SALONE DEL MOBILE 2024
MILANO- 16-21.04.2024
MOLINARI DESIGN BETWEEN PRODUCT INNOVATION AND MATERIAL RESEARCH
Shapes and a lot of content at the SALONE DEL MOBILE MILANO 2024
Milano, April 16th 2024. Everything changes, without anything actually changing. A paradox, it would seem. Not for Molinari Design, a Made in Italy icon, synonymous with creativity, style, quality and respect for tradition. The Italian brand embarked on a new journey three years ago at the “Supersalone” 2021, unveiling itself in a totally renewed guise. A new image, a new way of communicating for that idea of factory that Massimo Molinari desired, without any alteration of those essential principles, those original values on which its history was built, and its achievements celebrated. From the "Manifesto" of 2021 passing through Salone del Mobile 2022 and 2023, to this edition of the Salone del Mobile 2024, where Molinari Design arrives with the strength coming from another 3 years of validations, of results, of achievements. A new image, the same rules, the same exceptional products; the same only in content, in substance, made up of unrivaled craftsmanship care, the research of materials, the experimentation of new forms, in the service of well-being.
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This is where we start from when we browse through the 2024 catalog of new products showcased in Milano.
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And it begins with a product made in collaboration with Studio Roderick Vos.
At the Molinari Design booth is possible to admire the sofa Dakota.
”Dakota is a testament to the beauty of simplicity and minimalism, folding cushion-shaped elements into a comfortable and inviting form. For me, the sofa taps into a universal design language, creating shape through gentle curves and a clean silhouette. But what truly sets Dakota apart are its subtle details: when you take a closer look, the stitches and finishes tell a story of craftsmanship and the unmistakable touch of Italy’s artisans, says Roderick Vos.
Divided into three elemental parts—seating, backrest, and armrest—that seamlessly merge into each other, the sofa gains its unique signature. With its thin metal legs gently pushed into the leather upholstery, an illusion of lightness is created, lifting the sofa from the floor. A timeless piece, distinguished by graceful lines and refined proportions.
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The second novelty is a product made in collaboration with the Norwegian designer Ole Petter Wullum. The model Kimono is a graceful mellow sofa with an enveloping feel and generous proportions. The draped cushions give the sofa a strong dressy look that is also reflected in the name, folded surfaces that give character and refinement.
Inspired by the traditional Japanese garment, the Kimono sofa is the Crosspoint between Italian elegance and Nordic simplicity – the synthesis between deep comfort and clarity of form.
The distinguished wooden frame plays a central role and reinforces the clear but distinctly refined expression to the pillows, which gives the sofa an architectural and sculptural clarity combined with a warm, welcoming and friendly appearance; stylish, relaxing and functional.
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Beside the novelties Molinari Design shows the best sellers of the collection made in collaboration with the British designer Lucy Kurrein. In particular, the models Rondo (2018), Otto (2020), and the more recent Bibendum (2022).
A collaboration that celebrates the art of leather working, the Rondo collection features a sofa and an armchair inspired by boxing bags. The Rondo collection looks at leather objects that transmit durability and craftsmanship: it uses leathers that reminds us of strength, as the durability of a boxing bag. The simple legs press into the leather on the sides, showing just how soft the cushions are, inviting you to wrap your arms around it like a boxer would if it were a punching bag.
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Otto is a distinctive new seating system created for comfort and conversation.
Designer Lucy Kurrein had the social intimacy of a campfire in mind. The resulting form of Otto (‘eight’ in Italian) is based on the equal segments of an octagon, gently curling users towards each other around a central open space. “Sitting around a fire is my favourite way to socialise and that was the starting point for Otto; I wanted to create an environment for conversation,” says Kurrein. “It’s rejuvenating to spend time with others like this and I wanted to bring this sense of easy conviviality into the contemporary home.”
Using 1970s Italian domestic design as a reference point, Otto is produced to exacting standards by blending advanced manufacturing techniques with artisan skills. It’s upholstered with subtle and precise curvatures blending from one to another across the arms and backrest, and features elegantly shaped sand-cast legs.
As with Kurrein’s earlier work for Molinari, the elegantly executed leather work references the aesthetic beauty of leather sporting equipment. “The gently scalloped back that encloses you while sitting is a nod to the enclosure of a baseball glove,” explains Kurrein. “It has a comforting, reassuring quality and instantly communicates durability.”
All configurations have been calculated so people sitting on them have an equal width of seat and are equidistant from one another.
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The result of the third collaboration between Molinari Design and Lucy Kurrein is Bibendum, a modular sofa that plays with lines from the 60s, revisited in a contemporary key. The design is built around the concept of "stackability": the seat and backrest seem to have been created by simply stacking the leather cushions on top of each other. The supporting structure is composed of a thin shell made of recyclable high density structural polyurethane, which has a curvature that softly wraps the cushions, and is available in different finishes, such as lacquer or leather. Another element that distinguishes Bibendum is its adaptability, which allows the object not to age, to always remain current despite the passing of time: each of the seats is an independent armchair, supported by a cylindrical and swivel structure, which can be assembled with your liking, varying the configuration of the object according to the room, tastes, the number of seats or armchairs needed.
Molinari Design's flagship are leathers, narrated, celebrated also here, at Salone del Mobile Milano 2024, with many novelties: from nubuck to full grain, proposed in different finishes. The starting point, always, for Molinari's production, are the raw materials, of absolute quality; and the handcrafted processes carried out on them, capable of enhancing their original qualities, enhancing to the maximum the objects on which they are employed. Utmost care for the environment, without sacrificing convenience in everyday use: the tanning of the leathers is carried out using all-natural plant-based products and the dyes are natural. Then there are the water-repellent leathers, which undergo a special treatment that preserves the natural properties of the materials, both from an aesthetic point of view and in terms of their textures, but which protect them, defend them from the effects of time and wear, enhancing their function, practicality, and the freedom to enjoy long-lasting items.
Interpreting the traditional in a futuristic key. A mantra for Molinari Design; a fascination for visitors of the Molinari Design booth at the Salone del Mobile Milano 2024.