It may not be the unveiling that the Italian furniture brand had in mind, but the 2020 collection of indoor furniture pieces by Minotti reaffirms its identity and reputation in the luxury interior design arena. Editor Hamish Kilburn learns more…
Celebrating the arrival of a new collection by Minotti has become somewhat of an annual phenomenon at Hotel Designs.
The grand unveiling has traditionally taken place during Milan Design Week. This year, however, while the industry has been forced to adapt to social distancing guidelines following the outbreak of Covid-19, the brand has instead launched the 2020 collection virtually. And while the manner of which the pieces have been unveiled has been disrupted, the same cannot be said for the new line of furniture, which are all (in true Minotti style) characterised by the purity of their shapes and volumes, defined by rigorous geometries with an architectural appeal.
The 2020 Indoor Collection reflects a contemporary, modernist style and extends the identity of Minotti, connected to the same high-quality sartorial savoir-faire found in haute couture, used to craft a range of products that are increasingly exclusive. The new upholstered seating systems, seats and furnishing pieces are combined with a sophisticated tailoring thanks to the exquisite materials and the exclusive textile collection.
Each item evokes a silent elegance – Minotti needs not shout – with a strong international vocation in terms of style and design, though entirely Italian in its imprinting. This is the common thread in all the projects, designed by a strong team coordinated by Rodolfo Dordoni with the Minotti Studio.
With Rodolfo Dordoni, nendo, Marcio Kogan/studio mk27, Christophe Delcourt and GamFratesi, the 2020 Indoor Collection looks West, to the sophisticated Mid-Century atmospheres of California; East, to the formal minimalism of Japan; and North, to the striking rigour of Scandinavia, all filtered by Minotti’s own well-defined sensitivity and personality. The Collection develops a language that embraces the know-how of the tradition related to the world of upholstery, with a high level of sartorial craftsmanship. It features sculptural complements and seating elements with a strong personality that look back to the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, reinterpreting their spirit, and was created for use in interiors located at different latitudes, in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
Statement pieces of the 2020 Indoor Collection, coordinated by Rodolfo Dordoni with Minotti Studio, include:
Connery – Rodolfo Dordoni design
Image credit: Minotti
Contemporary, with a strong architectural appeal and pure lines reminiscent of the Mid-Century American spirit, the Connery seating system sports an exquisite aesthetic and design that instantly catch the eye.
The clever combination of fine materials and sophisticated details adds a hint of couture to its design. An extremely versatile seating system, in terms of both composition and combination of materials, Connery has a distinctive personality also expressed in the pairing of original square and round chaise-lounges.
Torii– nendo design
Image credit: Minotti
Airy, with constructive details linked to Japanese tradition, the Torii modular seats play with round edged volumes, thin profiles and the apparent formal simplicity of an extremely detailed design. The metal structure of the legs of the seats and tables is Nendo’s nod to the image of the “torii”, the entrance gate to Shinto shrines in Japan.
With an interlocking game, the horizontal elements are laid on the vertical supports, ensuring a sophisticated visual lightness that accommodates the padded volume, characterised by couture craftsmanship.
The Torii family includes sofas – with high or low backrest and a linear shape, rounded at the arms – inclined sofas with a combination of two different depths, armchairs and lounge and dining little armchairs, ottomans, coffee tables, and a slender, oval-shaped console table, ideal for placing anywhere in the living area.
Blazer – Rodolfo Dordoni design
Image credit: Minotti
A virtuous combination of its design appeal, visible in the rigorous geometry of its volumes, and the haute couture approach exemplified by its precise, meticulous sartorial craftsmanship, Blazer is one of the creations that best expresses the most authentic artisanal attitude of Minotti.
All the surfaces of the elements feature stitching, designing evenly-spaced bands on the covering of the base, cushions, armrests and backrest, and creating a quilting effect that identifies its look and instantly provides a sensation of comfort.
The system includes seats with a depth of 108 cm and chaise-longue elements with a depth of 143 cm – with high and low backrests and armrests.
The system is complemented by a series of cushions in different sizes and headrests, which can be freely positioned, decorating the seats and offering maximum comfort.
The wide range, comprising sofas with strong character as well as modular elements, allows for the creation of original configurations, freely customisable thanks to the extensive choice of elements and exclusive coverings available.
EDITOR’S PICK: Daiki – Marcio Kogan/studio mk27 design
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- Image credit: Minotti
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- Image credit: Minotti
Inspired by the Brazilian architect’s many trips to Japan, the Daiki seats are born out of Marcio Kogan’s deep passion for Japanese culture and are conceived as a real tribute to Japanese design.
The Daiki family includes armchairs with a deep seat, available both with and without armrests, and footstool. Created using sophisticated wood crafting techniques, the curved shell comprises two elements joined at a 45° angle, with a sloping backrest that guarantees maximum comfort. In palisander Santos or flamed ash veneer with Liquorice colour stain, the shell offers a snug fit for the cushions, and sits on a metal frame with legs in a Black-Nickel finish. In the version with leather upholstery, the cushions are quilted with stitching, while in the fabric version they only feature stitching.
Daiki offers a design that also explores and reinterprets the American Mid-Century atmospheres in its bold, clean lines, precious materials and balanced proportions.
Fynn Collection – GamFratesi design
Image credit: Minotti
Scandinavian values meet Italian tradition in Fynn, a project created by combining fine cabinet-making in the wooden elements and sophisticated upholstering with fabric or saddle-hide.
The signature element of the Fynn seats is the armrest, elongated and slightly curved, rounded and smooth to the touch, 100 per cent handmade. Its precise, well-defined line identifies the whole family of seats, in the two Fynn and Fynn Saddle-Hide versions. Covered with the exclusive fabrics and saddle-hides in the collection, it fully expresses the high level of the elegant sartorial process which has always been Minotti’s distinguishing mark.
The family comprises armchairs, lounge and dining little armchairs, benches, footstools and coffee tables.
Mattia – Rodolfo Dordoni design
Image credit: Minotti
Mattia is inspired by the reinterpretation of a creative sign from the early Seventies, offering a modern take on a design from the Minotti archive.
The finely contoured shell accommodates the seat, opening up like a corolla to host the original roller feature of the backrest. Formal solutions reminiscent of sculptures and the balance between the rigid structure and the suspended volume give life to seats with a soft, enveloping look.
The family comprises a three-seater sofa, an armchair and swivel lounge armchair, available with leather shell and fabric upholstered seat and backrest, or with total fabric or leather covering.
Conceived as precious details to streamline and lighten the design, the steel feet jetting out from underneath sport a Black-Nickel finish. The swivel base of the lounge armchair is available in the same finish.
Liam – Rodolfo Dordoni design
Image credit: Minotti
With its clean lines, exquisite materials and sophisticated finishes, Liam adopts an architectural approach to design, expressed in its rational shapes.
The family of Liam coffee tables is characterised by the airy 1 cm square steel structure, which designs a lightweight volume, defined by a polished Pewter colour finish. It hosts a top in Calacatta marble, Grigio Orobico marble, Black pâte de verre glass or brushed oak with Moka colour lacquer finish. In some elements, it also accommodates a lower, wooden surface for holding books, magazines and objects, also in brushed oak with Moka colour lacquer finish. Liam comes in a range of different sizes, with a square or rectangular shape, which can be used together to design original configurations, also matching them with tops of different materials.
Flirt – Rodolfo Dordoni design
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- Image credit: Minotti
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- Image credit: Minotti
Designed as a jewel-sculpture, with its metallic glints, the Flirt coffee table adds a bright touch to interiors. The structure, made entirely from a sheet of polished stainless-steel, is bent to form two “C”s facing one another, offering two semi-circular tops on different levels. Like an artist’s multiple, Flirt only comes in one size and is varnished in Black-Nickel or Gold. The screws that join the two C-shaped elements serve as decorative details, enhancing the metal sheet.
In conclusion, the new Indoor Collection was designed imagining those living in them, their gestures and daily routines, tactile sensations, exclusive materials, the effect of the light as it illuminates a wooden or marble surface, and the gleam of a metal detail. Sophisticated furnishings, like a tailored suit, made to fit the user’s personality and taste, in line with Minotti’s design tradition. The different cultural backgrounds of the designers merge and contribute to give shape and voice to the “Minotti project”, which gathers the creative stimuli of the designers and is an exceptional example of contemporary style.
Hotel Designs will be publishing its round-up of the Outdoor Collection 2020 by Minotti shortly. Minotti London, which is exclusive style partner at MEET UP London, is one of our recommended suppliers. To keep up to date with their news, click here. And, if you are interested in becoming one of our recommended suppliers, please email Katy Phillips by clicking here.
Main image credit: Minotti
