas and stories and their style is in constant evolution. Among the past year's design innovations that they would love is Samuel Ross' bathroom faucet evolution for Kohler. 

Cancer

The beginning of the year might not seem exciting, just as the arrival of the previous autumn was already stressful. 2024, however, is a lucky year, even very lucky for some Cancerians. Saturn and Jupiter are in favourable signs, indicating that there will be important positive news for feelings and finances. For many it is the beginning of a new life – perhaps they have changed jobs, cities, or have become parents (or are about to!), and sometimes the adjustment will be the cause of stress. There is some difficulty in January, and towards April and May. This is a very eventful year, in which there will be a lot of work and a lot of positive feedback. It will often be easy to lose patience, and the commitments will be many.

Design for Cancer: Cancerians love their homes; they're the couch potatoes of the zodiac and surround themselves with cosy and comfortable pieces. We've been eyeing this collaboration between Italian mill Lanerossi and Milan Triennale, resulting in a series of blankets that are a perfect mix of craft, culture and comfort. 

Leo

Leos will find that the future is easier to manage compared to the past couple of years. People of this sign have matured a lot, thanks to complex events and situations that have undermined much of their proverbial personal security. 2024 brings a comeback, but there are still issues to settle, and unexpected events. There will be periods that are not easy to manage, such as February/March and July/August, defined by great impatience. As soon as you understand what is limiting your freedom and find a way to resolve it (perhaps by changing your home, job, or partner), everything will be resolved. Some problems could come from someone you consider a friend, and I recommend you be careful not to take the trust you place in others for granted, because there is the risk of feeling betrayed and disappointed.

Design for Leo: Leos love to show off. They are allergic to mediocrity and choose objects and furniture that express their sense of grandeur. One of modern design's most impressive pieces, the Albero bookcase is both ingenious and sophisticated. 

Virgo

2023 was a tough year for many Virgos. There might have been physical tiredness, health problems, and a multitude of conflicts to manage. 2024 is less belligerent, less tiring, but nevertheless, there will still be things to manage. Saturn is in the sign of Pisces, therefore in opposition. There is a big change that must be faced to regain serenity. It is most likely to do with work, and Virgo is a sign that is always very slow to resign, tending to feel paralysed when faced with risks. The advice is not to wait until you are at your limit to abandon a suffocating situation. In other cases, problems may concern your love life; with Saturn opposite, we often break up. 2023 put relationships through a great stress test, so those who find themselves in a critical emotional situation are probably already aware of it. In 2024, there should be no bad surprises, only important issues to react to.

Design for Virgo: Virgos do a lot of thinking and rethinking before buying. They hate aesthetic arrogance and prefer a minimalist style. Their love for all things vintage made us pick this Ikea cabinet, timeless, modern and essential.  

Libra

I am optimistic for Librans in 2024. I have seen people of the sign mature a lot in recent times and become less self-centred, more aware and wise. There have been many changes in the relationships field, among partners and friends, resulting in a restyling of personal networks. In late 2023, Librans entered a new cycle of life; they have new goals, new allies and a newfound mental independence, and getting to this point wasn't easy (in many cases, relationships ended with suffering). 2024 is a carte blanche on which to begin reimagining your life. There will be new partnerships, in work, in love, and in the world of friendships. Rewriting your life requires great energy, first at the beginning of the year, and again in spring, times which will be intense. In short, 2024 will be a beautiful, but also tiring, year of construction, when important loves can blossom.

Design for Libra: Librans are known for their good taste in design, leaning towards sophisticated minimalism, and enjoy unique pieces known only to the few. They'd appreciate how special this chess set is, designed in 1950 by Carl Auböck and meticulously crafted by hand by the legend's descendants in their Vienna workshop. 

Scorpio

I am happy to be able to write a nice 2024 horoscope for Scorpios: you deserve it after some difficult years. The recent period has left you a little tired, from criticism and conflict at work, and disappointments in your love life. 2024 is the year when you feel more spirited, eager to show the world that difficulties stimulate you rather than take you down. There is a healthy desire to want more: more money, more love, more success – and you'll begin to see the results. The year begins well in January, with determination and planning, and generally continues well, but you will see cyclical setbacks in early March, early July, and even in August. These are useful in making you understand that to truly get more from life, you must also question parts of yourself that you didn't think you wanted to change. Pay attention when you feel impatient or suffocated – that’s when you will understand what you have to leave behind. Scorpios in their thirties must also pay attention to friendships: some people are not as good friends as they say they are.

Design for Scorpio: Scorpios love secrets and mysterious objects. Their taste can have an erotic touch, because they love to play with taboos. Fornasetti's expansive collection of ornate ceramics is their cup of tea, especially the designs at the more humorously kinky end of the spectrum. 

Sagittarius

2023 was a tiring year and Sagittarians will be hoping that 2024 helps them regain confidence. The year ahead will certainly be better, with less tiredness and fewer conflicts. However, Saturn is in a critical position, so there are still difficult issues to deal with. Saturn in Pisces brings a desire for solitude and, in some way, will dampen the enthusiasm and sociability of Sagittarians. It's a moment for introspection; trust this feeling and take advantage of it to look inside yourself. Other problems can come from the economic sphere; it would be better not to spend too much and to take good care of your accounts. At work, it is time to think about a change of direction and, for many, it will be easy to end professional relationships. Finally, the conditions in love are not the best and there could be crises, break-ups or, worse, the beginning of unhealthy relationships. A cycle that began around 2016 is about to end. March and April are the most difficult months.

Design for Sagittarius: Sagittarians don't think twice when it comes to buying, and they're heavy decorators. They enjoy dreamy objects with a history, and shy away from minimalism. We picked a Moroccan rug for them, a vintage piece featuring an abstract Berber design that is sure to be a showstopper in their home. 

Capricorn

2024 for Capricorns begins with great determination; there is a desire to do things and new projects are starting. A beautiful year begins with positive surprises and general growth; it's a good year for finances and for loved ones. The balance is very positive, but there will be moments of stress and tiredness. You seem committed to a new life project, and 2024 feels like a sort of year zero: everything will be under construction. A lucky event will surprise you towards the beginning of April, and its management will keep you very busy for the following two months. This will be trying on a physical level and will test your patience. As always, luck and prosperity never come free, and there will be a certain amount of effort to be made: it could be moving and even changing city. For others, there may be children on the way. Capricorn is not a sign that fears physical fatigue, but is more stressed when dealing with new things or doing something for the first time, in unknown territory. Arm yourself with patience: it will be a beautiful year.

Design for Capricorn: Extreme functionalism is key for Capricorns, who prefer old-school objects without ostentation. A contemporary turntable is the perfect match for them, utilitarian and nostalgic. 

Aquarius

Aquarians leave behind some difficult years, which have made them mature and acquire wisdom. From the birthday season, there will be a real restart. March and April will find you very busy, always at work. The second half of the year, from June, will be peaceful and bring some good news. There is the possibility of new loves, and those who find themselves in bad or unclear relationships will find the possibility of ‘jumping on a better train’, especially in June. Many understood what wasn't working in their lives in the summer of 2023, and 2024 is here to bring a turning point to that dissatisfaction. Aquarians are often slow to process changes, but this year, at a certain point, they will find an edge, greater confidence and therefore also the courage to assert themselves. Finances will also be positively affected by this change in attitude.

Design for Aquarius: Aquarians avoid the mainstream – they're the non-conformists of the zodiac. They enjoy concepts more than aesthetics and fall in love with designs with a twist – like these sunset lamps that add a mysterious glow to a room. 

Pisces

Everything that could have gone into crisis did so in 2023, a truly difficult year for Pisceans. There were conflicts, misunderstandings, physical exhaustion, and worry for yourself or others. 2024 will not reverse the situation 180 degrees, but it will be less trying on a psychophysical level. The problems that emerged in 2023 now need to be resolved. The first thing is to stop taking on other people's problems and emotions and put yourself first. Another important thing will be to ask for clarity and to always tell the truth; be transparent. You are in a period of personal growth, new developments in your career, and a general moment of maturation. However, none of this should be taken for granted, so the advice is to pay close attention to your mistakes, because they will not go unnoticed. The birthday season will be very important.

Design for Pisces: Pisceans have a particular sensitivity for beauty. They are very visual and imaginative, and feel the energy of spaces and objects. Sabine Marcelis' pastel resin and marble combo contributes to the soft atmosphere of their ideal interiors. 

During London Design Festival 2023, Ozwald Boateng and Poltrona Frau unveil ‘Culture and Craft’, a collaboration defined by the Savile Row designer’s interpretations of the Italian furniture company’s classics. 

A glimpse into a wider collaboration that will expand in the future, the pieces are on view at Boateng’s Savile Row showroom as well as Poltrona Frau’s Fulham Road and Harrods location, and include the ‘Chester’ sofa, a 1912 design conceived by the company's founder and inspired by Edwardian Chesterfields, and the ‘Vanity Fair’ chair, from 1984, both adorned with distinctive patterns developed by the designer. 

Although the furniture acts as the centrepiece of the collaboration's debut, Boateng's interpretation of Poltrona Frau stretches far beyond these initial designs, with 'The Beautilities Collection' comprising rugs, wallpaper, cushions, scented candles and a Mancala board game, all reflecting the spirit of the designer's approach to creation.

Ozwald Boateng and Poltrona Frau: evolution from tradition

Boateng has been a Savile Row institution since he opened his shop on the street in 1995, after nearly a decade of learning from the tailors on the street. At 28, he was the youngest designer to ever open a space on the road, and instantly impressed with his interpretation of classic tailoring merged with the aesthetic and cultural codes of his Ghanaian background. Similarly, he now brings his distinctive approach to Poltrona Frau, through a collection that blends both brands’ identities. 

'At Poltrona Frau, we wanted to make tradition alive in a contemporary key,' says Poltrona Frau CEO, Nicola Coropulis. 'The meeting with Ozwald was a catalyst, because he had done exactly this same exercise on traditional English formal dress, innovating it with the colours and designs of the African tradition.' 

Boateng has always been known for his use of colour and his approach to fabrication. With Poltrona Frau, there was an instant connection through craft, construction and attention to detail. ‘When I visited them in Tolentino, the thing which was abundantly clear about them was the execution, the attention to detail and the craftsmanship,’ says the designer

Boateng enriched the classic furniture designs by embossing his signature ‘Tribal’ print in Frau leather. A pattern referencing traditional Kente Cloth Motifs, it becomes both a subtle decoration and a powerful aesthetic exercise once placed on the designs. 

The collection merges Poltrona Frau’s longstanding expertise with handcrafting techniques and furniture construction with Boateng’s distinctive aesthetic and spirit. Subtle yet vivid in its execution, the pattern is declined in a vibrant series of shades that reflect the designer’s work, including red, yellow, purple, blue, green and black.

Although effortless in its appearance, the embossed elements were a key step forward for Poltrona Frau's manufacturing approach. 'Applying Oswald's patterns on the leather was an important technological challenge,' says Coropulis. 'In the furniture sector today, no one uses the embossing technique that we have used, he has pushed us to work on the leather in a new way.'

As a Savile Row tailor, Boateng has had extensive experience with modernising the classics. ‘I learned very early on as a designer that to take something that's very traditional, and modernise it, it’s actually quite difficult, there’s a subtlety to getting the balance of the two worlds right.’

From the start, Boateng found similarities between his approach to tailoring and construction and Poltrona Frau’s techniques. Rooted in precision, craft and innovation, the two brands found common ground and also challenged each other. ‘The process of making the furniture is very similar to my approach to tailoring, including the choice and development of materials,’ explains Boateng. ‘For me this partnership is really about tradition, and finding a new language around that tradition, the same way I did in Savile Row.'

'We both have great respect for the past, for what we define as "the intelligence of the hands",' adds Coropulis. 'We know the value of this tradition and we have practised it over the years, so we are in a position to be able to offer a credible interpretation of tradition.'

‘“Chester” is a very traditional piece of furniture, so for me, being able to take that, and interprete it through a new language around the existing frame that everyone knows, that's really what design is about,' concludes Boateng. 'Because if tradition doesn't evolve, it dies.’

The collection is on view at Poltrona Frau, 147-153 Fulham Road, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Rd, and Ozwald Boateng, 39 Savile Row

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Palazzo Tirso – MGallery opened in Cagliari, set within a 1920s palazzo and designed by Studio Marco Piva with Poltrona Frau. The building has a historical significance for the Sardinian city, having originally hosted the headquarters of the Sardinian Electrical company before becoming the regional outpost for Intesa San Paolo bank and finally being taken over by Accor Hotels.

Palazzo Tirso’s design: a sophisticated design experience in a historical setting

Studio Marco Piva worked on a sensitive restoration of Palazzo Tirso, leading a project that reveals and maintains the building’s historical features while updating it for a contemporary audience. Creating a new layout from the historical architecture, the architect succeeded in keeping original features while transforming it into a modern hotel blending functionality and a sophisticated design experience. 

For the hotel’s interiors, the studio worked closely with Poltrona Frau’s Custom Interiors team, who developed bespoke furnishings for the entire structure. The finished project includes bespoke furniture and objects created for the hotel, as well as customised Poltrona Frau classics, resulting in a modern interior that blends sophisticated silhouettes with the most premium materials in an elegant palette that merges neutrals with touches of pink, yellow and blue.

The project is a magnificent demonstration of Poltrona Frau’s abilities to meet any interior needs: ‘With our custom interiors division, we interpret the desires of our clients and partners by transforming the design concept into concrete results that address every phase of the project. The constant search for innovative solutions, craftsmanship and extreme attention to detail ensures a high level result even in the face of challenges unique to the specific context in which a project unfolds.’

Palazzo Tirso – MGallery: discover the hotel

The hotel’s communal spaces are conceived as flexible areas that guests can use as private or social spaces to enhance their hotel experience. Palazzo Tirso features two restaurants, both defined by an open kitchen design: Terra, on the ground floor and Cielo, on the terrace overlooking the harbour. 

The hotel’s offering includes 85 rooms, among which are 8 suites with sea view and one presidential suite - all featuring Poltrona Frau furnishings, finishes and accessories. Palazzo Tirso by L’Occitane Spa completes the hotel’s guest experience: located in the historic vault, the spa is designed as a tranquil oasis, its material and colour palette developed to connect the hotel with its location. 

‘Palazzo Tirso is a work of architectural restoration through which the principle of sustainability finds its maximum expression,’ concludes Armando Bruno, founding partner and CEO of Studio Marco Piva. ‘This is reflected in the protection and safeguarding of the artistic and cultural heritage that preserves existing buildings instead of demolishing them, thus giving them new life.’

Book now

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

Designed by Gio Ponti in 1965, the ‘Dezza’ armchair, named after the Milanese street where the architect’s home-studio was located, is characterised by a soft, sleek silhouette with a tapered triangular leg. The chair is available in three versions: ‘Dezza 12’, with a low backrest and thin armrests allowing for multiple elements to be combined, ‘Dezza 48’, equipped with a goose-down-filled backrest, and ‘Dezza 24’, a two-seater sofa option. 

The chair is a fitting example of Ponti's architectural mind when conceiving furniture design: distinctive elements of the ‘Dezza’ chair design include tapered legs with triangular cross sections, and the essential construction - the design, in fact, is simply made of four pieces, including two sides, a backrest, and the seat.

Gio Ponti's ‘Dezza’ with Redevance upholstery

For Milan Design Week 2023, Poltrona Frau celebrates Ponti's design with the launch of a brand new edition, upholstered in the never-seen-before ‘Redevance’ fabric, which has been created from a graphic pattern originally designed by Ponti. The print has been brought back to life in careful collaboration with the Gio Ponti Archives and Manifattura Jsa, a textile company founded in 1949 by Luigi Grampa and well known for its collaborations with Ponti.

‘Redevance’ is a printed woollen silk featuring a signature Ponti shades of blue and grey in a pattern of simple geometric elements, broken down and replicated in sequence.

The new edition of Ponti's chair is part of Poltrona Frau's ‘Pleasure Collection’, featuring designs by the company's long-term collaborators as well as accessories and reissues.

Poltrona Frau's Pleasure collection is on view at the showroom, Via Alessandro Manzoni, 30, Milan

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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

Cassina has announced the acquisition of Italian furniture company Zanotta. With this new move, Zanotta joins the Haworth Lifestyle Design group, including Cassina, Cappellini, Ceccotti, Karakter, Poltrona Frau, Luxury Living, Janus Et Cie, Luminaire and Interni. 

With Cassina, Zanotta joins the Haworth Lifestyle Design group

Zanotta was founded in 1954 and it is now considered among the leading Italian furniture brands – under founder Aurelio Zanotta, the company has produced the work of some of the most exciting names in modern design, including Gae Aulenti, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Alessandro Mendini, Carlo Mollino, Bruno Munari and Ettore Sottsass.

Among the company's icons are the ‘Quaderna’ table series by Superstudio and the ‘Sacco’ Beanbag by Gatti, Paolini & Teodoro. 

'We are extremely happy to welcome Zanotta, a company that has written some of the most important chapters of  design and with which we share the founding values of this sector, from production quality to supporting culture,' says Luca Fuso, CEO of Cassina. 'We will guarantee ample operational autonomy to this formidable brand so that it can continue its creative journey through the search for new talent and the enhancement of its exceptional product portfolio. We will take care of Zanotta and work towards generating the greatest attention for it to grow worldwide.'

Adds Giuliano Mosconi, CEO of Tecno/Zanotta group: 'Following these years of intense work, which have brought Zanotta back into the spotlight, I am happy that this  wonderful company can continue its journey side by side with an important player like Cassina, who will help it to make  the most of its potential.'

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A polymath and a visionary, Pierluigi Cerri, born in 1939, sought perfection throughout his career – as an architect, designer, curator, editor, and academic – and continues to be a central figure in the Milanese creative industry. 

 Pierluigi Cerri and Poltrona Frau: ‘Ouverture’ sofa 

Among Cerri's collaborators is Poltrona Frau, another giant of Italian design, with whom the architect has worked for years. For the company, based in Tolentino, Cerri envisioned one of his most cutting-edge pieces, the ‘Ouverture’ sofa, a design classic conceived in 1982. 

The industrial-looking, modular sofa is paired with inviting and plush cushions that underline the heavy and brutalist metal structure – the skeleton of this piece of furniture. A visual juxtaposition and an aesthetic contrasting with the interior design norm of the time, the piece is now 40 years old and as contemporary as ever.

‘With its brutalist structure, “Ouverture” highlights the system of beliefs that conceived it as a protest against bourgeois conformism,’ says Cerri. ‘Ouverture’ (a name that translates from French as ‘opening’) unlocks a metropolitan aesthetic that decades later is still innovative and highly functional. The sofa comes in different versions, in Poltrona Frau’s signature Pelle Frau leather as well as textile upholstery.

On its 40th birthday, ‘Ouverture’ brings back the language that broke the formalism of the time. It was a brave and courageous object able to express an idea of opposition against middle-class conformism, but at the same time was realised and distributed by one of the brands that most embodied bourgeois living. 

Forty years young, ‘Ouverture’ still represents an extremely contemporary creative expression. The re-edition of this piece is part of Poltrona Frau’s celebration of its 110th anniversary in 2022. On the occasion of Design Miami 2022, Poltrona Frau will be launching ‘a new Ouverture’ at design showroom Luminaire as well as at the Poltrona Frau Miami flagship store, 

‘Ouverture’ Sofa, by Pierluigi Cerri, for Poltrona Frau, from £8.150 + VAT

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Graffiti and Italian furniture-making might appear worlds apart, but a new collaboration between Poltrona Frau and Argentine-Spanish artist Felipe Pantone proves that creative cross-pollination knows no boundaries. As part of its 110th anniversary celebrations, the Italian brand has invited Pantone to create a graphic treatment for Jean-Marie Massaud’s 2009 ‘Archibald’ chair, offering a fresh take on what has become a design icon in just over a decade.

This is Poltrona Frau’s first collaboration with an international contemporary artist, and the piece also represents an ongoing move towards sustainable furniture making, specifically in its use of the company’s new Impact Less leather. The collaboration will be unveiled at the upcoming Salone del Mobile 2022 in Milan.  

Impact Less Leather: a Poltrona Frau innovation

Impact Less is specially developed to reduce leather’s environmental footprint. Poltrona Frau has worked with two local tanneries that avoid the use of heavy metals, reduce the use of water and recycle all water from the production process. The material makes its debut with this project, and by 2025, it will be used on all Poltrona Frau designs.

‘Years of research and development into the most sustainable version of leather have led us to this cutting-edge material,’ says CEO Nicola Coropulis, adding that, while the brand has remained faithful to its historical values, it has adapted to changing times, evolving its product offering and focusing on sustainable production: ‘An important purpose of this collaboration is to shift Poltrona Frau’s perspective. We don’t want to celebrate the past successes, but create a map for the future.’

Poltrona Frau and Felipe Pantone

The collaboration with Pantone encapsulates this mix of past, present and future. ‘Poltrona Frau wanted me to do something daring with the “Archibald” chair, to mess with the brand a little bit,’ explains the artist, whose pixelated, kaleidoscopic compositions, reminiscent of a heat map, have been applied on different scales, from buildings to cars and watches.

An upcoming collaboration with London’s Greenwich Peninsula will see his artwork wrapped around a public staircase and elevated walkway.

For Poltrona Frau, Pantone has created a pixelated pattern based on the company’s ColorSphere colour system, which was conceived in collaboration with Giulio Ridolfo to offer a series of vibrant, emotional shades. Pantone’s artistic intervention is printed on Impact Less leather, and extends to the aluminium structure of the ‘Archibald’, which is given an iridescent treatment. 

Pantone started creating graffiti and computer images as a child, and his artistic world expanded when he later discovered contemporary art and the New York street art scene during his art history studies. ‘What shaped my work the most is the kinetic art movement of the 1960s. To me, it makes a lot of sense: we live in the most kinetic of all times.’

His work responds to the rapid pace of social media, dwindling attention spans, and our thirst for immediately arresting imagery. His studio is set up as a creative factory, with machines for laser cutting and UV printing. ‘When I bought my first machine in 2014, I realised if I wanted to make art of my time, I should use every possible technology of my time,’ he says. 

‘Felipe saw that we are a dynamic company with a young team, and this is reflected in the constant dialogue between tradition, craftsmanship, industry, technology, the analogue and the digital,’ concludes Coropulis. ‘The idea of applying this futuristic pattern on one of the most ancient materials feels like the best way to demonstrate Poltrona Frau’s uniqueness.’

INFORMATION

Felipe Pantone’s interpretation of Jean-Marie Massaud’s ‘Archibald’ armchair is available in a limited edition of 110, from €7,950. A handmade miniature version, from €700, is widely available to the public 

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As far as timeless gifting is concerned, Poltrona Frau’s collection of objects by legends of Italian design hits the spot. The sculptural forms of Angelo Mangiarotti’s ‘Askos’ crystal pitcher and ‘Pura’ marble plate combine minimalism with a pure elegance, stretching materials to their extremes.

Michele De Lucchi’s ‘Marianne’ vases, meanwhile, elegantly explore the potential of blown glass. Created using an open mould made of steel strips that give each piece a unique, distinctive ridged form, the vases combine white and transparent layers moulded together in a crucible.

Rosewood and resin make elegant additions to a gift list

The work of Chinese-born, London-based artist Jie Wu elegantly marries East and West, the natural and the manmade. Having studied textile design at Chelsea College of Arts and the RCA, Wu turned her attention to recycled rosewood and translucent resin, which she calls ‘an inclusive material that can bring a new life to wood’. Combining the two, Wu created a collection of furniture and vessels on the theme of silence earlier this year, which includes this evocatively hued centrepiece, inspired by Chinese bronzeware from the Warring States period. It would make a showstopper of an addition to your wedding table, or, considering its title ‘A Listener’, an apt gift to symbolise your dedication to your spouse-to-be.

For further wedding inspiration, let us introduce Weddingpaper*, Wallpaper’s first dip into nuptial nirvana, as seen in the October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue and coming to Wallpaper.com throughout this week. Forget the conventional and the staid; here, tradition comes with a twist and frou frou frills with a velvet blue mule.

Whether it’s pairing the cool metal hues of a rose gold wristwatch with the billowing folds of an In-Grid Bride gown, or juxtaposing a luminescent Mikimoto pearl brooch against the mischievous polka dots of a Dunhill shirt, brides and grooms are sure to find something style wise to love. Wedding guests, too, take note: our chic and sculptural guide to timeless gifting puts the days of mismatched china long behind us, making for a very modern take on wedded bliss.

INFORMATION

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galleryfumi.com

A version of this article appears in the October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue of Wallpaper*, on newsstands and available to subscribers – 12 digital issues for $12/£12/€12.

‘Homes have become our lives: traditional boundaries between private and public, indoor and outdoor have become less and less defined,’ says Poltrona Frau CEO Nicola Coropulis, as the Italian furniture company unveils its inaugural outdoor furniture collection at Salone del Mobile 2021, with furniture and lighting by Roberto Lazzeroni, Ludovica and Roberto Palomba (two design studios that have contributed to the company’s identity over the past ten years) and new collaborator, Japanese designer Kensaku Oshiro. Titled ‘Boundless Living’, the collection explores how the domestic setting evolved during the pandemic.

Poltrona Frau outdoor furniture by Roberto Lazzeroni, and Ludovica and Roberto Palomba

The two outdoor furniture collections by Roberto Lazzeroni and Ludovica and Roberto Palomba create the basis for the ‘Boundless Living’ concept. ‘Poltrona Frau delivers a type of luxury that cannot be limited in any way,’ says Coropulis. ‘Hence our interpretation of Boundless Living, which is not just about functional, borderless living, but about interpreting space in a personal way.’

Among the collection's centrepieces is Lazzeroni's ceramic-topped dining table, part of his ‘Secret Garden’ collection, which expands on the themes of dining and relaxation. The table’s teak structure is enriched by the white and blue graphic motifs of the ceramic top, whose design nods to the Mediterranean.

Ludovica and Roberto Palomba created the ‘Solaria’ collection, a sofa system characterised by a stainless steel frame and distinctive woven back. Like all of Poltrona Frau’s pieces, the seats are defined by the sobriety of their forms and quality of craftsmanship to convey a sense of harmony. Comfort takes centre stage, with well-considered proportions and accessories that inspire personalisation.

Outdoor lanterns by Kensaku Oshiro

The Milan-based Japanese designer Kensaku Oshiro has created a family of portable and rechargeable lanterns. The eye-catching designs, called ‘Sparkler’, come in all shapes and sizes (including table, floor and standing versions), all with a practical horseshoe-shaped handle. ‘We invited Kensaku to create a product for us that could break boundaries between outdoor and indoor, and would be portable, sophisticated and elegant,’ says Coropulis. ‘Lighting always makes the difference in creating the right atmosphere.’ 

Oshiro’s design takes its cues both from the traditional amphoras and wineskins of his adoptive country, where they still adorn many gardens, but also from the organic modernism and traditional rice paper lamps of his home country. More specifically, Oshiro found inspiration in a particular childhood memory: ‘In Japan, there is a custom of gathering outdoors on summer evenings and enjoying fireworks together,’ he explains. ‘When I was a child, I remember watching, enchanted, the magic of senkō hanabi, or sparklers, which are small fireworks that you hold in your hand and which, when burned, generate an incandescent ball that spreads delicate sparks all around. As fascinating as it is transient, it brings back memories of time spent with friends and family.’

They might be inspired by the Far East, but rather than bamboo or rattan, the lanterns are made using taupe polypropylene cords, which are hand-woven and installed on an aluminium frame powder-coated in Basalt paint. They are light enough to be easily transportable, as well as weatherproof and statuesque enough to transform the simplest of outdoor spaces. Their effect is obvious both during daytime and night-time: illuminated by the sun, they create ever-changing chiaroscuro effects; while in the evenings, they surround the outdoor space with a warm, intimate light that casts hypnotic shadows on the ground.

INFORMATION

poltronafrau.com

Home has taken on a new meaning in the past year, as many of us have transformed the place where we live into the place where we also work, exercise, and do just about everything we would have once done elsewhere. 

Although the tides are turning, creating a comforting home environment remains ever pertinent, and home fragrance offers a fast-track way to breathe new life into a stifling space. A new home diffuser from Poltrona Frau and Acqua di Parma couldn’t come at a better time, then. 

Launching this September, it’s the first collaboration between the two iconic Italian brands, and has been designed by GamFratesi, who have channelled the signature aspects of both heritage brands into a single object. 

The diffuser’s hand-sewn circular covering is made from one of Poltrona Frau’s Pelle Frau leathers, available in four different colours, or in Cuoio Saddle Extra leather. Underneath this elegant exterior is a home fragrance diffuser of unparalleled technological advancement. 

The device can hold up to three of Acqua di Parma’s signature fragrances at once. The brand is famed for its scents that capture the essence of the Italian spirit, scents such as Buongiorno (lemon, mint, rosemary and jasmine) and Luce di Colonia (orange, lemon, neroli and vetiver). The home diffuser can be activated directly or remotely operated via an app that allows users to programme the device to expel a different fragrance any time or day of the week.

The diffuser automatically releases the fragrance at an intensity best suited to that specific scent. A car diffuser, also available in the same round leather casing, can be attached to a car’s ventilation grille to provide you with delicious olfactory accompaniments to your journey.

INFORMATION

poltronafrau.com
acquadiparma.com

The ways in which nature can take us by surprise are limitless. Take, for example, a cave in Turkey that has long been mined for its reddish-purple Rosso Lepanto marble, but in 2018 unexpectedly produced a deep sage-toned slab with shades of darker green: this ‘quirk of nature’ forms the basis of an upcoming limited-edition marble table, designed by Roberto Lazzeroni for Italian brand Poltrona Frau. ‘As always happens, we found a treasure that we weren’t looking for,’ says Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau. ‘When we found the green Rosso Lepanto marble, we had no clue about what we were going to do with it.’

Coropulis was entranced by the marble and its origin story, and decided to buy the entire slab. He then reached out to Roberto Lazzeroni, a long-term collaborator, to tell him about the discovery. The pair played out ideas over dinner until Lazzeroni presented a plan to create a marble table. The design would draw on his cross-disciplinary experience in its engineering, while maintaining a focus on the materiality of the marble itself. 

Lazzeroni was constrained creatively by the amount of marble available, but otherwise, he had carte blanche. ‘The only limit lay in the marble slab’s measurement,’ he says, noting that the marble block itself measured 240cm, but his design spanned 340cm. ‘My solution was to bring together two ellipses, and then cut and splice them on the diagonal in order to create a single geometrical figure.’ Comparing this final form to yin and yang, or the infinity symbol, the designer chose the name ‘Infinito’.

The design has been produced in a run of 72 pieces. The tables are available in two sizes, weighing in at a whopping 491kg and 286kg respectively. The larger pieces, eight in total, feature a double oval shape and two white marble supports, while the 64 smaller designs have a simple oval tabletop and a single base. The nature of the material and its individual patterning makes every table unique.

Each has been crafted in Tuscany by expert marble workers, who painstakingly carve away at the green Rosso Lepanto to create its top, and sculpt its striking white base from Carrara using a high-tech milling process that makes use of a robotic arm with five rotary axes. ‘With this process, the knowledge of the material must be supported by advanced technological knowledge,’ says Lazzeroni, praising the skilled craftspeople who worked on the project.

Lazzeroni was born in Pisa, and studied art and architecture in Florence. Since the 1980s, his career has spanned art, architecture and design projects, including a number of collaborations with Poltrona Frau – ‘He is our partner-in-crime for many out-of-the-box ideas,’ says Coropulis. Notes Lazzeroni, ‘Art, architecture and design are three different worlds, but it’s undeniable that connections between them exist, and sometimes it happens that they influence each other.’

The collision between the disciplines is perhaps most evident in the world of collectible design, a market that has boomed in recent years and shows no signs of slowing. Brands are now wising up to the fact that limited-edition collections can offer a new kind of luxury. ‘The idea of luxury has evolved over time and has moved from being a symbol of opulence and ostentation to a more intimate concept, where exclusivity is the key word,’ says Coropulis. ‘Limited editions are important in enhancing the value of an object. Thanks to their exclusivity, they perfectly represent what a luxury item should be.’

With that in mind, ‘Infinito’ is about as luxurious as you can get, its exclusivity rooted in a one-off material that was a result of a natural mutation. ‘It is something exceptional, unique and unrepeatable,’ concludes Lazzeroni.

INFORMATION

Limited-edition ‘Infinito’ table, available in two sizes, prices on request, by Roberto Lazzeroni, for Poltrona Frau

poltronafrau.com

For Danish Italian designers GamFratesi, a chance to collaborate with Italian furniture giant Poltrona Frau provided the perfect opportunity to get creative with the Italian manufacturer’s main material – leather.

The Copenhagen-based studio – a collaboration between Danish architect and designer Stine Gam, and Italian architect Enrico Fratesi – is renowned for their material and technique-driven approach, so the decision to draw upon Poltrona Frau’s rich heritage in the production of leather was a natural one.

‘With this collection we aim to reach an aesthetic that is embracing the design values of Poltrona Frau as well as the contemporary needs of an everyday functional environment,’ explain the designers.

The studio was keen to experiment and explore new ways in which it could take the traditional material and techniques and create something unexpected. The result is a rotund coffee table with a handwoven basket-like base made from saddle leather straps with tone-on-tone-dyed edges.

Named Cestlavie, the table’s upside down dome doubles as a storage container hanging neatly from a tubular aluminium frame, and a Pelle Frau® leather table top folds open to reveal generous storage inside.

In addition to Cestlavie, the brand also created Soffi – a series of pendant lamps that pair blown glass with elegant buckled leather collars.

Available in three sizes, the lamps are made up of two globes – an outer globe in milky-white or smokey-grey glass and a smaller inner globe in an opaque white etched finish that houses the light source. When lit, the result is an even and diffused light that highlights its curious layered form.

A camel or taupe Cuoio Saddle leather band with contrasting stitching and a dyed tone-on-tone trim wraps each lamp’s stem. A leather buckle hides the join and all internal metal parts feature a warm natural brass finish.

‘We were inspired by the beautiful glass vessels created in the Fifties, where different layers of glass are blown into a single form – almost like a jewel inside the shape,’ say the Copenhagen studio. ‘The form of Soffi is held surreally by a leather band communicating a suspended atmosphere.’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the GamFratesi website and the Poltrona Frau website

‘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)

'Random' bookcase, €1,769, by Neuland Industriedesign, for MDF Italia. 'Cheminy' vases, from £150, by Alnoor; 'Building' vase, from £500, by C + B Lefebvre, both for Roche Bobois. 'Dibbets Diagonal' rug, from £9,750, by Rodolfo Dordoni, for Minotti. '+Modo' kitchen, price on request, by Jorge Pensi, for Poggenpohl. 'KV6M-14' tap, £990, by Arne Jacobsen, for Vola. 'Aro' stools, €1,308 each, by Lievore Altherr Molina, for Bernhardt. 'Softer Than Steel' chairs, €385, by Nendo, for Desalto. 'DC' table, price on request, by Vincenzo De Cotiis, for Ceccotti Collezioni. 'Lucky star' pendant, £1,120, by Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman, for Driade. 'Husk' armchair, £444, by Marc Thorpe, for Moroso

‘PK25’ chair, £8,206, by Poul Kjærholm, for Fritz Hansen. ‘Birds on a Wire’ hook, from £147, by Barber & Osgerby, for Magis. ‘Enigma 545’ pendant, £815, by Shoichi Uchiyama, for Louis Poulsen. ‘Center’ rug, €812 per sq m, by Jan Kath. ‘Cleopatra’ chaise longue, £2,854, by Geoffrey Harcourt, for Artifort. ‘Portico’ cabinet, from €8,400, by Ferruccio Laviani, for Emmemobili. ‘PK25’ chair, as before. ‘Ippolito 90’ outdoor light, £835, by Alessandro Pedretti, for Artemide

‘Atelier’ chair, €4,750, by EOOS, for Walter Knoll. ‘Rabbit & the Tortoise’ table, €382, by Studio Juju, for Living Divani. ‘Toy’ vase, €1,556, by Guillaume Delvigne, for La Chance. ‘Zig Zag’ chairs, from £1,120 each, by Gerrit Rietveld, for Cassina. ‘Stacking A TR’ light, €2,842, by Rockwell Group, for Leucos. ‘Rabbit & the Tortoise’ tables, from €459, by Studio Juju, for Living Divani. ‘Minibooxx’ shelving, €995, by Denis Santachiara, for Desalto. ‘Pixl–Miroir’ bookcase, £1,530, by Fabrice Berrux, for Roche Bobois. ‘O’ candleholder, £175, by Minimalux

‘Giò P-PL 40’ wall lights, €247 each, by Michele Sbrogiò, for Leucos. ‘Elbe III’ bench, £1,270, by Eva Marguerre, Marcel Besau and Daniel Schöning, for E15. ‘C1-C4’ cushions, from €58, by Elena Castaño-López, for Sancal. ‘Dalida’ bookcase, £3,030, by Carlo Ballabio, for Porada. Rocket cocktail shaker, £9,250, by Asprey. ‘Arborescence’ candelabra, €490, by Ora-Ïto, for Christofle. ‘Totem’ vase, £710, by Jean-Christophe Clair, for Roche Bobois. ‘Mist’ vases, from £61, by Tamer Nakışçı, for Nude. ‘Yanzi’ light, from £972, by Neri & Hu, for Artemide. ‘Voido’ chair, from £431, by Ron Arad, for Magis. ‘Trois’ table, £2,412, by Poltrona Frau. ‘Five’ table lamp, €1,172, by Tobias Grau

‘Max’ sofa, from €6,126, by Antonio Citterio, for Flexform. ‘Geometrics’ cushion, €200, by Doshi Levien, for Kettal. ‘Gemma’ door knob, £35, by Olivari. ‘Zigzag’ planter, from €1,070, by Emiliana Design, for Kettal. Serving platter, £41; bowl, £75, both by Alvar Aalto, for Iittala. ‘Forest’ stool, $577, by Arik Levy, for Bernhardt Design. ‘Triade’ vase, from £450, by Roche Bobois. ‘Eileen’ writing desk, £3,635, by Antonio Citterio, for B&B Italia. ‘Gaja’ chair, from €350, by Kazuhide Takahama, for Cassina. ‘Bilia’ table lamps, £488 each, by Gio Ponti, for Fontana Arte. ‘Anisha’ table lamp, from £285, by Lievore Altherr Molina, for Foscarini

Illustrator: Leonie Bos. Interiors: Amy Heffernan. As originally featured in the December 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*225)

Heads up agile workers: the ‘Cockpit’ is a racing chair for the office, the Ferrari of swivel seats. Indeed, commissioned to mark the car maker’s 70th anniversary, and manufactured by Poltrona Frau, it is designed by Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s design director and creator of recent models such as the GTC4Lusso and the 812 Superfast.

The chair’s silhouette and structure are informed by the ergonomic seats of the marque’s racing cars, while its modular construction offers flexibility and comfort.

Poltrona Frau has collaborated with Ferrari on its vehicle interiors since the mid-1990s and the long-term partnership has allowed the two firms to develop a mutual appreciation and understanding of each other’s aesthetic values. ‘Our companies share the same care and attention to details, the same constant research for excellence, the same love for craftsmanship and the same sense of balanced elegance,’ explains Nicola Coropulis, Poltrona Frau’s brand director.

The chair features a carbon-fibre shell and a leather seat, while its swivel movement was developed using the same design and mechanics as a Ferrari steering wheel.

Two versions are available: the President is a managerial model with a high back, while the Executive can be adapted to any working context. The models are available in sleek black or classic Ferrari red, and there are also options in brown and tan leather, which were chosen by Manzoni’s team from the material samples offered in the car company’s ‘Tailor-Made’ programme.

‘The biggest lesson we have learned in working with Ferrari is that even the tiniest detail must have meaning and function in relation to the whole project. Nothing is there just to embellish,’ says Coropulis. ‘True beauty is in the essence of things and in the way they are assembled.’

As originally featured in the July 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*220)

INFORMATION

’Cockpit President’ chair, from £10,800; ’Cockpit Executive’ chair, from £8,400, both by Ferrari and Poltrona Frau, For more information, visit the website

Italian interior stalwarts Poltrona Frau have bought their strong design rigour to one of London’s most plush districts: Chelsea. Taking over a 500 sq m space on Fulham Road, the newest showroom is a fine example of grandeur.

Decked out in Pierre Grise marble from North Africa, the new flagship design is the brainchild of London-based studio BDP. Among the luxuriance stands pieces that never require an introduction by the likes of Jean-Marie Massaud’s to Roberto Lazzeroni, while the mix of marble, wood and leather are lowly lit to set a mood of warmth among a sense of design familiarity.

On the opening night the brand proved that artisanal craft is still at the heart of the business with a live show of the making of a 1919 chair. Starting from the frame which was being built on the basement floor, the deconstructed model was displayed with the springs and tools which make up the guts of the piece. Upstairs took place the next process of leathering up the iconic piece with Pelle Frau Heritage Deep Grey Leather – taken from the immaculate leather library that sits in a corner of the showroom. The model was created over the course of the evening and will be auctioned off at Christies.

The showroom has a powerful design pattern which is described as  ‘a high level of sartorial style, impeccable details, complex workmanship and a consolidated and wholly Italian savoir-faire.’ Other highlights in the space included their large moss green wall seen in many of their stores and a smokey grey glass installation at the back of the room, isolated within are structural poles which connect the two floors evoking a sense of mysterioussness between the levels.

The flagship joins the Poltrona Frau group showroom on St John Street and its opening is part of an ongoing global expansion which will see stores opening in Berlin, Johannesburg and various Chinese cities in 2016.

Information

For more information, visit the Poltrona Frau website

Address 

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'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.

Top global design brands gathered at the foot of Dubai's Burj Khalifa last week for the launch of a new fair, Downtown Design. Sited on a soon-to-be-developed patch of land, flanked by the world's tallest building, the tent's location itself brought home the need for contemporary furniture design in a city where tower blocks (despite the impact of the global downturn) still seem to rise from the sand almost overnight.

'We want to make Dubai a catalyst for design in the UAE and a meeting point for design internationally,' declared Downtown Design director Cristina Romelli Gervasoni. The fair is the sister event to Art Dubai and design-art showcase Design Days Dubai - the latter of which launched in 2012 and has since seen a flock of new design galleries open in the city.

'The proportion people are spending on interiors as part of overall construction is very high in the region,' said Lindsay Miller, managing director of the Dubai Design District (nicknamed D3), an ambitious new development of which the first phase is scheduled to open in 2015. 'So the potential for the industry is huge.'

To boost the region's nascent design scene in the meantime, Downtown Design lured in big guns like Vitra, Cappellini, Fritz Hansen, Poltrona Frau and Gaia & Gino, who flaunted their latest collections to local interior designers, architects and furniture distributors. 'The UAE market is growing fast so it's very important for us to meet local company directors,' said Giulio Cappellini.

For seasoned fair goers like ourselves there was little from the international brands that we hadn't seen earlier this year - save for a new leather 'weekender' bag by French designer Pauline Deltour for Discipline we'd like to have nabbed for the flight home. Instead, our greatest prize was the discovery of a new collection by Dubai-based Khalid Shafar.

The Emirati furniture designer - who collaborated with the Campana brothers at Abu Dhabi Art in 2010 - produced an elegant series of tables and vanity units for the Nouvelle Vague showcase that are a pleasing mix of metal bases, marble tops and camel-leather shelves.

To create his pieces, Shafar worked with Abu Dhabi tannery Al Khaznah and its new division Atelier AK, which also launched camel-leather upholstered furniture. Said Shafar: 'It's important for Dubai to show what can be exported abroad in terms of design.' This sentiment was echoed by Cristina Romelli Gervasoni. 'Downtown Design needs to be a platform for promoting local as well as international products.'

In reality, Shafar and Atelier AK were more than a little out-numbered at the fair. But, with the launch of the D3, that could well change for future editions. The new development by Tecom Investments is intended to act as an incubator for the region's design and fashion industry, and will offer a mix of studio spaces, showrooms, offices, a convention centre, shops and hotels.

Those of us used to seeing design districts develop organically - be it in London's Shoreditch or Cape Town's Woodstock - may balk at the idea of such a ready-made creative hub. But 'cluster' developments are the specialty of Tecom Investments, which draws on the success of its Media City in Dubai, based on a similar principle. 'We want the area to be alive 24-7, so that trade visitors can interact with residents,' says Lindsay Miller, who says that occupants of the first phase have been secured. 'Designers will also be able to showcase their work in the hotels.'

Like Downtown Design, D3 will provide a link between local and international makers, manufacturers and distributors, as well as adding much-needed infrastructure. This will be fostered by the recently announced new Design and Fashion Council, whose international advisory board will be unveiled this year. 'The Council will be very important to the industry,' Shafar told us. 'We need a committee who can represent us and create opportunities, in a similar fashion to the how the British Crafts Council promotes design overseas.'

The impact of the council and the new design district is almost impossible to predict. But at the rate Dubai is developing, the opportunity is obvious. For now, it's largely the international brands that are seizing the day. But Downtown Design - and the Dubai design industry as a whole - could be a different game in a few years time.