Fluidity and flexibility: dreams of magnitude in the bedroom

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Flou, Gaudì collection, design Matteo Nunziati, courtesy Flou

By thinking spaces through with a multifunctional approach, the bedroom world is now taking over the whole house. As told by Bolzan Letti, Flou and Poliform

The past year has been a positive one for the bedroom brands, thanks to a silent revolution that has seen the spaces traditionally used for sleep branch out and broaden their horizons. “In 2021 Bolzan Letti consolidated the objectives we achieved in 2020, partly thanks to clients at both national and international level that have increasingly become partners,” said Elisabetta Bolzan, who founded the brand along with her mother Emilia in the early ‘90s. “For instance, right during the pandemic and when Brexit was at its height, we began a major collaboration with a well-known London client.” On a financial front, sales rose 54% in Italy and 45% abroad last year: “It’s fair to say that this positive trend looks likely to continue during 2022. We are confident, because the company has taken some major steps.”

2_blozanletti_flag_ruga_perissinotto_salone — Bolzan Letti, desk Flag, design ruga.perissinotto, ph. Paolo Contratti

It is these unprecedented couple of years that have actually driven innovation in the bedroom world: “Ironically, lockdown made everyone to take a fresh look at their homes, which we know have become places for study, work and getting together in the evening. Even bedrooms have adapted to these new rhythms, and from rooms dedicated to rest they have also become workspaces for many people, especially those who are smartworking and living in small settings. We therefore tried to come up with accessories that could be integrated in an ergonomic manner. This spawned a desk that takes up as little space as possible, without curbing its use.” An optimisation exercise that was quickly applied to all the existing spaces in the room: “The bedside table was integrated with the bed, so as to provide further simple but practical surfaces, that would not take up too much space. Bedrooms are getting smaller, but we cannot take away from the comfort of sleep, given that we spend a third of our lives resting,” added Ms Bolzan.

In 2022, as in 2021, the company continued with its decision to produce a collection of bed linen, the Alpagota blanket in particular, which is made from wool from the Alpago sheep, native to the countryside near the Bolzan Letti headquarters in Belluno, which is in danger of extinction: “We have always worked on sophisticated but sustainable products, using wood from reforestation programmes and materials such as coconut slabs and wool wadding, while pursuing material recycling policies,” she said. With an eye to sustainability, Bolzano Letti will present a re-edition of its Flag model, produced with sustainable materials: “We will also launch a new model, Gabri, designed by Matteo Zorzenoni, made in leather. I suspect it will become a true bedroom icon. We will also be unveiling the Marti model, a bed not just for sleeping in, designed by e-ggs studio. This year, we will also be introducing some new daybeds, designed to complement other rooms too, but these are now products that are also very well suited to teenagers’ bedrooms.”

4_flou_gaudi_nunziata_salone — Flou, collezione Gaudì, design Matteo Nunziati, courtesy Flou

As its President Massimiliano Messina says, Flou also has some new things up its sleeve, after an extremely positive 2021: “We shot well above 2019’s turnover and made good all the negative effects of the pandemic period. Right now the difficulty in obtaining materials is making itself felt, impacting negatively on growing production and deliveries, but there’s no shortage of orders.” As regards the future and now-established trends, the fluidity of spaces remains uppermost: “For several years now we’ve ceased to think about “rooms” per se - homes have become multifunctional places, and their furnishing demands a global approach. It’s a trend that became further embedded during the pandemic – homes are no longer just the places we “go back to” after a hard day or even just to sleep, but places in which all types of activities are carried out, from work to socialising with friends and family.” This has also informed upcoming launches and new products: “We are creating collections suited to homes in the round, from bedrooms to living rooms to outdoors – a common aesthetic hallmark, a unique and harmonious style, always focused on the characteristics that have always been the strongpoint of our production: the comfort, pleasure and wellbeing that our products offer their users. Without going into further detail about the new products we’ll be presenting at the upcoming Salone del Mobile, this is certainly the case with Gaudí, designed by Matteo Nunziati, which includes beds, sofas and armchairs in both indoor and outdoor versions.”

3_poliform_lexington_massoud_salone — Poliform, Lexington system, design Jean-Marie Massaud, photo courtesy

The silence of bedrooms will also play a large part in the stunning Poliform display at the Salone del Mobile.Milano, thanks to two very different suites interposed with a walk-in closet section conceived like an atelier: “A large architectural chandelier hangs over this microcosm given over to beauty and self-care, illuminating the well-equipped cupboards that define its perimeter and allow the light to flood into the surrounding environment through the glass doors.” The positive approach of the brand’s CEO, Giovanni Anzani, is in line with that of his colleagues: “2021 closed with surprising results. The pandemic has thrown the home into sharp relief and the furnishing sector scored higher profits than the fashion sector. 2022 started on a strong high, although I don’t doubt that the lack of raw materials such as timber, aluminium and oil derivatives as well as crucial paper for packaging will lead to some slowdowns. Then there are transport costs, which have almost quadrupled. There may be some difficult months ahead, but I’m sure we’ll be able to harness the tenacity and perseverance that distinguishes our entire sector.” For Poliform too, the key to the current bedroom world, and for looking to the future is flexibility: “Lightness and modularity – and of course transparency – are concepts that have always been embedded in Poliform’s DNA. Now the evolution of Poliform’s furnishings and the above concepts, finds its finest expression in Lexington, a system with a powerfully architectural feel.” Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud and Poliform’s R&D department, the Lexington bedroom system is characterised by the uprights onto which shelves, drawers and other equipment can be attached, to create bookshelves in the sitting room area and walk-in wardrobes in the bedroom area: “With its infinite flexibility in terms of dimensions, potential settings and finishes, Lexington marks an evolution in the world of systems, with an eye to the total integration of all the different spaces within the home.”