Boffi|DePadova: The Paul Smith + De Padova EVERYDAY LIFE collection and Boffi Case System 5.0 kitchen presentation

Clean lines, sophisticated comfort and a rigorous attention to detail are the leitmotifs of the design proposal for EVERYDAY LIFE that is organised around upholstered furniture – the first element of conjunction between the language of fashion and that of design – and which expands to include accessory pieces such as coffee tables, benches, blanket, and trays. Details are entrusted here with the task of creating narrative connections and paying homage to the value of craftsmanship. These playful but discreet touches do not contradict the clean elegance of the whole, while adding an unexpected element to timeless design. Sofas, armchairs, and poufs are marked by contrasting stitching that translate the designer's origins into an evocative motif of sartorial know-how. Leather straps are tied to the wooden frame of the upholstery to complete the design, while functional pockets attached to the armrest can hold newspapers. The same seams are found in the furnishing accessories such as the leather benches and trays. For the low tables, there is a meeting of materials – wood and stone – that recalls in an understated way the iconic stripes of Paul Smith. Moving to the kitchen world, when Piero Lissoni designed Case 5.0 in 2002, he made a point of presenting it to the public at the Caproni industrial shed outside Milan. Here a long-forgotten master designer and aviation pioneer named Gianni Caproni had produced generations of airplanes — classics in terms of performance and design. This was an unusual way to announce a new approach to kitchens, but it was ahead of its time, like everything that bears the Boffi and Lissoni names. The 5 cm thickness of the Case 5.0 cabinet doors — enclosing the natural walnut wood drawers — incorporates an 8 mm section that frames it, becoming its handle. The thickness and mass of the doors endow it with a special tactile sense of solidity. This year, new features are being introduced: cantilevered kitchen peninsulas extending up to 180 cm. and new materials for doors and countertops such as MDi by Inalco with new and exclusive colours, Lost Woods – Indian rosewood, Datuk ebony and teak and such absolute novelties — selected by Piero Lissoni — as Easy Metals and glossy polyesters.