Minotti doesn’t merely arrive at the Salone del Mobile Milano yearly to add its take to the ‘Mecca of Design’; it is one of the brands that shines the brightest among the exhibition of furniture, design installations, and objects. Founded in 1948 by Alberto Minotti, the Italian company is currently helmed by its second and third-generation heirs.
The legendary furniture brand prides itself on its Italian craftsmanship that melds technology and tradition, as the skills of talented artisans are employed to finish a product created by cutting-edge production methods. Last year, the company’s intrinsic ‘Made in Italy’ ethos was cemented with its inclusion in the Special Register of Historic Trademarks of National Interest, established by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development.
Over the years, the principles of aesthetic understatement, timeless elegance, continuity in the sign of tradition, and artisan savoir-faire with great attention to sartorial details have come to define Minotti’s DNA. Those who choose to endorse the Minotti lifestyle opt to add class to their residential and hospitality settings as well as professional environments. For its 75th anniversary, the brand debuted its new indoor and outdoor collection that strikes the perfect balance between classicism, contemporaneity, and innovative designs that include new exclusive textiles and leathers.
Rhythmic Triplicate
Our curation of recommended purchases from the collection includes the Dylan trinity of sofas by Rodolfo Dodorni, who coordinated the entire collection with the Minotti family. Dodorni is the company’s Art Director and their longest collaborator, sharing a 25-year history together. The fil rouge linking the three different types is represented by the seat and backrest cushions that are punctuated by soft, couture-inspired stitching.
Dylan features a complex and sophisticated manufacturing construction system where the leather or fabric strips are sewn together by means of webbing and punctuated by stitching. This creates a rhythm to the seat cushioning and adds a further couture note to the design of the project. The titular version has a suspended base raised 13.5cm from the ground by thin extruded aluminium blades in Bronze or Pewter, which exude a contemporary and airy feel while simultaneously offering high-quality comfort. The Dylan Small version has a more compact seat depth to suit smaller domestic environments or hospitality locations. Meanwhile, the Dylan Low version is raised 7.5cm off the ground and is a more classic and traditional interpretation that will discreetly define any space.
Exemplary Elegance
Dodorni also designed the Sally armchair, which stands out with its geometric vigour that was inspired by the timeless aesthetics of modernist architecture. This bold piece is one we can easily see in interiors around the world, with the upholstered seat base featuring a tapered shape that discreetly delineates the perimeter of the chair. Proposed in a swivel version, its base consists of a metal cylinder available with a Bronze or polished Chrome finish. Its cylindrical ottoman is available in the same finishes and is also presented in a version with castors that transforms it into a transportable piece suitable for multiple uses in the living room.
Conventional sideboards are given an elegant and refined makeover with Kenneth, also by Dodorni. Available in Licorice ash or Moka glossy lacquered, its distinct geometric silhouette is a decorative yet functional storage space that is covered with a thin layer of Nero Marquina marble or Stone Grey matte lacquer. Fused with slender Black Coffee legs, this essential and sculptural furnishing piece is available in two volumes of differing storage spaces.
Inoda+Sveje unveiled the latest addition to the Sendai family of furnishing pieces with a comfortable swivel armchair with armrests and a footstool. The slender and harmonious solid wood shafts, which embody the other pieces, are reiterated here with a renewed, generous size of the upholstered volume. A time of total relaxation awaits as you recline on its frame resting on a 360° swivel base with a return mechanism.
Open-Air Opulence
Minotti’s outdoor range serves to meld seamlessly with its indoor pieces, taking shape from a harmonious interplay of sinuous and straight lines that accentuates a wide range of seating and accessories.
First designed for indoor environments in 2020 by Japanese design firm nendo, the collection migrates to open-air living spaces with Torii Nest “Outdoor”. Characterised by the iconic woven cord backrest with a design inspired by Vienna straw but with a wider mesh, the seats vary in size and type, from the two-seater sofa with a curved silhouette to the round chaise-longue. The seats play with round-edged volumes, thin profiles, and the apparent formal simplicity of an extremely intricate design that is linked to Japanese tradition. The overall effect is both contemporary and romantic, a piece where you could imagine yourself lounging with a partner while whispering sweet nothings into their ear.
A playful yet distinguished character imbues Isole, an exceptional family of lava stone coffee tables with irregular shapes which recall small islands in the sea. Gordon Guillaumier was inspired by a contemporary 1950s aesthetic and utilised a combination of lava material and glass in four different shades, which colour the surface of the top three-dimensionally. Available in four sizes that inspire lively mix-and-match effects, the coffee tables stand on Pewter-coloured tubular steel legs.
Visit Minotti Kuala Lumpur by XTRA Furniture Sdn Bhd at The Gardens Mall.
