Tacchini, Salone Del Mobile 2017, PearsonLloyd, Milan, Jonas Wagell, Stylecraft

For half a century now, Tacchini has been creating furniture that encapsulates the Italian’s flair for style and sophistication. It is always contemporary and at the forefront of design but still offers a hint of mid-century charm. This can’t be easy but Tacchini manages to achieve the synthesis with apparent ease. Its designs are defined by exquisite, sculptural forms that transform all rooms (whether public or private) into living spaces and, at a time when commercial design is drawing inspiration from the more luxurious residential and hospitality sectors, this makes it one of the most relevant brands on the market. Tacchini’s creations never confuse style with fashion and every piece is characterised by high-end fabrics and finishes.

At Salone del Mobile this year the brand presented an array of new collections inspired by art deco masterpieces, which have been ingenuously reinterpreted by designers such as Gordon Guillaumier, Umberto Riva and Pearson Lloyd. And thanks to Stylecraft and StylecraftHOME, distributors of the Tacchini brand, these beautiful creations are now available in Australia.

Among its collaborations with British design duo Pearson Lloyd is Ischia – a stunning, modular seating system designed for collective settings. The range was inspired by sea-worn, terracotta roof tiles found in the Ionian Sea and comprises oblique seating and table forms that float above shared timber and marble base elements. This allows them to be arranged in various configurations and thereby respond to different user and space requirements. Complementing the seating system is a range of screens fashioned from steam-bent ash and woven cane, enabling further flexibility in space and privacy.

Pearson Lloyd is continually exploring the ergonomics of how people interact in public spaces and this latest collection for Tacchini embodies their findings within beautiful designs that suit any setting. In the designers’ words: “Innovation is not enough anymore. You need storytelling, and the ability to communicate through a brand like Tacchini is so important. Furniture is really just a simple idea – a bunch of tables, chairs and screens, and so on – but we need to think poignantly about why we become emotionally stimulated by a thing’.”

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The Milan fair also allowed Tacchini to showcase their first collaboration with Jonas Wagell Design & Architecture – a small design studio based in Stockholm. The company was tasked with creating a modern interpretation of a classic Italian mid-century piece, resulting in the Roma sofa and armchair. Inspired by the soft curvaceous form of a semi-circle, the pieces combine large voluminous seats with slender, steel-tube legs. The form is certainly recognisable and timeless but has been carefully designed with contemporary lines and proportions. Its elegant shape is worthy of the Italian classics yet also bears a strong trace of Jonas Wagell’s Scandinavian roots.

Another new sofa on display was the aptly named Face-to-Face, imagined by Switzerland’s Gordon Gauillaumier. With two curvaceous back rests that face one another, its sensual form encourages people to interact in a face-to-face position, rather than the traditional straight line. Whether deployed in a domestic or collective setting, it encourages intimacy and connectivity at a time when (thanks to digital technology) people are becoming increasingly disengaged. Like all Tacchini’s furniture though it doesn’t just function beautifully, it is beautiful, and will add an element of opulence to all spaces.

For those on the lookout for smaller pieces with which to inject some luxury into their homes, the new Tacchini Edizoni accessories range was also on display. In the same way that a hat or scarf can enhance, or even totally transform, an entire outfit, every piece in this collection has been carefully designed (down to the most-minute detail) to enrich its surroundings. The range draws directly on the earliest history of production at Tacchini and includes lamps, rugs, clocks and room dividers.

These are just some of the new collections that the Italian brand presented to the world in April. They highlight though, how for half a century now, Tacchini has reinforced its position as one of the front-runners in contemporary furniture design, cleverly pushing boundaries whilst always remaining stylish and timeless with its signature sweeping lines.

Tacchini’s latest are available in Australia thanks to the guys at Stylecraft and StylecraftHOME. Arriving in Australia soon, make sure you check out their 2017 Milan Report to make the wait fly by!