Designer Guides
Designer Profiles
Arper
Arper are a renowned Italian design house who specialise in functional seating and tables. Initially established as a producer of predominantly leather chairs, Arper soon branched out to incorporate more contemporary materials. 20 years on and they have gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the industry's major innovators.
Clean Modern Design
The ethos at Arper is simple; innovation, design, comfort, technology. They uphold this straightforward mission statement with a range of furniture full of modern sophistication coupled with comfortable classic design. This is particularly epitomised in what is arguably Arper's most recognisable contemporary range of chairs, the Catifa.
Catifa Chair Range
The Catifa collection utilises contemporary minimalist design to great effect. This versatile range of modern seating encompasses a range of styles and shapes, all of which resonate with the same simplistic core principles. It also offers an evolutionary leap from the equally flexible Pamplona range, which was the signature piece for Arper during the 1990's and remains popular to this day.
The Arper Catifa 53 and its newer cousin the Catifa46 adopt a singular moulded form, which can in turn be customised using different materials, colours and bases. Incorporating a standard 4 leg model, a swivel version and what Arper refer to as a 'sled' support, these versatile modern chairs are equally at home in the dining room as they are in the office.
The newest additions to the Catifa range are the Catifa 70 and 80, which offer a more laidback lounge feel. These larger padded seats offer a more luxurious comfort to others in the collection, and once again these chairs are produced incorporating numerous materials and bases. The more compact Catifa 70 also comes with a matching foot stool to further enhance the comfort offered by the highly stylised contemporary design.
Innovative Contemporary Furniture
Far from being a one-trick pony Arper have continued to diversify their designs over the years. Extravagant yet practical designs such as the Leaf collection, which incorporates a standard chair, lounge seat and even an ergonomically sculpted chaise longue - all produced from thin painted steel, mimicking the skeletal structure of a leaf - maintain Arper's reputation as a leading innovative force is modern design.
Dining Table Collection
To complete the designer dining experience, Arper have produced a number of tables that compliment the clean curves of their seating range. The Duna, Dizzie and Eolo dining tables each follow a fairly similar and hugely effective blueprint. The Duna is part of a collective group, designed to compliment the enveloping design of the chairs from the same set. The Dizzie and Eolo designs are largely distinguished by their bases, with the Eolo coming with a four star support and the Dizzie featuring a rounded structure. The Dizzie table also distinguishes itself with the inclusion of a smaller table with shorter base, ideal for a more decorative function, within the range.
As with most of Arper's products, the range of tables comes in an almost endless array of choices to help ensure a bespoke dining set that compliments any living space. All 3 tables are available with double supports for the longer designs and single struts for the more diminutive shapes. Likewise they all feature an oval shaped top, although the Dizzie is also available with a squared surface. Regardless of subtle nuances, these pieces are all designs of the highest calibre and showcase the enduring design legacy that Arper are producing.
Environmentally Friendly Production
Arper may make a big impact in terms of their designs; however they are one of a growing number of design houses looking to ensure they don't have the same effect on the environment. Continually striving to increase their green credentials, Arper have made great strides in producing quality furniture from recycled materials in an environmentally friendly environment. They have achieved a number of recognised accreditations for their efforts including UNI EN ISO 14001:2004 as recently as November 2006.
