When kids become teens... single beds become larger

If you have children turning 13, and legitimately becoming teenagers, I'm sure you know you'll sooner or later receive a request for a complete bedroom make over.

If you're not there yet, don't worry it won't take long. It's that moment in your kids life when their bedrooms slightly transform from a kids bedroom into a grownup one, for the teen they suddenly became. It's time to seriously make some changes, starting from covering pastel coloured walls with any kind of posters, removing all the stuffed animals and welcoming at the same time huge powerful stereos, computers, books and photos with friends.

If some of your kids items will pass the test of time there's one specific piece of furniture that will not and that is: the bed.

Especially if their bed is one of those models with childish colours and embarrassing patterns with flowers and bees. The best alternative is a large single bed, maybe a fully equipped model like Purple which integrates to the bed frame a wall panel with light and nightstand.

Measurements of a Large Single Bed

The size of a large single bed is generally thought for a 120 centimetres mattress, often confused with a French bed which has a width of 140 cm.

According to the model and the manufacturer the overall dimensions may change from 130 to 160 centimetres.

For example Sharpei super soft bed is available with a size of 156 cm of width. Pretty big for a single bed!

If you want something smaller, Point bed is a fine solution with its width of 136 cm. Of course the total width depends on the model, if for Sharpei bed the extra "fluffy" look will result in a bigger size, Point has a bed-ring reduced to a minimum, with the frame almost adhering the perimeter of the mattress.

Models

Just like standard double beds, large single beds can be chosen in different models. Nowadays almost all double beds are also offered in large single models, because teens need their share of design and trendy furniture.

Among the proposed models, Point (the yellow one) is the perfect solution for a narrow teen bedroom. It's good to have a larger bed but it does not have to take up the whole room!

Leave some room for other furniture, enough space for the kids to study or enjoy their spare time, alone or with friends.

Another great space saving solution would be a large single bed with storage box just like Becket.

Colours

The range of colours and materials is pretty huge: for each model you can have endless possibilities of customization meeting every kind of tastes and needs. 

Whether it is for a girl with a great passion for pink shades or a guy who loves Italian design furniture, the choice is potentially unlimited. The covers of upholstered beds include fabrics with different range of pink tones, and for older kids it is also possible to opt for a leather or eco-leather cover in a trendy colour.

A tour inside the living room: which kind of furniture do we need?

There is a reason why we chose to focus on the living room for our first post: the part of the house in which you welcome guests and which you experience the most should reflect your personality at its highest degree. And two should be the keywords when thinking about choosing your living room furniture: functionality and relax.

But what do we mean with them? Let's have a quick look.

Functionality: inside the living room several objects and accessories find their perfect place, therefore it is imperative to organize spaces by choosing space-saving solutions. Shelves, bookcases, displays and several other storage wall or floor standing units are the answers.

Relax: spare time and living room go hand in hand. For this reason, make room for Tvs, audio systems, DVD-players, PCs and playing consoles by easily organizing them into a single wall system for the living room.

Having said that, let's give you some tips about how to furnish the living room in a well-organized and comfortable way!

Wall Systems

The perfect modular solution for the audio and video area. You can start by choosing simple cabinets with drawers or baskets and then add shelves, floor storage cabinets and wall units, thus creating really customized and modular compositions. Wall systems are passe-partout pieces of furniture, as they allow to meet several space needs, furnishing environments of several measurements, in a variety of styles and configurations. You are free to choose pre-made compositions or individual storage solutions to combine according to your taste and creativity!

The second solution is particularly useful when you need to furnish narrow environments or walls with peculiar measurements.




Be Free FS72

Bookcases

Similar to wall systems, bookcases offer the perfect alternative or complementary solution to them. It is possible to add doors and drawers to the classic bookcases, or choose compositions which allow to integrate televisions and audio systems, thus transforming the bookcase in a wall system.

Another creative way to use these pieces of furniture? Double-sided bookcases to be placed in the middle of the room! A storage and dividing element at the same time, which represents an useful solution for open space living rooms with kitchen, or one-room apartments in which the night and day area cohexist and need to be creatively divided.

Almond High

Sideboard, Cupboards and Displays

First of all, what is the difference between them? A sideboard is a low and long piece of furniture with doors and drawers, traditionally used for tableware; a cupboard is a high storage unit equipped with doors, usually for tableware or serving also the purpose of a bar unit. Displays have a merely expositive function.

Aside from these traditional uses, now sideboards and cupboards have been "re-newed" in their function, thanks to the technological integration of embedded stereo systems and dock stations.

Start

TV Stand Furniture

TV stands are a must: TV stand wall systems, fixed cabinet or with casters, wall panels, low cabinets with drawers, swivel, pull-out and adjustable models, led lighting and audio integrations... should I go further on?

Brick

So, we talked about what you will need to furnish the living room by keeping in mind principles of optimization and comfort. If you have a television, PC, audio system and playing systems, one smart solution would be choosing a single furniture to avoid the risk of overloading the space with several items and scattered wires. Technologically advanced wall systems and TV stands are often specifically designed to organize cables, remotes, webcams, joysticks and other accessories (raise your hand if you have a game-addicted partner and you know what I mean!).

If you have a small environment to be furnished, you can think of choosing a single TV stand or a sideboard which combines all the functions in one single item: storage surface for TVs, books and DVDs, doors for dishes and glasses, compartments for consoles and audio systems.
It is simply a matter of spaces planning and organization, so release your creativity and starts combining with our Italian design furniture solutions!

What's new? The Italian Design Furniture Blog is back!

What did you think, that we left our chair heading to Bahamas? Or maybe that we forgot you.

Absolutely not! 

We were "simply" renovating our contents and now we are back with a new website graphics, new appealing products and departments: furniture for the office, an entirely new collection of bathroom products with the innovative Color Viewer - that will allow you to change the colour of your chosen furniture with a simple click... and this is just the beginning of the story, we have plenty of products available on our website for all price and taste ranges, Italian design furniture at your fingertips!

Do you want to be fully updated on our news? Just follow our blog and don't forget to visit ArredaClick.

Stay tuned for our first post... we will be talking about... no, we don't want to spoil it but we are sure you will like it!

Rotational moulding and pop furniture

Rotational moulding is a technique which allows to mass-produce series of objects made of plastic materials.

Since the 50s this technology has entered in the design and furniture world.

The process consists in filling an hollow mould with polymeric powder, heating it and rotate the mould for twenty minutes at an average temperature of 250°C. In this way the polymer perfectly adheres to the mould internal surface and, once cooled down and consolidated, it will be possible to extract the object simply by opening the mould.

During the second half of 20th Century, several design furniture have been produced using this technique. We gathered some contemporary furniture pieces realized with rotational moulding technique with the purpose to show you its potential.

Proust baroque armchair designed by Alessandro Mendini is an "unfaithful reproduction" of his famous armchair with the same name created in 1978. In 10 years, more than 15 examples have been produced, both made of wood or with hand painted fabric; it was Mendini himself who decided not to "number" the armchairs, like all limited number pieces but simply "sign" them, like works of art.

After 30 years Proust armchair entered mass-production thanks to Magis, a famous Italian brand. The work of art becomes an industrial product in perfect "Pop" style, just like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein wanted.

Another rotational moulding strong point is the ability to create big objects, just like Misses Flower Power large vase designed by Philippe Stark for Kartell. Stark's purpose is to approach design to general public by going beyond the concept of "elite". Rotational moulding was here applied for the first time with a polycarbonate material. It's a certain fact that the introduction of plastic materials in the furniture field has been (and still is) a great help for Stark and his "dream": quality furniture for everyone.

On Spun rotating armchair designed by Thomas Heaterwick for Magis the high qualities of polyethylene are clearly visible: high resistance and insulating features that make it suitable for outdoor furniture as well. Spun armchair has to support the weight of a person who, while seated on it, moves and rotates.

Babel bookcase with asymmetric shelves, designed by Mario Mazzer, looks like a tower, as the name says. The conical trunk-like shape and the irregular lines on the external surface reminds a tree bark.

Bright colours, often primary, are great matched with plastic materials and this bookcase, together with all the other objects present on this page are a fine example.

Since the 50s, when rotational moulding was first used for furniture and design objects, this technique and materials left their mark, increasing design potential and catchment area.

Design wooden furniture: make your living room a warmer place

Exactly one year ago I wrote about wooden beds and how they help creating a warm atmosphere even during the coldest winters.

I don't know what's the weather like wherever you are but here in Italy it definitely looks like winter is coming; these rainy cold days made me think about how a concept like that could perfectly be applied on living room furniture. Wood is a fantastic material, it instantly makes you feel comfortably at home, it warms the environment as well as your heart; moreover they come with the special feature of looking elegant without feeling too rigid, a kind of elegance with a soul.

Design wooden furniture, also thanks to the difference types available, will look great both with a minimal contemporary design and with a more classic one, it's not important which style do you like or which kind of house do you own, the warmth of wood is for everyone.

I played a little bit imagining in which kind of living room I would love to pass my spare time during a snowy winter and which kind of design furniture I'd love to have around me.

I'm proposing you some of them, let me know if you agree with me.

Let's start with Logic adjustable TV stand panel available in different wood types. Logic can be fixed to a wall, in this way you can take advantage of the space at disposal in the best way. Moreover, thanks to its mechanical arm it can extend and rotate, allowing to view the TV from different points of view.

Logic adjustable TV stand panel

Millerighe ash solid wood coffee table is perfect to warm the environment, even all by itself, thanks to the particular composition of irregular laths and the different wooden finishes.High quality finishes, modern design and the stability given by the solid wood structure make Millerighe a great choice especially matched with Millerighe console table.

Millerighe coffee table and console table

Tables are important elements in living room furniture and I think Cover elliptical solid wood table fully embraces my concept. Characterized by a simple polished style, the particular structure is particularly convenient since even the people sitting at the head of the table will have enough space at disposal to dine, is there anything better than spending winter days with your friends around a fully set table?

Cover elliptical table

Lastly, we have Tween 04 wall system with shelves, a great way of furnishing a whole wall with all the necessary space to organize books, decorative objects as well as glasses or bottles. This particular combination gives you the possibility to match two different finishes, for two-coloured solutions. 

Tween 04 wall system with shelves

Table lamps with multiple purposes

Table lamps, just like any other domestic objects, are designed to have multiple purposes: multifunctionality is a great feature which we usually find in modern styled furniture, infact they don't just aim to be useful and convenient (apart from being aesthetically pleasant of course), but they also look for a combination of different uses in the same element.

Italian design table lamps are object we use in different places, but in particular as the name says they are used on "tables", and with tables I mean desks, nightstands, consolle tables...

Lamps are placed on surfaces with different uses; on a desk, for example, we can have different electronic devices, as well as traditional working instruments such as pens, pencils, rubbers, markers.

On a nightstand we often find different objects which do not belong to the bedroom, maybe creating some mess around; other that the usual inevitable mobile-phones (what if something happens while we're sleeping?), a whole bunch of remote controls (the Tv, the stereo, the air conditioning...), we can still find place for mp3 players, glasses, magazines, a book (or an ebook reader perhaps?). Do you have something else on your nightstand?

If the answer is yes, you'll be glad to know that table lamps can now offer you other functions, additional to the obvious one (lighting): they can gather, in a single "storage unit", all the different objects that otherwise will have to roam around your tables, avoiding confusion and mess while offering at the same time a charging base for your technological devices.

Evo modern metal table lamp by Calligaris does that and in a highly stylish way; its particular shapes, obtained from a single element of metal sheet, don't prevent its multi-purposes feature, thanks to the classy and convenient change tray on the base.

Evo table lamp by Calligaris with change tray

Joyo multifunctional lamp, other than being able to contain objects, comes with an USB switch. In this way you can charge your technological devices such as mobile-phones, mp3 players or ebook readers; all things that should never miss on a desk or on a nightstand. The wide selection of colours available makes it particularly funny and adaptable to every kind of environments.

Joyo multifunctional lamp - version with classic finish

Joyo multifunctional lamp - version with Lightcolours finish

Folding and extending tables: adapt furniture to narrow spaces

Small rooms and environments are a characteristic of nowadays flats, the space at disposal seems to drastically reduce and while a few lucky ones live in wide enough houses, the rest of us are struggling with space, or with the lack of it to be more precise.

How can we have everything we need without sacrificing precious room? Do we really have to give up on design furniture and classy contemporary style?

Italian design furniture comes in help, with solutions specifically thought for us, people who live in narrow places, who don't want to give up comfort and style but at the same time still need everything to be compact and adaptable.

More in specific, the brand Calligaris has presented us throught the years great solutions for that, thanks to a range of Italian design tables and console tables which I find to be extremely convenient and stylish at the same time.

The first model I'd like to show you is Olivia Pocket folding console table. This console table is classy, with a simple but elegant design and when closed it measures only cm 42 x 100 and it can hold inside its structure the chairs. In this way when you've done with lunch or dinner you can easily store them inside and easily move Olivia Pocket console table in a corner of the house, also thanks to its convenient casters.

Olivia Pocket folding console table

The space you have at disposal is ridiculously small? Quadro folding table and Olivia Bar folding console table can be the answer. Both needs to be fixed to a wall and they can be opened and closed by a simple 90° rotation. Depths when closed are 14 cm for the first one and 15 cm for the second one, they practically dissapear in case of need and you will have all the space at disposal.

Quadro folding table 

Olivia Bar folding console table

If you want a more refined and elegant solution, Baron X-tension extending console table may be suitable for you. With structure made of satin finished steel and laminate top this console table comes with two extensions, a drop down and a folding one, making it adaptable to all needs. Legs always follow the table in length avoiding the trouble of having them in front of the chairs while eating.

Baron X-tension extending console table

Last product I'd like to share with you is Flexy extending and convertible coffee table. This table has a great characteristic: it doubles in size and height. You can simply use it as a refined design coffee table and when you need you can convert it into a proper dining table for 6 people, thanks to the casters and the button placed on the side. Flexy structure will easily lift up and down just like an ironing board.

Flexy extending and convertible coffee table

Plastic Chairs, between past and future

How chairs have developed during the years? And above all, have they?

The answer to the second question is quite simple, yes they have! But always with an eye on tradition, without forgetting our past because, let's face it, the past will probably represent itself again in the future.

It's been a very long way but at present we can safely say chairs are not only useful objects where people can seat and dine or rest, they've become a cult object. The never-ending search for new shapes, materials and manufacturing techniques brought us exquisite examples of contemporary design chairs and armchairs.

These chairs and armchairs are able just by themselves to furnish an entire room thanks to their mere presence. Bright and funny colours, original shapes, innovative concepts and manufacturing techniques; seating on a chair like this is just like seating on a contemporary work of art.

Let's have a look at some examples.

Raviolo armchair is a brand new made in Italy product, designed by famous Israeli designer Ron Arad and produced by Magis; the perfect mixture of Italian furniture reliability and innovative thinking.

This armchair has a structure composed by a single polyethylene "ribbon", manufactured with rotational moulding technique. The result is a modern chair with a distinctive and funny look that resembles a stuffed ravioli. The 8 different colours at disposal will satisfy the needs of everyone.

Raviolo armchair by Magis designed by Ron Arad

Flower low chair by Magis is another example of how good Italy works with the greatest designers of modern times. In this case I'm talking about Pierre Paulin; Flower is infact a reinterpretation of the original design made by Paulin during the 60s. What was I saying about the past being our future?

Flower comes with a modern and organic shape, elegant and perfect just like a sculpture but lightened by the transparency of the material used (polycarbonate, a plastic material that can be easily worked and moulded). The coloured cushions are the perfect touch to brighten the room.

Flower low chair by Magis in polycarbonate with coloured cushion

The whole concept of past and future brought us to a chair symbol of this marriage: Milano 2015 chair. Presented in 2010 at Milan's Furniture Fair, it has been specifically created to commemorate Milan Expo which will take place in 2015.

This Italian design chair revisits the classic lines of the typical Milan tavern chair in a modern way by using moulded plastic materials. Available in a nylon version with thick colours or in an even more modern version made of polycarbonate with transparent glossy colours. Completely made in Italy from design to manufacturing process, Milano 2015 is perfect for the people who wants a contemporary chair without forgetting about tradition.

Milano 2015 chair - created for Milan 2015 Expo

Sofa with bookcases: more functions less space

Bookcase and sofa have always been natural partners: think about it, wherever there's a relax zone there has to be a bookcase as well, wherever we have a cushion there has to be a book comfortably resting on it. Because every living room, even the most modern one, full of hi-tech objects, screens, video game consoles, electronic devices, has a relax zone with at least a bookcase, usually included in what we call wall systems, where all our books and magazines are stored.

So, it's almost natural think that all the space you can use on a sofa and around it is dedicated to books and magazines, creating a proper contamination of functions and uses that have two things in common: rest and dream.

The bookcase can be placed on the back of the sofa or on one or both armrests, becoming a space saver solution that, at the same time, doesn't undermine the comfort of the seat.

When the bookcase is on the back of a sofa, this has to be placed in the middle of the room, so it can be used on both sides; in this way a sofa with a bookcase will easily become the neuralgic point of a big sized living room, working as a diving for the different areas.

If the dining room is near the sofa with bookcase on the back, this last can also be used in another way; if solid and sturdy enough, with the addition of a couple of cushions they can easily become a convenient bench for unexpected guests during a dinner.

In case of a sofa with bookcase on the armrests, these will not have to be too close to a wall, because you need enough space to have access to your books and magazines. The armrests can be used as surface as well, resulting very convenient thanks to their particular position; infact you can use them while you're resting on the sofa and place your herbal tea, a cocktail, a soda or the remote control. Many are the objects you can put on the their surfaces and sometimes they can also replace a coffee or end table, maybe if you live in a small house or simply you want to save up some space.

Hiromi indoor design corner sofa is an excellent example of furniture with a double or even triple function, perfect for narrow spaces: relax, storage and surfaces are all included in one single furniture without using anything else, such as coffee table or storage units.

Yang corner sofa comes with a bookcase on sofa back that can work as a functional diving element but also as a surface for a possible dining room space nearby.

Extending Tables: the perfect solution for kitchens and living rooms

Extending tables are the perfect solution for all those people who want to furnish with style their kitchen or living room, without giving up on the practical side.
Extending tables can, in just a few second, extend up to remarkable measures (you can also find models that double their size!); in this way it will be so much easier for you to handle an improvised dinner, a birthday party or, why not, a great Christmas lunch with relatives and friends.

Choosing a practical table doesn't necessary mean giving up on style, elegance and beauty; Italian design tables are renown for their class, style and excellent materials, Italian design extending tables are no different.
The choice is extremely wide; several materials and finishes, different shapes, different types of extension systems. With this kind of selection, I'm sure that everyone can find the perfect table according to their tastes and needs.

Rectangular extending tables are the ideal solution for rectangular rooms, carrying on in this way the surrounding geometry. This rather "classical" look can be bypassed by daring a little bit with an original combination of colours or finishes, or again with particular legs.

Take for example Big Table with coloured legs, its unique style alone is enough to furnish your living room, especially with the striking combination of coloured legs and Canaletto walnut top. Moreover, as the name says it, this table is BIG and, in the extending model, can reach up to 300 or 320 cm!


If you like something more traditional but with a touch of original elements, you can play with finishes and create pleasant combinations like in the Twice table, with extensions matching the structure.


Shaped tables are a great solution for irregular spaces and environments; Daytona design glass table is a fine example, with the elegance of the shape matching the lightness of the materials.


About the choice of materials... it only depends on your taste! And of course on the other materials and finishes you have around the room... for something with a more "classical" feeling you can choose warm and modern wooden finishes, have a look at Tratto table for example.


If you look for something "minimal" and technological I suggest Alfa table with transparent glass top and legs, beautiful and elegant with a refined extending mechanism.