Chaise longues and armchairs as style icons
Chaise longues, or divans, are much more than comfortable seats that allow you to stretch out and relax. They can also be the focus of attention and determine hierarchical relationships within a room, a living or sleeping area as well as study rooms, hallways and reading nooks. Their elongated shape “delineates" the space, imposing a central position within the volume, while their presence captures the eye and focuses it on details, dimensions, and finishes.
They are iconic elements, harking back to images that are well imprinted in the collective imagination; pivotal elements in terms of identity and style, they also provide a comfortable seat establishing a bond of respect and loyalty with its user.
Genni, Maggiolina or Lama
Varying in shape, materials used, and details, divans can appear elegant and rigorous or informal, monochromatic or richly hued and coloured, lightened by the metal frame and slender thanks to a minimal section that seems to hang in the air or is firmly anchored to the ground.
Zanotta's iconic models including Genni, Maggiolina or Lama are representative of these descriptions.
Genni is a 1935 design with a two-position adjustable seat and strict lines.
Marco Zanuso's 1947
Maggiolina features a coloured leather shell and a wraparound shape.
Lama is a contemporary design by Ludovica+Roberta Palomba, whose organic lines and high back are suggestive of new body postures. The wafer-thin metal structure makes it reminiscent of an object suspended in space.
Natural evolutions of the sofa
The Globe armchair and the Island and James B peninsulas from Flexteam were born as natural evolutions of the sofa collections.
Globe is a swivel armchair with a circular and enveloping shape. It evokes a nest in which to pause and rest.
The Island and James B peninsulas, on the other hand, are developed as individual elements configuring themselves as true chaise longues, or extensions of the sofa. The seating can be adjusted to offer the best available posture for maximum comfort, while furnishing the space and eliciting relaxation.
Several materials are proposed. Skins and fabrics in differing textures, colours and varying degrees of softness, decorated with original patterns or elegant solid colours.
While the icons of the great masters of the Modern Movement always constitute a point of reference, contemporary design has proposed new forms with different aesthetic moods, but always following the principles of ergonomics and accommodating human dimensions, with accessories and complements to match.
There are flexible and colourful models for informal settings or more neutral and rigorous ones for representative or more classic living spaces requiring a touch of modernity.