The “casa dei topi” (house of mice) is an open space full of books, hidden in a Milanese courtyard. The wording that welcomes visitors at the entrance – La casa dei topi, in fact – is not meant to warn those who enter, but ironically indicates the owners of the space, the founders of the publisher of young adults’ books “Topipittori” and of Calamus, a company specializing in design communication.

A large window frames a small internal garden full of plants. Illustrated fairy tales and books about the masters of architecture and design are scattered everywhere. Zoboli and Canton are the editors of Quaderni Paola Lenti, a series conceived to depict the philosophy that inspires and guides the company’s choices.

A project beyond the ordinary: many texts, images created by illustrators and artists, eco-friendly papers. “Produce well and with a sense of responsibility, this is the thought we want to share and spread with Quaderni”, is the synthesis of Paola Lenti.

The Quaderno Twiggy and Diade, with its essential graphics and illustrations digitally elaborated by Studio Fludd, retraces the steps that led to the development of Twiggy, an innovative single-material polypropylene yarn, and later on of Diade, the weight-bearing material obtained by coupling a rigid plate with a fabric made of Twiggy. Indeed, innovation lays in both materials being fully recyclable.

The experimentation of performing materials goes hand in hand with the attention to craftsmanship. The second Quaderno, Eres, actually reflects this dimension: it is a journey to discover ancient cultivation techniques and fibers such as linen and hemp, protagonists of the new Paola Lenti collection along with other more exotic ones such as bamboo, raffia, igusa and abaca.

Fil rouge of Quaderni is the path undertaken over the years in the direction of greater sustainability. “It is one of the cornerstones that prompted the company to talk about itself,” says Giovanna Zoboli. “In the case of Twiggy and Diade, sustainability is expressed in recyclability and durability, in Eres in the use of completely natural materials, for both upholsteries and paddings, processed, wherever possible, in the places of origin and without resorting to chemical treatments”.

The Eres collection contains an invitation to care: for the environment and for the products, which are delicate because they are natural and therefore need to be treated with particular attention.

Attention and care equally feature the layout of Quaderni Paola Lenti: natural paper, no glue, pages sewn together with a recyclable cotton thread.  “Eres illustrations are penned by Lucia Pescador, an artist who interprets nature in a personal and poetic way”, concludes Giovanna Zoboli.

L'articolo Interview with the editors of the Quaderni Paola Lenti <br>“Research on materials makes the difference” proviene da Paola Lenti.

Large windows, exposed bricks, a space distributed on three levels that “climbs” on an uphill road: the new Paola Lenti store in Sydney features a contemporary layout with an unparalleled visual impact.
Opened beginning of November, it is located in the heart of Darlinghurst, one of the trendiest city districts and home to a lively cultural life, full of art galleries, theaters and bistros.

The exhibited collections are the result of a careful selection from the chromatic palette, the hallmark of the Meda-based company. Tradition and innovation blend within the fabrics and coverings linked by the same colour shades: the new recyclable Twiggy yarn for the sofas, the Rope cord, one of the first exclusive materials developed by Paola Lenti, for the armchairs, baskets and rugs.

Outdoor yarns and materials, in which technique and beauty, handcraft and practicality blend together, such as Diade, a load-bearing material that stands out for its endurance and recyclability or Chain, the tubular knit used to create the weave of the Ami armchairs. Moreover, tables in shimmering colours in lava stone, either glazed or molded with glass, which are made unique by handcraft production techniques.

On the store windows, the trademark of de de ce sticks out, a historical group founded in the late 1970s as Danish Design Centre to introduce Scandinavian design in Australia, and that later on became a reference for international design in the Country.

All around the store, the new artistic center of Darlinghurst with its colourful streets: a cultural environment in tune with the brand of Paola Lenti, always oriented to poise creativity, beauty and innovation. 

PAOLA LENTI – DE DE CE

263 Liverpool Street – 2010 Darlinghurst – Sydney

tim@dedece.com

L'articolo Paola Lenti opens in Darlinghurst, the trendy district in Sydney proviene da Paola Lenti.

Giancarlo Morelli, star chef and owner of the eponymous restaurant and the Bulk Bar & Mixology a Milano, finds inspiration for his cuisine in the landscape and its colours.
In this respect, he and Paola Lenti are alike: the enchantment of nature shines through the collection of the company based in Meda as well and colour has always been its hallmark. “A Paola Lenti armchair can look alike my interpretation of a vegetable terrine, that I named Millefiori just like the pouf” says the chef lightheartedly.

To reproduce that essential bond with nature that both cultivate and embed in their projects, Morelli asked Paola Lenti to redesign the terrace of his Milanese restaurant-bar and to create the fairytale atmosphere of a forest in tune with the flow of seasons.
This way, among glazed tables and relaxing seatings, guests will savour not only the chef’s dishes, but also the spring atmosphere conveyed by the bright greens, the warmth of the summer carried by the blue and yellow shades, the coming fall with its red and burgundy hues, down to the muffled severity of the winter – grey, ice, snow.

Morelli, of Bergamo origins and with an international experience, inherited his passion for cooking from his mother and “from the female community who took turns in the kitchen at home”.
The bond with the land comes instead from the grandfather and the father, both farmers, although the baptism in the kitchen took place at sea, immediately after graduating from the hotel school, when Morelli, very young, left the steep horizons of his valleys to take off. Paying his duties on American transatlantic liners and an imperative in mind: to smell, to observe and prove himself.

On his return, Morelli is a chef with a discerning palate, he perfects himself at the French school and in 1993, opens his first restaurant, the Pomiroeu in Seregno. Others will follow – in Sardinia and Milan – confirming its success, culminating in 2009 with the recognition of the prestigious Michelin Guide.

Committed to a waste-free cuisine, respectful of nature, two equally essential principles in Paola Lenti’s work, Morelli prefers a balanced cuisine, based on raw material and color: a quality one.
The artistic partnership with Paola Lenti produces a special alchemy: “My cuisine and its furniture are ingredients that come the heart – assures the chef – It’s hard to forget them”.

L'articolo Paola Lenti and the chef Giancarlo Morelli <br>«An alchemy of taste and colours» proviene da Paola Lenti.

The large spaces overlooking the garden of the location seem to be drawn to allow nature to enter into the house, contaminating with its reflections and its nuances – greens, blues, yellows – furniture and furnishings designed for the interiors, creating a dialogue and a game of windows that breaks down the “walls” between indoor and outdoor.

In Paola Lenti’s mental geography, the home appears as a welcoming and gentle place, lively and open to the outdoors, with a sophisticated elegance, never over the top.
Tradition and research go together and blend with unexpected effects: the texture of the new tables in enamelled volcanic lava, which tell about an ancient wisdom, the pop transparencies of the innovative Twiggy yarn that talk about the new choices of sustainability and respect for the environment.

In the garden that surrounds the showroom, next to iconic pieces of the company such as Harbour, the modular sofa awarded with the Red Dot Award 2021, are the new collections such as Eres: sofas, chaise longue and outdoor beds in natural and eco-friendly fabrics, with soft and restful colours. Easily convertible into indoor complements, with a pleasant cocoon effect.       

Morelli’s Bulk Mixology Bar enchanted forest

Giancarlo Morelli, Michelin-one star chef and owner of the Bulk restaurant and the Bulk Mixology Bar in Milan (via Aristotile Fioravanti 4) to furnish the exterior of his restaurant has chosen chairs, tables and sofas by Paola Lenti in different shades and materials, with a fairy-tale effect deliberately contrasting with the “male” sobriety of the interiors.

Salvioni’s terraces

Three ways to see the terrace, three atmospheres created with different furniture and colours. Paola Lenti illustrates her vision of greenery in the city with an installation in Salvioni Milano’s showroom (via Durini 3 Milan), open until October 31th. Three terraces overlooking the inner courtyard of the store, each one level, as if they were coloured snapshots that, going up the beautiful ancient staircase, finally create a panoramic view.

The “garden terrace” on the first floor plays with the green hues: a shady place (Resort collection) and dedicated to relax (Harbour sofa and Ami armchairs). A few steps, and a blue oasis appears – a city-graceful style – with cosy armchairs (Nido collection), and glazed tables (Sciara).

On the third floor, where the view extends beyond the roofs, visitors will find the new Eres collection. Designed for outdoor use, but with its natural fabrics and the soothing tones of ecru, sage and dust, it pleasantly creeps into the interior spaces, occupying the volumes with the maxi sofa Frei and the clean lines of Vespucci furniture (armchairs and sofas). A natural chill-out room (raw linen, hemp delavé, bamboo and natural woods characterize the furniture), away from the buzz of the city center.

Showroom Paola Lenti – Via Po 100 A, Meda

Ristorante Morelli-Bulk  | Bulk Mixology Bar– Via Aristotile Fioravanti 4, Milan

Salvioni Milano Durini – Via Durini 3 – Milano
until October 31th

L'articolo Paola Lenti renews her showroom <br>and brings nature into the home proviene da Paola Lenti.

A curator of international exhibitions, visual artist and teacher, Chunghie Lee was born and lives in Seoul.

An Asian cultural and financial epicenter with 12 million inhabitants, Seoul is the capital of South Korea. A city of great contrasts and an authentic passion for art, it offers uninterrupted centuries-old traditions and digital technology, next-generation creativity and a certain conformist rigor. For example, Gyeongbokgung, the royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, is surrounded by many tall buildings constructed using avant-garde methods, overlooking a piazza – Gwanghwamun Square – where one can see people of all ages, dressed in extremely varied fashion, from classic suits to hanboks, a traditional Korean garment.

Paola Lenti is present in Seoul in a new showroom, opened in collaboration with Sanhyuk, in the area of Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, an area full of art and culture. The exhibition space, minimal and illuminated by natural light, delicately emphasizes – in a palette of neutral colors as well as in the green shades of the furnishings – a search for spontaneous harmony between design and nature.

With an area of 250 square meters, including a terrace with a view overlooking the city, dedicated areas inside and out fluidly flow into one another, separated by transparent moveable wings, offering a panoramic view of the brand’s exclusive furnishings, materials and colors.

Even more than a retail space, this intimate and pared-down spot stands out as a true destination for multisensory relaxation, where customers can let themselves be enveloped by the woodland aromas and be pampered by small, welcoming gestures, such as a tea or a simple refreshment. To be enjoyed amidst the peace of the beautiful terrace. 

PAOLA LENTI – SUNHYUK KOREA

Seoul – 43-1, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu 

paolalentikorea@gmail.com

L'articolo Ancient roots, new perspectives<br> Paola Lenti opens in Seoul proviene da Paola Lenti.

An international jury, composed of over 50 experts linked to the design world, select the best products among thousands of candidates from every part of the world and belonging to the most diverse sectors and access their innovation, usability, formal quality and sustainability content.

A contemporary classic, the Harbour series is designed in the name of elegance and comfort. The ample freedom of composition, the choice of exclusive and sustainable materials and fabrics, such as the Maris fabric that covers the structure and Aerelle® Blue that fills the cushions, are the distinctive features of this collection, a synthesis of innovation, creativity and traditional Italian craftsmanship.

The winning projects will again be part of the traditional collective exhibition that will be set up at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen and that will open to the public on 21^st June next.

For information: Paola Lenti srl – press@paolalenti.it – T. +39 0362 344587

L'articolo Harbour wins the Red Dot Award 2021 proviene da Paola Lenti.

A lot of the wall paintings scattered throughout neighborhoods of Montreal are an homage to the artists who have left their mark on the city or have been inspired by it. One of these is surely Leonard Cohen, the poet and musician who died in 2016, celebrated in one of the city’s most magnetic works: the wall painting by California artist El Mac and local painter Gene Pendon. They were invited to collaborate by MU, the not-for-profit arts organization that, promoting the democratization of art and civic education with walls by artists, wants to turn Montreal into a grand open-air museum. In fact, it’s working: in less than ten years MU has produced more than 80 murals in 15 districts, in addition to approximately 50 works in social-collective settings.

It is in this city of Quebec, the second largest in Canada, that Paola Lenti opened her new flagship store. Created in collaboration with Latitude Nord, the historic distributor of her brand in French-speaking Canada, this space of more than 300 square meters is located at 4404 Saint Laurent Boulevard, a lively artery that divides the city from north to south.

In an industrial setting with large raw concrete columns and sizeable windows that bring in natural light, the showroom unfolds in complete environments, inside and out, that fluidly follow one another, in a sequence articulated by moveable wings and carpets that define and divide the space without separations.

A showroom designed to tell the local community of professionals and design enthusiasts about the company’s history and uniqueness: exclusive textiles and materials available in hundreds of colors, the result of constant research and experimentation; careful manual processes that reclaim the greatest Italian tradition; flexibility and expertise in the creation of products that can be personalized for custom-made environments.

Paola Lenti – Latitude Nord


4410 Boul. St. Laurent – QC H2W 1Z5 Montreal

info@latitudenord.com

L'articolo Paola Lenti is in Montreal, city-museum of culture and nature proviene da Paola Lenti.

How thin must a thread be to deserve to be called Twiggy? When Paola Lenti described to me the multi-filament polypropylene yarn that she uses for her creations, I couldn’t help but think of the English model from the ‘60s – although her allure holds up in spite of the years – who revolutionized the idea of wearability combined with feminine beauty. An esthetic ideal both ethereal and ironic, irremediably tied to the idea of perfection. Twiggy yarn is a potentially infinite line, harmonious, basic. It is modernity, functionality. 

Paola Lenti did not settle for the polypropylene threads already on the market; she wanted to do something more, creating extremely thin floss-like threads less than 2 millimeters thick, impalpable threads that, united in variable numbers, can be twisted, shaped, flattened to accommodate complex weaves and used in rope-like structures that are the designer’s stylistic signature. Assembling such thin threads, it is possible to play with shapes, but also with colors; scores of nuances are obtained by dying polymers in bulk (that is, dyed before being extruded), and uniting filaments of different colors with nearly endless chromatic options. And Twiggy, in particular, is an extremely thin fiber, capable of creating textile structures that, when reinforced, can replace a metal tube or a supporting element of a chair, thanks to its strength and tenacity. 

Cords that become wicker, fabrics that become three-dimensional structures. A result obtained through years of research that have made it possible to identify the best coating process in order to cover and strengthen the Twiggy yarn, making it moldable and extremely resistant and light. Paola Lenti’s Twiggy also has documented characteristics of sustainability. The yarn whose technological features we have praised is plastic. That’s right, widely loathed plastic. For there is no material that is more functional if you want to create objects that are durable and resistant to chemical and environmental pollution, to mold, to bacteria.

Because human imbecility has caused it to become an enormous ecological problem, abandoning it in the environment and in the seas, constructing articles designed to be used only once, even for just a few minutes. A waste, something that makes no sense. Used properly, plastic is an exceptional and fundamental material. Paola Lenti is well aware of this, and with her polypropylene Twiggy she creates chairs, carpets, panels, furnishings and much more. Combined with a 100% polypropylene sheet, Twiggy becomes Diade, a surface that simulates the roughness of fabric. And of course we are speaking of objects conceived to last, to acquire value over time, capitalizing on the investment.

While derived from a non-renewable source, Twiggy has sustainable contents. Paola Lenti talks about manufacturing with low environmental impact, with reduced use of chemical agents, an absence of PFC and phthalates, coating without solvents and the recovery and recycling of production waste. According to the designer’s view, there is room for manmade polymers as long as they are designed and produced to be circular, to ideally last forever, to be bio-based or to derive from their own recycling. An innovative trend that the polymer industry is pursuing with commitment.

The recyclability of polypropylene is a characteristic that has been broadly recognized in the scientific literature, and this could have been sufficient. But Paola Lenti wanted to do something more, subjecting samples of materials to recyclability tests at specialized laboratories. The result was a research project that allowed the Company to identify further lines for the improvement of the performance of the materials, and above all to reassure our clients about the behavior of furnishings and their end-of-life completion. Being mono-material, they are not only recyclable, but can give rise to a new, high-quality polymer, avoiding the production of non-renewable virgin materials.

Paola Lenti has utilized the methods indicated by regulation Iso 14021:2016 and has studied its own environmental claims, validated by an audit carried out last December by an accredited third party, Centrocot spa. To communicate the recyclability of its products, the Company has decided to use a Möbius triangle: simple and thorough, known internationally. We are accustomed to seeing the triangle formed by three arrows on packaging, and it seems strange to see it, for example, on a valuable chair. Instead, from now on every Paola Lenti product will be accompanied by the distinctive symbol of recyclability, as confirmation of the desire to clearly communicate to our clients the undeniable value of circularity.

Not only this: the Company is also collecting data to map throughout the world collectors and recyclers of polymers, in order to offer buyers correct instructions so they might dispose of products at the end of their life. Even though, as a consummate example of “Made in Italy,” Paola Lenti’s design has no planned obsolescence: it comes into the world to offer visual and functional joy of unlimited duration.

[Translated from Italian by Marguerite Shore]

Twiggy and Diade, the recyclable mono-materials of the outdoor collection

find out more

L'articolo Paola Lenti’s filamentary philosophy proviene da Paola Lenti.

“I want young girls to see themselves represented in such a positive and uplifting way.”

Phathu Nembilwi, 26 years old. The Johannesburg-based illustrator celebrates the beauty and strength of young women, urging them, through her vibrant graphic art, to express themselves freely. Since 2017 Phathu Nembilwi is the artistic director of the Phathu Designs agency.

Founded in 1886 in Witwatersrand region, Johannesburg has grown from its origins as a European gold miners outpost to a city with more than 5 million inhabitants. Today it is the largest city in South Africa and bustles with activity, restaurants, sophisticated shops, galleries and theatres.

Creatives and design enthusiasts should explore the Maboneng district, with its Museum of African Design, the artist studios of Victoria Yards and August House, but also don’t miss out on the hipster neighbourhood of Braamfontein with its many contemporary art galleries.

The brand new Pola Lenti flagship store is located in Craighall, inside Il Lusso – Italian Luxury Living: an exclusive emporium of more than 5000 square meters designed by Paragon Architects and Jean Du Rand Interior Architects. A place that promotes the best of contemporary ‘Made in Italy’ design with the aim of becoming the essential point of reference for local architects and interior designers.

IL LUSSO
39 Commerce Crescent, Kramerville Sandton, 2031 Johannesburg, South Africa

info@illusso.co.za

L'articolo Color, art and vitality<br> Paola Lenti opens in Johannesburg proviene da Paola Lenti.

For the first time this year, the Best of Year Awards were announced during a virtual ceremony, which reached and brought together thousands of people online and which was hosted by Cindy Allen, editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Hammock is an outdoor lounge chair inspired by its swinging namesake, typical of the tropical beaches; it represents a contemporary interpretation of a traditional object, easy to transport and comfortable, conveying an immediate feeling of leisure and relaxation. Hammock marries the qualities of an industrially construed structure with the gently draped, handcrafted seat.

Produced in pre-set colour combinations, Hammock can also be customized according to the client’s requirements, thanks to the wide range of exclusive colours of the Rope cord used to weave the seat.

For further information: Paola Lenti srl – press@paolalenti.it – T. +39 362 344587

L'articolo Interior Design’s Best of Year Awards 2020. proviene da Paola Lenti.

“I have always appreciated diversity. I believe American culture is founded on diversity and for this reason it is still very dynamic and stimulating. I grew up in what you might call an unfortunate part of Los Angeles where there wasn’t much to do but experience diversity, go to different places and hear different stories.”

Robert Redford

Founded by Spanish settlers in 1542, Los Angeles is a multi-ethnic city, home to people from more than 140 countries. After Miami, L.A. is the second largest number of foreign-born inhabitants and it is therefore no surprise that over 224 different languages are spoken. Known throughout the world for its ‘Hollywood’ entertainment industry, L.A. is also famous for its lively street culture.

This Californian city that, despite its many contradictions, more than any other embodies the American dream, is where Paola Lenti opens a new flagship store in collaboration with Robina Benson Design.

It is an area of more than 450 square meters in a prime location along Melrose Avenue, the famous street that runs through Los Angeles, from Beverly Hills to Silver Lake.

The blend of shapes and materials together with the apt choice of the distinctive bright colours of the collection designed by Paola Lenti for Los Angeles, once again shows the company’s ability to be tune in with its surroundings, without ever imposing, establishing a constructive dialogue that allows the creation of unique solutions all over the world, each time customized in different ways.

PAOLA LENTI L.A. BY ROBINA BENSON
8311 Melrose Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90069, USA

 robina@robinabenson.com

L'articolo The city of thousand faces<br> Paola Lenti opens in Los Angeles proviene da Paola Lenti.

“Some Japanese stories end violently. Others never end at all, but only cut away, at the moment of extreme crisis, to a butterfly, or the wind, or the moon.”

Brian Phillips, The Passenger – Japan, Iperborea

Tokyo is a fascinating megalopolis, as well as the largest urban economy in the world. Its numerous neighbourhoods are like small towns, each with a distinct character.

The exclusive district of Minami-Aoyama, located at the intersection of Aoyama-dōri and Omotesandō, the long tree-lined avenue leading to the Meiji Shinto shrine, has over the years become the centre for Tokyo’s commercial development and a link between Japanese and western cultures.

And this neighbourhood is now home to Paola Lenti’s flagship store, which pays homage to the traditional karesansui garden, where natural elements dominate the composition. Large Mandala movable backdrops create welcoming environments, discreet yet open towards each other, telling a story of intuition, innovation, and products of yesterday and today.

Paola Lenti is already present in Tokyo in the nearby Hiroo district, where she informally furnishes the lounge on the first floor and the Paola Lenti Cafè in a 1960s building that has been restored and transformed into an urban meeting place.

PAOLA LENTI MINAMI AOYAMA

1F 5-10-17 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku – Tokyo 107-0062 – Japan

info@paolalenti.jp

L'articolo Tradition and innovation<br> Paola Lenti opens in Tokyo proviene da Paola Lenti.