Outdoor chaise longues and loungers: your garden like a seashore

If you want your porch or garden to make you feel like being on vacation, idly resting under the sun on the seashore of some far away island, well the first thing to do is to purchase an outdoor chaise longue or a lounger. Sure, it won't be the same, but at least you can create your small oasis of peace.

The beauty of a chaise longue or a lounger is that, just by sitting on it, next to a swimming pool, on your garden under the trees, or why not under a porch or veranda, you completely forget about the everyday life stress. Away from work, worries, traffic, smog, enjoying a wonderful sunny day, feeling the warm rays on your skin and letting the gentle summer breeze cuddling you, maybe while listening to good music and drinking a refreshing soda.

The choices concerning the aesthetic aspects are many: from the classic lounger, with adjustable parasol, to ergonomic chaise longues, specifically designed to rest every part of the body and realized with materials that can perfectly match outdoor sitting rooms and tables. Or again, if you prefer, why not choosing very particular seats, designed to furnish outdoor environments with a style and creativity usually uncommon for every other indoor environment, giving your garden or porch a specific and personal identity.

If the space you have available is not that big and you need to take into consideration also the moment where these loungers and chaise longues are going to be put away inside, you can think about choosing folding loungers or stackable chaise longues, useful if you need to contain the space used.

The wheels applied to outdoor loungers and chaise lounges make the movement easier, in this way you can follow the sun course quickly changing your position, while the padding used on cushions makes the seat even more comfortable.

The materials used, as I said, are the same used for any other outdoor furniture: extremely resistant to weather conditions, with a long lifespan and particularly easy to clean. Aluminium, wicker, resistant woods like teak, methacrylate, treated fabric or waterproof eco-leather: all these materials are easy to maintain and inalterable to sun or/and rain effects.

If you want to feel like being on the seashore, Spot outdoor aluminium lounger is perfect for you, enriched by an original round-shaped sunshade.

For an extremely comfortable rest I suggest you Asami outdoor waterproof lounger: soft, inviting, welcoming.

Give a touch of originality thanks to the particular style of Elitre outdoor double lounger in wicker and acrylic fabric, available with optional parasol: the shape is inspired by exotic plants, creating special atmospheres.

If you want the maximum of functionality, Paso Doble outdoor chaise longue in aluminium and fabric is stackable, in this way you can put away two or three units without taking too much space.

Milan's Furniture Fair 2011: new tendencies and trends

Last week, from the 12th to the 17th of April, the city of Milan hosted one of the most famous furniture fair in the world: Milan's furniture fair (or Milano design week), celebrating with this edition its 50th birthday!

Milan's Salone del Mobile represents the major event for the furniture field and for Italian design, gathering in one single place new tendencies, trends and innovations.

Salone is composed by 7 different pavilions that divide furniture into different styles (from classic pavillons to contemporary furniture pavillons) or purposes (from office furniture to the lighting area), for a total of 2500 firms. All pavilions were characterized by highly innovative stands, showing all the best in terms of creativity, originality and quality.

And that's the reason why more than 290.000 visitors among field operators or simple customers decided to attend to this great event, living at the same time this particular atmosphere of pure design.

Could we miss it? Not for the world! Saturday our staff went to enjoy a long day at the fair in order to view, touch and try the very best that Italian design can nowadays offer in terms of products - from the single piece to the whole combination - and of style - from classic to contemporary design. At the same time we took notes about all the new tendencies that are going to wait for us in the near future.

Italia 150 chair deserves a special mention: first of all because it's a design chair born to celebrate the 150 anniversary of Italian unification, and second of all because its the symbol of the happy marriage between past and future.

After Milano 2015 chair, created for Milan's 2015 Universal Exposition, that's another example of a chair born to celebrate an important event. Italia 150 is completely realized in polycarbonate available in different colours: transparent, smoked, bronze, bottle green. The version with red, white and green colours (reminding the Italian flag), together with dove grey, is realized in thick glossy nylon.

Italia 150 chair modernizes the style and lines of the chairs used in the past, matching the importance of our recent history with modern materials and looks.

Comfort, design and functionality: the perfect image of Made in Italy design!

And what about colours? Which are this season's most trendy colours? The watchword is just one: dove grey, dove grey and again dove grey!

This year, Milan's fair was completely invaded by this colour, together with all light coffee nuances: sand, mud, ivory... from wall systems, playing with a light and dark colour combinations, to bedroom furniture, tables and chairs.

A great attention has also been given to table top materials: together with classic wooden and glass tops, we now have a great selection of new finishes, able to match the handiness of an everyday use with the elegance and charm that a living room table should have.

Edro extensible table with resistant top is a great example; available in a composite material made with iron parts, it's particularly resistant to deformations and scratches, perfect if you have children and want to avoid delicate finishes.

Another material that will soon be available is gres porcelain, the natural development of the concrete finished top you can already see on Baron extensible table by Calligaris.

These are just some of 2011 new products and finishes you will soon find on our website, stay tuned for more to come!

Outdoor furniture: outdoor sofas

The sun has finally come out and the days are getting longer and hotter (at least here in Italy!), this week our trip in the world of outdoor and garden furniture has reached another important destination.

We've already talked about tables and chairs, dreaming about our great summer parties, but I think we shouldn't forget the pleasure of resting and relaxing under the sun: and for this reason today we talk about outdoor sofas.

Outdoor sofas bring the sitting room outside, to your garden or terrace, creating at the same time a comfortable, muffled, cosy environment ready to welcome you when you need to ease up a little and relax under the stars, at the shadow of a tree or under a gazebo. A relaxing time that changes perspective, because it enjoys the fresh air of the evening giving relief to our minds and bodies.

A resting time that looks more natural, away from indoor technological entertainments, from TVs, videogames, stereos, more connected with nature and its scents, its flavours, its sounds and silences. Or again, the beauty of relaxing directly overlooking an urban environment, that can sometimes treat us with breathtaking views.

But don't think outdoor sofas are necessary different from indoor ones: it's true, materials must be different, as they have to resist to weather conditions, and make the cleaning easier, but the aesthetics of some sofas, designed for gardens and outdoor spaces in general, can be exactly the same as the indoor sofas. They can create a strange optical illusion making us wondering ... "What is my sofa doing in the garden??".

Funny, yes, but also nice, pleasant, reassuring, because, as a matter of fact, it extends our homes boundaries beyond the walls, beyond limited spaces.

For example, have a look at Asami Outdoor waterproof sofa: doesn't it look like an indoor sofa just placed outside? Softness and elasticity are both guaranteed by a great shape and an extreme comfort, but also the resistance to weather conditions is assured by the materials used; methacrylate for the structure and waterproof fabric or eco-leather for the cushions.

Also Luxor outdoor sofa and amrchair with cushions have a design that reminds indoor sitting rooms, and in this case too the acrylic fabric cushions and the aluminium structure covered in wicker guarantee resistance to atmospheric agents.

Geo outdoor two seats sofa and armchair are more devoted to an outdoor aesthetics, with very pleasant round shapes. The aluminium structure covered in synthetic rattan ensures high resistance through time, while the acrylic fabric of the cushions can be easily cleaned.

Outdoor Furniture: extending tables

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about outdoor chairs: the first element you should think about in order to prepare your garden or outdoor space for the summer; now that spring has arrived it's time to carefully look for a table to match with your chairs. A table is the symbol of conviviality and culinary satisfaction, it's the one element that can help you enjoying more the time you spend outdoors when the warm and sunny days come.

When the sun comes out and the days become longer and warmer what we all desire is to have a good meal or a nice party in our garden or terrace; so that's the right time to find a table that is both pleasant and useful.

If I start thinking about outdoor lunches or cocktail parties, I can't help imagining lot of guests and barbecue meals and, as a consequence, a place where I can welcome them all. For this reason my attention is drawn right away to big tables, suitable for this kind of occasions.

Unfortunately not everyone can have wide outdoor spaces and not everyone can afford big tables, at least not without sacrificing the space we would otherwise use for any other outdoor activity. The most obvious solution is to choose extending tables, available with many materials suitable for outdoor use.

This kind of tables can, when needed, be closed or be put away, saving space for other kind of activities; but they can also welcome many guests when you need to organize a lunch or a party.

Outdoor extending tables can be chosen in different materials and shapes, according to your desire and needs: oval, rectangular, square, round... all these shapes can be extended using different mechanisms and systems. Metal, rattan, glass and wood are, on the other end, materials that can be perfectly used for the extensions.

Continuum extensible outdoor table, for example, is composed by a glass top and a synthetic rattan structure and can host up to 10 people with its 290 cm of length. It comes with perimetrical legs that always follow the table in length, avoiding in this way to take up the space used by the guests.

Cetra outdoor table with teak structure is extensible in the rectangular version, reaching up to 4 metres of length and can host up to 14 guests; the teak structure and the steel plate top are particularly suitable against weather conditions and they create a pleasant aesthetic contrast as well.

Sole extensible outdoor table is an example of round shaped table, softer compared to the rectangular one, allowing at the same time to host up to 8 people with its 240 cm of length. Teak and painted steel materials blend together creating an extremely enjoyable mix.

Design Italian Beds with boiserie: a matter of style

There's no doubt: the true distinctive element of a design Italian double bed is the headboard; and that's the reason why the lack of it is something we would all notice right away. An important headboard will give character to a bed while its absence will contribute to make it absolutely out of the ordinary. And that's why a boiserie, an element that we can add or use to substitute an headboard, is going to give a special charm to your bed.

A boiserie plays a double role, and this role its absolutely contradictory but for this reason extremely fascinating: on one side it works as a "normal" headboard, but still with a remarkable visual effect, while on the other side it can perfectly integrate with the style of the wall, making the bed look like a separated element with no connections to the headboard itself.

Together with the aesthetic characteristics of the boiserie we also have to take into consideration its functional features; a boiserie is the element that separates the pillows from the wall but it's also the element where we can hang any sort of storage units like nightstands or shelves, very useful around the bed.

In this way bed, headboard and nightstands are practically joined together as a single unit, even if they're visually well distinct: which aspect will prevails at a first glance? Maybe it all depends on the eyes of the person looking at it and this helps increasing the charm of this element even more; a boiserie will appear different each time someone looks at it!

The boiserie is then an element that strongly characterizes the surrounding environment and that, matched with a bed, can help you create several visual effects, combining the different aesthetic elements together with the different materials and finishes.

For example, Genius dark oak bed perfectly integrates its headboard with the available boiserie, giving an extremely homogeneous look despite the interesting mix of materials you can find between the dark oak and the upholstered quilted cushion on the headboard.

The visual effect of a separated bed, real protagonist of the bedroom, while keeping it at the same time perfectly integrated with the whole bedroom is well guaranteed by Genius Up suspended bed and its lateral boiserie that perfectly matches with the headboard and shelves.

Very particular is the aesthetic effect of Beat boiserie matched with Beat P17 sommier bed, suitable both placed in the middle of the room as well as against a wall. This combination will give to the environment a modern look and a great appeal thanks to the perfect match of elements characterized by different visual effects.

Outdoor Furniture: let's start with chairs

I know, it's still winter and you might think it's a little too early to talk about garden and outdoor furniture but you know what? It's never too early. First of all if we want to renovate our balcony or our garden we should start beforehand, in this way when the warm days arrive we will perfectly ready to enjoy it comfortably seated outside.

What is the key element of your precious outdoor space? But of course the chair!

Outdoor chairs are usually essential, simple, they take just a little space, they are stackable or folding; outdoor and garden chairs can be held inside your house during the winter or when you are not using them. Moreover some garden chairs are so nice that they can also be used indoor, maybe when you have more guests that expected.

I suggest you to start thinking about the appearance you want to give to your outdoor dining and relax space: I'm thinking about bright strong colours, with a very determined character, in a way that they can convey joy and cheerfulness during parties and at the same time warmth and ease during our relaxing moments.

After the aesthetic, another very important element in order to decide which kind of garden chairs and tables buy is the functionality. A chairs and a table are functional when are first of all easy to clean and then water and weather resistant; these characteristics are indispensable for pieces of furniture that will stay outside most of the time.

Then we have comfort: a comfortable seat and a comfortable folding system are two very important features to look for. Backs should be rigid enough, seats soft enough, stacking and folding system easy enough and the presence of armrests should guarantee a comfort a little bit closer to standard armchairs.

As you can see there are many elements you should value before purchasing outdoor furniture: appearance, colours, materials, functionality, comfort. Often is the material that defines how much comfortable a seat is going to be, how your furniture is going to look like and how easy it will be to maintain them.

Last but not least the purpose of your furniture could be another interesting point to take into consideration, there are so many activities you can do outside: parties, brunches, both formal and informal events or you can just chill out with friends.

So, have you already decided how your outdoor space should be? I did! First of all it should be a simple and intimate corner, where I can have a relaxing conversation with my friends or with my loved one, I will choose without a doubt Pigalle outdoor chair in coloured lacquered steel. Characterized by a romantic look these chairs would create a perfect private zone, able to evoke atmospheres you can find in comedies like "The importance of being Earnest". Without mentioning how practical these chairs are: they are very easy to clean and they come in a smart folding model as well or in a more comfortable one with armrests (in this picture Pigalle chairs are matched with Pigalle table, both in a very romantic pink colour).

In order to plan a perfect party on a terrace or on a roof I will choose Air Folding Chair in coloured polypropylene; they are funny, informal, easy to use and to put away; perfect to find a place even for the people who show up unexpected!

For a lunch with friends and relatives I would opt for Break coloured stackable chair in painted zinc plated metal, ideal for their elegant line but at the same time easy and perfect around a wide and comfortable outdoor table.

Easy Chair in coloured polypropylene are perfect to create imaginative and original spaces. They come with armrests but they also are very practical, thanks to a material very easy to clean and the possibility to stack them up to a maximum of 20 units. Moreover their particular design, very catchy and unusual, makes Easy chairs perfect if you want to create a joyful and magic atmosphere.

Italian armchairs: create your dreamy reading corner

There's a place in the house able to recreate a dream-like environment: I'm talking about the reading corner. Intimate, cosy, personal, ready to make us fly away from everyday life each time he need, the great thing is that this corner can be built practically everywhere in the house.

The reading corner is not just one of those elements usually sacrificed by modern tiny apartments, very widespread nowadays, or by the frenetic life we all live; the reading corner is, at the contrary, a necessary oasis that cal help us stop, relax and read a good book. Books are, let's face it, the transposition of those fairy tales that we used to read before going to sleep, metaphor of the real life or imagined dreams.

It's a space exclusively thought for everyone relaxation where music, magazines or also just rest are welcomed. It's a unique way to create a place where we can hide from all the speed that surrounds us.

But where do we place our reading corner? Obviously it's a matter of space and sizes, the important thing is to know that a corner like that is suitable in every room: bedroom, open space, sitting room, under a mezzanine bed, in the hall and, if it's big enough, also inside a bathroom maybe next to the shower with Turkish bath or to the whirlpool bath.

And which are the essential elements that can help us create a dreamy reading corner? Well, first of all: soft lighting... but not too much, because while it's true that we need a warm and calm atmosphere it's also necessary to have enough light to read! Than we need a surface, maybe a small coffee table where we can place beverages or an mp3 player and of course our books; we need a rug, possibly with warm colours to help creating welcoming feelings.

What we really need at this point is a great Italian armchair, the protagonist of this heavenly corner, I suggest you to match it if you can with a footrest or to think about it very carefully because it really has to satisfy your comfort and needs: tilted or straight, soft or rigid, rocking or fixed. The choice is very subjective, as well as the style.

Choose it with leather cover, if you prefer something a little bit more classic, or with fashion colours and design, if you are more into modern furniture pieces or again why not mixing wood and fabrics for a more ethnic flavour? The important thing is that no matter what material and style you choose, your reading corner will always be a place of extreme pleasure and rest.

Ego armchair in wood and leather or fabric, with optional ottoman, can help you recreate a vaguely exotic atmosphere, perfect for a place dedicated to your relaxation.

With the famous Eames armchair with leather cover is possible to furnish a perfect corner with a classic style and an eye to the past.

With Uno armchair in methacrylate and eco-leather what you can obtain is a strong contemporary reading corner, almost futuristic but at the same time cosy. Uno armchair will be able to give several positive and ethereal sensations.

Lastly, I'd like to show you the amazing Dragonfly armchair with leather or fabric cover; what's great about this armchair is the possibility to transform it into a chaise longue with just a single movement. Think about the convenience of having two different pieces in a single product that, moreover, helps you create a modern but elegant corner matching every need.