Italian furniture company Flexform, which has a showroom on Rhode Island Street in San Francisco, primes its outdoor line for spring.
The Ortigia sofa is crafted from iroko wood with an upholstered seat and handwoven backrest.
Let’s call it the awkward transition: that moment of walking from an interior environment to an outdoor space and quickly realizing the two areas don’t share a similar aesthetic. In Northern California, where indoor and outdoor living spaces blend as seamlessly as acrylics on a canvas, many interior designers choose outdoor pieces in tandem with a modern sectional in the family room. The step is critical to a home’s overall design.
The Grandemare sofa is designed by Antonio Citterio
After five decades of creating memorable pieces for interiors, renowned Italian furniture designer and manufacturer Flexform recently unveiled its outdoor collection. The formula for creating the new line followed a well-trodden path of combining durability and beauty. After all, the company had engaged in bespoke projects for yacht and resort owners for years. The new collection includes seating systems, sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs and accessories.
The Hora Sexta daybed
This isn’t merely a market response to the trend of homeowners spending lavishly on outdoor spaces. The minds at the northern Italian company didn’t overlook what made their products the darling of contemporary design fans: They prioritized form as much as function by enlisting celebrated designers like Antonio Citterio, a creative stalwart for the brand for years.
The Pico dining table’s tapered legs are made of cast aluminum—its top comes in iroko wood slats or four types of stone.
Citterio, who has been twice awarded the coveted Compasso d’Oro from the Association of Industrial Design, created several of the pieces in the collection, including the Vulcano sectional. The piece is characterized by elements that are part of the brand’s DNA: compositional flexibility and customization, coupled with a determination to find materials to ensure optimum performance outdoors.
The structure of the Ortigia armchair is made entirely of solid iroko, artisan-crafted with techniques that call to mind the tradition of fine cabinetmaking.
The Vulcano’s base is crafted from marine plywood, and the armrests and backrests are austenitic stainless steel, a super alloy that ensures excellent performance in outdoor settings. Upholstery features polypropylene fiber or polyurethane rubber; clients may choose colors that range from earth tones to bordeaux and olive green. All of the sofa’s padded cushions are encased in a special lining material made of breathable water-repellent fabric.
The Alison armchair, designed by Carlo Colombo, is available as a two- and three-seater.
Dining tables, most notably the Pico outdoor line, are at once sturdy and sculptural. The table’s tapered legs are cast aluminum and come in a range of powder-coat finishes. Table tops, with no sharp edges, are available with iroko wood slats or in different types of stone: beola argentata, pietra del cardoso, lava and porphyry—all inviting perfect spring and summer days under the California sun. 145 Rhode Island St., 415.800.6576
Photography by: PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLEXFORM
