The sky's the limit: MINOTTI

The Italian brand’s multi-cultural outdoor collection helps articulate the spatial continuity between inside and out. Here’s how...

By Minotti and Harriet Thorpe for

Minotti

January 27, 2021 | 11:00 pm CUT

Over the last year, outdoor life has played an increasingly important role. We have become more connected to nature, more sensitive to the path of the sun, and never felt more alive with every breath of fresh air. As we open up our bodies and minds to new ways of life, the silver lining is that the boundaries between indoor and outdoor are blurring like never before.

Responding to this, Minotti’s 2020 Outdoor Collection for residential and hospitality extends the Minotti essence – rooted in artisanal Italian production, tradition and innovation – seamlessly outdoors. It generously declares that our open-air spaces should be just as atmospheric as our interiors, and the two should hold a fluid dialogue of elegance and comfort.

Imitating the elegance of indoor furnishing solutions, the Sunray seating system evokes intimacy and relaxation through its curved backrest with interwoven cords, available in Bronze and Ecru

Designing for the outdoors certainly comes with its own set of challenges – stepping outside today will be a unique experience for every reader; one may need a parasol, another a wood-burning stove. Yet Minotti, designing furnishing collections for the outdoors since 2013, has an approach that encompasses all types of cultures and desires, while ensuring utmost quality and durability for any weather conditions.

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The outdoor collection brings together designers who draw influences from different cultures, yet consistently express Minotti's style and values

This is all made possible by the design team, co-ordinated by Rodolfo Dordoni, Italian designer and long-time Minotti Art Director. The 2020 Outdoor Collection brings together designers, who bring influence from different cultures, yet interpret and express Minotti’s style and values with consistency: GamFratesi from Denmark, Marcio Kogan from Brazil and Dordoni’s own studio, from Italy.

With balanced proportions for maximum comfort, the Daiki seats feature a curved solid teak shell and a stainless steel frame with Bronze-coloured legs

While the designers hail from all over the world, their interest in pure geometry connects each system and piece in the collection. Kogan’s Daiki armchair, with its curved shell, stitched cushions and sloping backrest combines mid-century and Japanese inspiration. The geometry of this deep-seated chair, available both with and without arms, is part of a wider family including a dining chair and footstool.

Still sharing a language of bold forms, Dordoni’s Terrace dining table on the other hand is more retro-inspired. With tapered legs and architectural cast aluminium form, it is topped with a smooth stone-effect ceramic table top contributing to its contemporary feel.

Pictured here with the Daiki dining ‘little’ armchairs, the Terrace dining table is strongly architectural and available in three sizes

Beyond being adaptable across systems, the 2020 Outdoor Collection is versatile enough to suit every outdoor, in-between, vast and intimate space imaginable. At Minotti’s virtual hotellêrie project, the dreamy Californian escape ‘The Club’, the whole collection finds its most natural expression – combined in manifold compositions and occupying a variety of diverse outdoor spaces.

On the outdoor terrace of the The Club’s lounge bar, the versatile Sunray system by Rodolfo Dordoni can be found in a colour scheme of neutral White and Grey shades with flecks of Mint Green and Blue

By the pool, visitors will find the Sunray seating system designed by Rodolfo Dordoni. The piece is dynamic, with a polished bronze metal structure, natural teak wood frame, and curved backrest of woven cords.

The seating system is complemented by outdoor seating from the Fynn family of seats by GamFratesi. Woven with wicker-effect cords, the simple teak frame supports a single seat and backrest cushion. Its elongated armrest, crafted with fine cabinet-making workmanship, characterises the refined nature of the whole Fynn family of pieces.

Experience the synergy of 2020 Outdoor Collection combinations: Fynn Outdoor seats by GamFratesi meet modules of the Sunray system

Opposing elements of the systems forge harmony: the rational, horizontal emphasis of the Sunray furniture, balances the light-weight forms of the Fynn pieces, while material commonalities, such as the woven cord and teak, forge dialogue.

Synergy can be found across Minotti’s tasteful, contemporary material palette, based on high quality sourcing and production. Structural materials such as metal and Burmese teak wood, join weather-resistance textiles. The textures, such as mélange and bouclé, and colours, such as Écru and Moka, were all inspired by nature itself, seeking to bring us closer to our environment.

Combining Scandinavian values with Italian tradition, the sophisticated Fynn seat is characterized by the form of its armchair’s handmade armrest which is elongated, rounded and smooth to touch – see here in the dining chairs.

Materials are combined for the most functional outdoor design. The modular Florida sofa system by Dordoni features structural cushions defined by profiles in eco-leather and equipped with refined pewter-coloured metal frog fasteners to allow quick release. While the metal structures are treated with corrosion-resistant finishes, padded in foam and then covered in waterproof fibre and fabric. All this function is embedded within the softly voluminous curved and linear elements that define the system.

The Florida Outdoor seating system by Rodolfo Dordoni features a new teak finish, designed to match other elements of the 2020 Outdoor Collection

The carefully crafted Minotti 2020 Outdoor Collection shows how good design can seamlessly enhance our experience of nature, liberating people to enjoy outdoor space just as they would the indoors. After all, during this time, it is nature that has proven to be our true escape.

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Meda, Italy