As we move into 2021 we are excited to put a spotlight on some of our stunning new furniture suppliers that have joined the RB12 family of brands this year. As you know we are crazy about Italian furniture, with its rich history of ornate design can be traced back to Roman times. But from 1901 onwards it took on a more contemporary style which made it what it is today with a global reputation of artistic vision, innovation, practicality and quality. Italian furniture is all about having space to eat, socialise and gather as a family while in keeping a distinctive style. This means that a lot of products become multi-functional but with a huge scope for personal aesthetic preferences.
Albaplus
This leads us onto our first new supplier Albaplus; a producer of stand out designer chairs and tables. They understand that the term ‘designer’ can be perceived as expensive but they prove otherwise. As manufacturers of designer furniture they have spent a huge amount of time as highly-skilled professionals studying and finessing every last detail of their products. This leaves you with a piece of furniture superior in quality and with a first class finish.
Studio Pang are a design studio who worked alongside Albaplus to create one of their stand out pieces, the Maui chair. It is a strong piece with a lightness of design which creates an extremely elegant chair. The design is available in 5 styles including one perfect for dining, two for lounging, a high stool option and a sofa. They come with a variety of leg options from ash wood to metal, giving you plenty of style options to fit your desired look.
Albaplus only use materials of the highest-quality that provide a distinctive, luxurious finish and create a warm and homely feel.
Cattelan Italia
Cattelan Italia are another new furniture supplier we’ve brought in that are truly masters of their craft. They were founded in the 1970s and are known for producing influential and cutting-edge furniture designs. Their designs are frequently eye-catching and instantly become a focal point in any space. With a rich design history they continue to innovate, and their 2020 collection focusses on elevating those significant details such as the materials, finishes and shapes.
At RB12 we love the Freeway bookcase from Cattelan Italia. It is a modular wall or ceiling hanging bookcase designed by Giorgio Cattelan. The design is a stunning storage solution for your personal belongings. It can be used as a divider to break up the space in a room, but because of its open design does not close off or darken your interior.
Being a modular system you can make it bespoke to your space and choose between lipped shelving, display boxes and varying sizes in brackets and pillars. You can choose from a clean titanium or a bronze embossed lacquered steel finish. You can also select containers in titanium or bronze embossed lacquered wood and stunning fumed glass (a process where the glass is made by putting precious metals between the torch and the glass, releasing fumes that leave a beautiful iridescence!).
Midj
Midj are also joining our portfolio of furniture suppliers, they successfully brought their work from artisanal production to an industrial level, making sure to retain the craftsmanship that isn’t always translated into larger-scale manufacturing.
Italian furniture is about bringing friends and families together (usually with some delicious food involved), so we have selected a new fixed dining table to showcase this new brand. The Lea table has four simply styled legs and a barrel shaped top which comes in either a ceramic or wood finish. This design encompasses Italian elegance with a family-friendly dining experience. With thin lines it gives a contemporary feel, and we can see it being used in a range of different spaces offering great functionality.
The Lea table base is available in a steel finish and you can choose between white, sand, grafite, black or brown, proving again how flexible this piece is. The table top has a variety of options too, including flamed wood, lacquered wood, Venetian glossy ceramic and ceramic marble effects, all in a range of different colours.
Ekip Italia
Founded in the 1900s in the upholstery furniture manufacturing district of Puglia, Italy, our next introduction is Ekip Italia. Now in their second generation, they are determined to look forward and avoid repetition of past styles, making their furniture products more original and contemporary with every new design.
The Butterfly sofa by Ekip Italia is a stunning piece focused first and foremost on comfort. Its slanted arm rests are just exquisite – one look at them and you want to sink back, swing your legs up and snuggle in for the evening. Even when sitting upright in this sofa the reclining headboard can be lifted to offer ultimate comfort, but any mechanics are hidden elegantly leaving a linear, smooth design.
Meme Design
An innovative new company also joining us is young and dynamic Italian furniture makers MEME DESIGN. They produce trendy furniture and accessories that are certainly bold, but always purposeful and practical for a multitude of living spaces. They use iron, a material present in nature and transform it into soft, sinuous shapes. They are proud of their ‘made in Italy’ status which means they have a passion for things done well and with beauty, and a care for the relationship with the piece to its surroundings.
We’ve all learnt this year how important outside spaces are, and because of this we have decided to highlight MEME Design’s new outdoor table range, Ermione Outdoor. This collection of metal tables was designed by Gianmarco Codato and Luciano Tevisiol and they have a light yet solid structure.
This design is treated by a cataphorensis process where it is coated by electrically charged particals, giving it a high resistance to atmospheric forces and corrosion. This process is followed by painting and is available in 15 vibrant sample colours. There are three different sizes to choose from; 50cm, 65cm and 90cm in width and varying heights. You can even bring this style indoors with their interior version.
Sancal
Italian furniture is by no means the extent of our furniture appreciation at RB12. One of our newest suppliers is Spanish manufacturer Sancal. They have a unique approach to design which makes their products fun and stimulating. They are committed to working with external designers to enrich their ideas and take them outside of their comfort zone – something we can safely say their furniture itself does NOT do.
They embrace joyful, bright colours which celebrates their versatility of upholstery. They have a strong sustainability ethos utilising solar panels, avoiding noxious chemicals, creating ageless products…you name it, they’re thinking about it.
The Mosaico bench is a great example that showcases their work. Working with studio Yonah, a company based in Valencia, they created this piece inspired by their hometown city which is renowned for its ceramic tiles.
The base made of ash is available in five different sizes which can then be topped with either marble or wooden benches crowned with soft upholstered cushions. There is an optional back piece which can transform it into a mini-sofa, and with a variety of different additions you can customise this modular piece to suit a range of spatial configurations.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about some of our new suppliers and have been inspired by some of their stand-out pieces. Look out for next months article where we will be focusing on the new years home accessory trends and highlighting some more of our new additions to RB12.
Written by: Kate Nannery