Functional, modern and minimal, these are the office solutions from B&B Italia and Knoll
Modern and refined aesthetics, functionality and innovative materials come together in finding the perfect solution to create a home office, a home corner in which to work. The new demands dictated by extended smart working have changed the way spaces are perceived and experienced, moving more and more toward the need for intimate corners in which to focus on one’s work but without sacrificing comfort and style.
Thus, places arise in domestic spaces to recreate what is left behind in the office. All of this contextualized and harmonized with the rest of the house, leaving out no detail.
The choice for many falls to furnishing these new work areas by opting for iconic design pieces, timeless items that embellish the environment while also going beyond their utility. This is precisely why we rely on leading office furniture design companies to choose timeless pieces. Items that we can also find in luxury hotels, international airport lounges and the world’s most prestigious companies.
This is the case with Knoll and B&B italia, two multinational design companies whose proposals have changed the vision of space in offices.
Knoll is a furniture manufacturing company founded in New York in 1938 by Hans G. Knoll, a German furniture industrialist who moved to the United States. It is known internationally for its unwavering dedication to modern design, evident in all of its collections of armchairs, sofas, chairs, tables, and residential furniture as well as those for office environments. For nearly 80 years, Knoll has remained true to the Bauhaus design philosophy, to which founders Hans and Florence Knoll belonged, that modern furniture should complement architectural space without competing with it.
Instead, the result of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli’s entrepreneurial vision, the B&B Italia Group, founded in 1966, has built its success on its ability to represent contemporary culture through design and to anticipate trends, in a constant attempt to respond to the evolution of taste and living needs.
Albini desk by Knoll, a mix of rationalist design philosophy and minimalist aesthetics
A product born in 1958 that has never lost its appeal. The Albini desk, named afterarchitect Franco Albini himself, combines glass, steel and wood with surprising clarity and balance. A clear demonstration of rationalist design philosophy and minimalist aesthetics, the design derives its appeal from simplicity of form and enhancement of material, without extraneous ornamentation. The simplicity of the chrome-plated tubular steel frame with transparent crystal top and the refined drawer unit in black-stained oak essence, also available in white lacquer, equipped with an open compartment in the back and two drawers with a handle-less front, but with a drawer side grip in the front, make this minimalist desk, built on the shine of crystal and the lightness of steel particularly versatile, perfect in both rational and classically furnished environments.
Platner table by Knoll, between functionality and decorative sophistication
Hundreds of shaped rods welded to circular frames that become both structure and ornament at the same time. This is the main feature of the tables in the Platner collection, designed byU.S. architect Warren Platner in 1966, elegantly designed, harmonious and decorative elements inspired by bundles of wheat. The metal frame is complemented by the preciousness of the transparent or bronze-colored crystal top with beveled edges. The Platner table is the designer’s attempt to infuse modernism with “the kind of decorative, gentle, graceful design that appeared in period styles such as Louis XV.” Although it is an item designed in the 1960s, its essence is timeless. In the living room of the home as well as in a contract environment, it stands out for the ease with which it integrates with the rest of the furnishings to which it is juxtaposed, without disappointing the expectations of those who choose such a refined product.
Rigor and lightness, the watchwords for Iuta office chairs by B&B Italia
Comfortable and ergonomic, the Iuta swivel chair, designed byarchitect Antonio Citterio in 2000, has a contemporary profile and is as well suited to the living environment as it is to the office. That model, which has become iconic for B&B Italia, brings the rigor of workspaces into the home and is distinguished by the soft lines of the aluminum perimeter profile. The lightness of the steel mesh of the backrest and the nimble design of the spokes make it particularly attractive even in the domestic setting. The seat features a technical metal mesh shell finished with polished anodized profile. With or without armrests, it provides extraordinary comfort. The Iuta seat is also available with a wide selection of bases, making it ideal as an office executive chair. Various models include one made of chrome-plated tubular or four-spoke with fixed height or five-spoke with adjustable height. The chairs have a padded seat while the small chairs also have an optional padded backrest to provide more comfortable support.
Sina, B&B Italia’s seat as enveloping as a hug
Modern, functional and always current. The Sina seating collection, created by German designer Uwe Fischer in 1999, is a swivel armchair with a four-spoke aluminum frame in two versions: with wheels and a height-adjustable seat or with a fixed seat without wheels. The unique seat and back shell is made of thermoplastic material and is distinguished by its flowing lines and strong contemporary character. Among its special features is the ability to adjust the height of the chair through a gas-spring operated control mechanism. Available in both fabric and leather upholstery, it is a particularly versatile seat, suitable both for embellishing home environments with timeless style and for functionally and aesthetically sophisticated furnishing of business settings.
