Wallpaper* Global Interiors: a snapshot of design in Europe

We toured Europe for a selection of the finest furniture and objects, from Italian manfacturing excellence to expressive glass from Finland and flexible lighting from Spain. This snapshot of design in Europe is part of Wallpaper’s Global Interiors 2021 journey, which took us from South America to Oceania in search for designs by world-famous architects and emerging designers alike. Our search for some of the most inspiring global furniture design is represented in the April issue of Wallpaper* magazine through a sequence of immersive images created by Berlin 3D design studio Form & Rausch. Here, we showcase in more detail our pick of design from Europe.

Living Divani

The gentle forms of the ‘Sumo’ sofa by Piero Lissoni are created as an ode to elegance. The unique, discreetly curving seat allows for maximum comfort while keeping the sofa’s upper design incredibly minimal. 

Poliform

Poliform’s refined collections are enriched with a new series of complementary tables by designer Jean-Marie Massaud. The ‘Koishi’ tables (a Japanese word meaning ‘small stone’) feature gentle curves and a sculptural construction with a top available in ebony stone, marble, glass or wood. The collection includes a version featuring an upholstered seat, adding new flexibility and functionality to the living room. 

Moroso

A piece imagined as a ‘forum for conversation’, Patricia Urquiola’s ‘Ruff’ chair for Italian furniture brand Moroso features a curved, wrapping arm and backrest element balanced on a cushioned seat. The asymmetrical side view of the chair forms a simple yet enticing geometry to add character to any room. 

B&B Italia

Long-term B&B Italia collaborator Piero Lissoni was made the company’s artistic director in 2020, continuing a fruitful relationship that started with a series of storage pieces in 2017. The most recent collections in this collaboration include outdoor furniture inspired by the lightness of aeroplanes, and a series of small, colourful tables made of rigid polyurethane with a glossy finish. The 18-colour collection is designed as a ‘lively punctuation’ of Lissoni’s furniture designs for B&B Italia. 

Iittala

The Kartta collection is named after the Finnish word for ‘map’, and features a series of topography-inspired glass sculptures. Created by Finnish artist Santtu Mustonen for Iittala, the mouth-blown sculptures are available in two sizes and four evocative colour options – dark grey, ultramarine blue, copper and rain. Each object features an irregular silhouette and ridged surface, capturing the light and enriching the space it’s placed in. 

Marset

Designer Jaune Ramírez created the ‘Milana’ lighting system for Spanish company Marset with the aim of ‘moving the point of light’. The modular suspension lamps can be moved vertically and horizontally through a system of slim wires. Comprising cylindrical and shade elements, the system can be combined to create different types of light in a space. ‘This new design starts by deconstructing the archetype of a lamp; by synthesising it as much as possible,’ says the designer. 

Muller Van Severen

Muller Van Severen’s formal simplicity is taken to the next level with the Alltubes collection. The pieces, including benches, chairs and storage cabinets in varying sizes, are designed around a repetition of shiny, round aluminium tubes, creating an undulating effect that defines the entire collection. The tubes are also functional elements of the furniture, bent or extended to become backrests and legs of seating and storage pieces. 

Jan Kath

Jan Kath’s immersive Spectrum collection features a series of rugs defined by a free use of colour, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the medium. Painstakingly handmade in Kathmandu, Nepal, the collection features 42 different rugs that explore both traditional patterns and contemporary designs, filtered through colour. 

Flexform

‘A small family of seating with a big personality’: this is how Flexform describes its collection of chairs by Christophe Pillet, a new collaborator to the Italian company, who created lounge and dining chairs defined by lightness and timeless design. The French designer was inspired by Mediterranean and Scandinavian aesthetics for his pieces, characterised by sleek metal structures and finely woven seats and backs – a perfect balance of manufacturing technologies and craftsmanship.