As the design community evolves and changes, sustainable design has become an increasingly vital part of the design process. For Pedrali, this is already standard practice.

Sustainable design practices are becoming more and more essential in the design processes of the 21st century, and for good reason. If the goal of design is to create functional beauty, what good is this design if it comes at the expense of the natural splendour of the earth?

Founded in 1963, iconic Italian company Pedrali has always inspired awe in the houses, cafés, restaurants, offices and more that house their award winning furniture, and thankfully, these products are designed with strict sustainable design practices in mind. Certified with top tier sustainable quality management and manufacturing procedures, all Pedrali raw materials are also sourced from FSC certified, responsibly-managed forests adhering to strict environmental, social, and economic standards.

The link between design and sustainability becomes more important each day, this is why Pedrali’s products in plastic materials are made using high-quality raw materials, and are recyclable and eco-compatible. Even from the design stage, they are devised to be disassembled and are manufactured using production processes that are aimed at limiting consumption and avoiding waste that would damage the eco-system.

Not just sustainable, the high quality of the materials used means that Pedrali products are durable and long-lasting, reflecting the brand’s ethos that products must last over time, both from an aesthetic and practical point of view. Pedrali has also chosen to focus on environmental sustainability by using water-based paints, made principally from plant-derived resins, for its wood products. These paints offer durability, chemical- and light-resistance, and industrial usability comparable to classic petroleum-based paints, but with a drastic reduction of the fossil-derived component. This results in a substantial decrease in VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds), chemical compounds contained in normal paints, which evaporate at room temperature. The use of organic paints leads to healthier working environments, and also limits air pollution

These sustainable design procedures not only result in cleaner, greener design, but also imbue the striking, charming furniture pieces with a true sense of authenticity.

Caffè Fernanda

One locale that sees this sense of authenticity in design come to life is Italy’s Caffè Fernanda – a café and bistro that pays homage to Fernanda Wittgens, the first woman to run a national museum in Italy.

The unique and beguiling atmosphere sees Pedrali furnishings enhancing the refined space of the room, while allowing the artwork present to remain the star of the aesthetics. Modus modular seating combined with Jazz armchairs – with powder pink leather upholstery and steel frames in an antique brass finish – furnish one side of the space with resplendent style.

In the middle of the room, Nym armchairs, with the solid ash wood backrest that design an uninterrupted arch, and Nemea chairs and armchairs, which combine the ash wood with a die-casted aluminium frame, welcome visiting guests who can relax while admiring the masterpieces that surround them.

Outdoors, Nolita chairs and tables, entirely made of steel to ensure maximum solidity and durability, allow visitors to experience beautiful surrounds in the open air.

American University in Cairo

101 years old, the American University in Cairo is one of Egypt’s finest higher education facilities. Recent renovations to the Tahrir cultural centre including the addition of a cafeteria designed by Style Design Architects studio and furnished with Pedrali products.

The contemporary design of Pedrali’s furniture creates a striking contrast against the ancient stone walls of the space, encouraged moments of conviviality thanks to the Arki-table, placed in the middle of the room, and the comfortable Fox armchairs. The Fox armchair, designed by Patrick Norguet, is defined by a harmonious mix of materials and contrasting geometric lines. It is proposed here with a polypropylene shell in sand and smoky blue shades, which give a touch of colour to the surrounding environment.

Like Caffé Fernanda, the warmth of wood also emerges here through Nym chairs and barstools, where visitors can sit to enjoy a coffee break or to have lunch. These Nym chairs and barstools also represent the environmentally sustainable design policy of Pedrali, being FSC certified and finished using water-based paints, made principally from plant derived resins, which guarantee a substantial decrease in VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). 

Sustainability and Aesthetics

Beyond these projects and their sustainably fitted out spaces, two Pedrali products that exemplify the company’s sustainable design practices are the Folk and Jamaica chairs. The Folk collection shows the Italian company’s playfulness with colour, thickness and the manufacturing of wood. It is a simple, popular and convivial chair characterized by compact dimensions and soft lines and at the same time is comfortable and embracing.

The Jamaica collection is an authentic and inviting chair, inspired by the homonymous Bar Jamaica in Milan’s Via Brera, a legendary hub for intellectuals and artists in the twentieth century. The modernist swing collection reworks the classic with a sense of the contemporary, with its wood, metal and upholstery construction, the chair reflects the refined design and archetypal shapes Pedrali is known for.

Both products are more than unique ideal aesthetic and functional choices for your next project though, as the assembling process of the seatings has been designed to be as easy and fast as possible, making for an agile production as well as an easy dismantling for recycling or replacement. The wooden elements of Folk are FSC-certified and finished with water-based paints. The use of raw materials sourced from certified forests and of water-based paints made principally from plant-derived resins typifies Pedrali’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

In cafés, universities, offices, homes or anywhere else, Pedrali’s contemporary style is bound to suit. Functional and with the right aesthetics to enhance any space, Pedrali designs furniture with a sense of honour for materials, authenticity in design, and with the sustainable design practices that will ensure that it isn’t just the built world that is beautiful, it’s the natural one too.