Italian furniture is setting new design trends

Who says that sofas need backrests and armrests? And does a desk absolutely have to be rectangular? The latest Italian designer furniture demonstrates that things can be different. Classic shapes are being broken down, and everyday furniture is being reinterpreted in a completely new way. The trend is moving away from simple, straight lines towards organic, complex shapes. We present new items of Italian furniture and explain what is behind the trend.

Unusual times call for unusual furniture. Since 2020, the world has been turned upside down. Old habits are being questioned, and new solutions sought. This can also be seen in the interior design industry. Trends keep moving in the direction of cosy comfort , closeness to nature and customisation . Alongside the rise of natural, recyclable materials and the emphasis on high-quality workmanship, the shapes of furniture are also changing. So much so that they hardly look like pieces of furniture at all.

At first glance, the Italian designer sofa Flap – created by Francesco Binfaré for Edra – recalls Mickey Mouse’s thick white gloves. Like fingers, the five backrests can be individually positioned to provide maximum comfort when sitting, lying or sleeping. Its curved form exudes complete comfort while the white covering lends it a stylish elegance. The Campana brothers have also designed a sofa for Edra that lives up to its name. Boa winds around itself countless times, like a snake or a feather boa, creating a velvety-soft, midnight-blue nest to curl up in. The mix of beanbag and sofa dispenses with a frame and adapts to any body shape.

Given that private bathrooms are increasingly evolving into home spas and oases of well-being , why not rethink bathroom design completely? Designer bathroom furniture made in Italy offers the required comfort and a touch of luxury. Classic materials such as white marble meet novel shapes that seem at first to have little in common with bathroom furniture as we know it. Take Mario Ferrarini’s , for instance, which appears to have been inspired by a porcelain dish. It does not have a privileged side, provides ample space and appears lightweight and delicate thanks to its smooth, narrow walls.

The sink provides even greater scope for creativity. Italian designers such as Paolo Ulian or the studio Calvi Brambilla have created truly extraordinary examples with Intreccio and Ossimoro for antoniolupi. The stunning sinks resemble statues or fountains. The heavy white marble is a sign of their durability while the dynamic shapes border on the surreal and captivate the beholder. Who wouldn’t slip into a daydream while washing their hands at these sinks and start to feel a longing for Rome?

Designers from all over the world are embracing the trend for unusual furniture. The design of side tables and coffee tables like the Sol Table from ClassiCon is sometimes so complex that they could pass for objets d’art. One popular material is transparent or tinted glass or acrylic with rounded corners, which reflects light in multiple directions and offers new points of view. For example, with its curved arches and side panels of different lengths and widths, the Perspective Table from EO Denmark ApS takes on the appearance of a glass cathedral and continues to reveal new details even after repeated examination.

At first glance, stools, chaises longues and chairs also have little in common with classic forms and combine complexity with minimalism. The Tokyo Pop Day Bed from Driade Spa , for example, looks like it has been cast in one piece, its smooth white surface reminiscent of a porcelain gravy boat or a splash of milk. Horse riding is apparently also a source of inspiration. For instance, while the customisable Zenger Pouffe created by designer Yılmaz Zenger replicates the shape of a saddle, the curved seats also look futuristic and could easily have come straight from an exhibition. Inspirational, comfortable and unique – all in one.

In uncertain times, our homes offer us a sanctuary where we can get cosy and give our personalities free rein. Italian designer furniture perfectly captures this contemporary mood with its focus on maximum comfort and its unusual shapes. Customisable, multifaceted and anything but conventional, these pieces add a level of complexity to the minimalism of recent years that’s also catching on with designers from other countries. At the same time, the designs that take their inspiration from nature or everyday life are somehow familiar and offer assurance that the human race is a long way from exhausting its creative potential. Another trend also shows how well we can take different styles and shape them into something new: discover the secrets of Japandi .