Outdoor design: the new materials presented at the Salone del Mobile 2024
Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024, Stand Unopiù
They are increasingly weatherproof to ensure durability over time. Companies in the sector are directing research towards innovation and sustainability
Restrained lines, fibers with graphically accentuated textures, durable structures, natural, innovative, recyclable materials and cutting-edge technologies are features common to some of the furnishings presented at the 2024 edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano by Italian and international manufacturers of outdoor furniture.
The Malvasia seat with a minimalist profile (pictured with the Atomo table) by Francesca Lanzavecchia for S-Cab is the expression of a production challenge – how to extract the backrest and seat from a single perforated and calendered piece, and then weld them almost invisibly to the tubular frame. The designer explains: “Malvasia, is an object that lives out of doors, casting an elegant lacey pattern of light and shade beside it, evoking the warp and weft of a fabric, and at the same time the foliage of a tree. The legs, featuring a double curve, endow the furnishing with poetic lightness.” Spalvieri & Del Ciotto talk about the project by Atomo (pictured with Malvasia) also for S-Cab: “The lightweight, sturdy structure of the support consists of a die-cast aluminum ground base, forming the core from which extend the steel legs that support the table top. The elegant dry joint between the die-cast base and the tubular legs is refined and almost invisible. Every detail blends aesthetic research and care for the most advanced industrial processes, so creating a balanced product, contemporary in its design and production technology... An Atom brings our space to life.”
Clean lines for A.I. Lounge, the new armchair in the A.I. family from Kartell, designed by Philippe Starck, which combines sustainable materials and comfort. Made from recycled material, it is available in white, black, grey and green, in both the indoor and outdoor versions with fabric cushions that are weather-resistant for outdoors. The Corteza coffee tables and planters, designed by Patricia Urquiola, complete the collection. Also made of recycled material, they have streaks evoking the plant world, giving them the appearance of natural bark. These elements include a side-table, coffee table, and two planters.
The new version of the Shine sunbed, designed by Arik Levy for EMU, is distinguished by its 100% FSC teak structure that ensures greater durability in marine environments. Stackable and equipped with side protections for the teak, it has an easily replaceable fabric covering thanks to the practicality of dismantling the structure, and various accessories such as teak armrests, sunbed and storage net.
S-CAB, Malvasia + Atomo
Kartell, A.I. Lounge
Kartell, Corteza
EMU, Shine
Roda, Eolie
Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024, stand Dedon, Fllair
Talenti, Nalu
Expormim, Obi
Unopiù, Nanda e Lulù
Molteni&C, Petalo
Eolie is the new sectional outdoor collection designed by Gordon Guillaumier for Roda combining sun loungers, tables and gazebos. Made of Iroko FSC, the collection develops around the succession of large wooden boards, on both the lounger and the side tables, which come in two sizes with either two or three boards. The most innovative element of Eolie is the use of iroko wood, either natural or painted different colors.
“I hope the design has an immediate appeal and is attractive by its graphic aesthetic,” says Samuel Wilkinson of his project Fllair for Dedon. “And that it appeals even more when trying the pieces to appreciate the level of detail in the armchair and the round table.” A broad horizontal fiber weaves a contrasting stripe running through each curve. Fllair is available in different color variations, each consisting of a weave of three shades.
The fully dismantlable and recyclable collection Nalu (meaning wave in Hawaiian) by Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba from Talenti includes a sofa, armchair, sun bed, dining table and chairs. The pair of designers were inspired “by the style of the masters in the golden years of Italian design, born from the idea of a single cushion that folds up to create the seat and backrest, like a sort of wave.” The colored armrests are cast and the frame made of 100% aluminum, an environmentally friendly weather-resistant material.
The Obi outdoor collection by Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba for Expormim is enriched with a new chaise-longue and a lounger, characterized by an elastic strap that forms the backs and arms, evoking the tradition of Japanese garments.
Nanda, designed by Gio Tirotto and produced by Unopiù, is the contemporary reinterpretation of the iconic bergère armchair. Lulù, also by Daniel Jarefeldt for Unopiù, is characterized by an elegant and timeless identity, at once playful and light, because it resembles a swing. Both are suitable for either indoor or outdoor use.
The Petalo armchair and pouf, designed by Vincent Van Duysen, have joined the Outdoor Timeout collection from Molteni&C. The structure is made of merlot red aluminum, chosen for its features as a recyclable metal. The backrest, available in high and low versions, is a weave of polypropylene fiber ribbons; the polypropylene cords, derived from yachting, are color-fast and proof against water and the harshest weather. The two heights of the backrest offer different comfort solutions.
