Market Milan
edited by Cecilia Fabiani and Karen D. Singh -- Interior Design, 7/1/2004 12:00:00 AM
The mod squad
Shown at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Alfredo Häberli's Nais wire chairs for Classicon are smaller and lighter than their famous forerunners by Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames. The chromium-plated version is indoors-only; powder-coated or color-coated options also allow for outdoor use. Armrests are optional for all three, as is a removable back and seat cover that adds comfort without subtracting sculpturality. 3 Sigmund-Riefler-Bogen, 81829 Munich, Germany; 49-89-7481-33-0; classicon.com. circle 311
N'uovo
The name sounds like new in Italian, and it writes like egg. In fact, silver-leafed wooden eggs are a hallmark of this very imaginative company, which produces furniture, tableware, embroidered linens, ceramics, and lamps melding antique shapes and traditional manufacturing techniques with colorful, playful pattern and decoration. Thanks to the humor and knowledge of owner-designer Arianna Fioratti Loreto—who specialized in Romanesque sculpture for her master's degree at Princeton—the pieces never fall into the trap of reproduction. The newest items take their inspiration from 18th-century Italy and Holland. 3 Via Giotto, 50121 Florence, Italy; 39-055-673043; nuovoitaly.com. circle 312
Sawaya & Moroni
Matt Sindall photographs colorful floral and geometric subjects, prints them on transparent melamine, and uses it to wrap the wooden structure of Anna Morph. The limited-edition bookcase can thereby stand proudly on its own four stainless-steel feet—without so much as a single volume inside. 11 Via Manzoni, 20121 Milan, Italy; 39-02-863951; sawayamoroni.com. circle 313
Edra
This manufacturer excelled in two very different forms of seating. Fernando and Humberto Campana's Corallo armchair, in epoxy-painted steel wire, expresses a mix of handicraft and design—like all the strongest pieces by the Brazilian fraternal duo. Meanwhile, Francesco Binfaré's sofa, On the Rocks, explores modularity via irregularly shaped elements padded in dense, soft polyurethane. Monica Mazzei's fabric choices do the rest. 106 Via Livornese Est, 56030 Perignano (Pisa), Italy; 39-0587-616660; edra.com. circle 314
Heller
The creator of the Frank Gehry Furniture collection needs no introduction, and these accessibly priced pieces display the unmistakable deconstructivist touch of his architecture. Made of rotation-molded polymer, the cubes, bench, easy chair, table-seat, and sofa are all suitable for commercial, institutional, and residential use, indoors or out. 149 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010; 212-685-4200; helleronline.com. circle 315
De Padova
Setsu and Shinobu Ito, a Japanese duo based in Italy, evoke origami with their Shiki screen. An anodized-aluminum sheet folded into triangles, this space divider measures approximately 63 1/2 inches high, 33 1/2 wide, and 16 1/2 deep. The base has fixed feet. 14 Corso Venezia, 20121 Milan, Italy; 39-02-777201; depadova.it. circle 318
Molteni & C.
The Diamond collection is absolutely precious. Patricia Urquiola's square and rectangular tables are available in black anodized aluminum, polished aluminum, natural or gray-stained oak, and wengé. The elegantly tapering legs support a slender top in wood or glass. Ernest Stoecklin International Furniture, 135 Fort Lee Road, Leonia, NJ 07605; 877-665-8364; molteni.it. circle 316
B&B Italia
Patricia Urquiola's comfortable new bed can be positioned in the traditional way, against the wall, or in the center of a room, with the headboard slipped into the platform base. Called Fat Fat, it's actually rather space-saving. The single version measures 52 3/8 inches, the queen 73 1/4. 150 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10155; 800-872-1697; info@bbitaliausa.com. circle 317
Cassina
Famous for her associations with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret as well as for her own designs, Charlotte Perriand has joined the luminaries in the I Maestri collection. Riflesso, a cabinet from 1939, combines painted wood and satin-finished aluminum sliding doors. The piece can be wall-mounted or equipped with feet in two heights. 155 East 56th Street, New York, NY 10022; 800-770-3568; cassinausa.com. circle 319
Moroso
Among the new seating from this manufacturer, Konstantin Grcic's Dummy prototype had the smart money talking. The polyurethane-foam hood is designed to pull down over a side chair—and a suitable rigid-polyurethane model is currently in development. 60 Via Nazionale, 33010 Cavalicco (Udine), Italy; 39-0432-577111; moroso.it. circle 320 Luminaire, 301 West Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60610; 800-494-4358. circle 321
Swarovski
For the third consecutive year, this manufacturer has invited designers to reinvent the chandelier by exploiting the beauty and technical possibilities of crystal. Among the 10 exhibits in 2004, Tord Boontje's Ting Ting Ting stood out for its ruby-colored sparkle and tinkling sound, produced by 101 suspended tubular bells. 14-15 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XJ, U.K.; 44-20-7016-6780; swarovskisparkles.com. circle 323
Zerodisegno
Starting from the idea of uniqueness, Gaetano Pesce introduced Nobody's Perfect in 2002. The collection featured signed and dated tables and seating handmade of polyurethane elastic resins. Now, beds have joined the line, their "male" and "female" profiles designed to meet in a kiss. 85 Industrial Circle, Lincoln, RI 02865; 401-724-4470; zerous.com. circle 322
Strato
This kitchen manufacturer is moving into the living room, bath, and wine cellar, too. Architect-gourmet Marco Gorini designed the Wine-cube in solid afzelia wood. Inside the 7 foot 4 inch cubic volume, shelving stores over 800 bottles. Strato also offers a refrigeration unit that's just the right size. Spaziostrato, 5 Via Francesco Burlamacchi, 20135 Milan, Italy; 39-02-54050321; stratocucine.com. circle 324
Driade
Freestanding Kaos San can be used to divide space—in addition to the system's modular capabilities. Antonia and Miki Astori's aluminum design supports such elements as a desktop and shelving up to 83 1/2 inches long. 12 Via Padana Inferiore, 29012 Fossadello di Caorso (Piacenza), Italy; 39-0523-818660; driade.com. circle 325
Zoltan
Più means more, as in more ways to keep the office organized. Designed by Lorenz & Kaz, the collection's five components include trestle bases and modular storage. Trestles are powder-coated in silver or white. Storage units—in sheet steel powder-coated silver, white, orange, or blue—can hold old-fashioned paper or newfangled gadgets such as CD burners and Zip drives. 8 Via Benedetto Croce, 20090 Vimodrone (Milan), Italy; 39-02-27400160; zoltan.it. circle 328
Giorgetti
Synthesizing past and present, architect Chi Wing Lo designed the Ela chaise longue. The base comes in natural or dark-finished solid maple. A manual mechanism tilts the seat through six positions—whether it's upholstered in basic leather or luxurious snakeskin. Glenpointe Centre East, 300 F.W. Burr Boulevard, Teaneck, NJ 07666; 201-836-9100; giorgettiusa.com. circle 327
Cappellini
Recently taken over by the Poltrona Frau Group, this company introduced relatively few items at the 2004 fair, but Jasper Morrison's conceptual seating demonstrated the triumph of quality over quantity. The Oblong collection's building block is an oblong cushion covered in leather or fabric. Without any supporting frame, the cushions simply zip together to form an armchair, love seat, and sofa. 41 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003; 212-620-7953; cappellini.it. circle 326
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