Arper: Life is beautiful

It's easy to forget, after a prolonged bout of doom-scrolling, say, or just a day not going your way, that life really is beautiful. Arper made that welcome bit of positive thinking central to its presentation at this year's Salone del Mobile. For Arper though, beauty isn't superficial or skin-deep, or a luxury to be abandoned in hard times or for the sake of super functionality. 

‘Beauty is more than an aesthetic,’ they argue. ‘Beauty is a thriving ecosystem, a moment relaxing with loved ones, the satisfying feeling of things falling into place, a world that can be passed down to the next generation.’ And who would argue with that?

The Italian design brand is dedicated to commissioning and creating designs that make lives more beautiful, in the most fundamental way. ‘It's not simply a matter of placing products into spaces,’ says Arper CEO, Roberto Monti, ‘but of making people's experiences charged with meaning.’ 

Amongst Arper’s Salone debuts was Ralik, a new modular seating system by Ichiro Iwasaki. Designed to answer the ever more fluid demands of daily life, the collection includes an endearingly rounded seat with or without backrest and bench, both available in one- and two-seat configurations, a pouf and an entire family of side and end tables, perfectly useful for work and play. The seat, bench and tables also include charging stations, making Ralik a smart fit for private or public spaces.

‘More and more spaces are becoming a mixture of different elements,’ says Iwasaki. ‘We defined this mixture as “between” and came up with a system that can be used in a variety of spaces. The design is open and neutral so we believe we can create spaces that are uniquely Arper, from contract to residences.’

‘I think life is profound because it is beautiful just as it is,’ he adds, ‘and cannot be fitted into any mould. The spaces where these daily routines meet are also precious because they exist as they always have.’

Another new arrival is Semiton from design duo García Cumini, a shelving and storage system of almost infinite variety and possibility. Storage modules, in a wide range of colourful MDF or wood veneer finishes, can be configured in multiple ways and make for a standout centrepiece or play a more discreet background role. Set on aluminium bases, the modules are perfectly proportioned and beautifully finished on all sides – an attractive housemate whichever way you look at them – while cable management ensures that clean lines stay clean.

‘As designers, we naturally try to create harmony between life and beauty,’ says Cinzia Cumini. Semiton epitomises this concept since it expresses a brief interval in the musical landscape. Intervals serve to create rhythm, but also harmony, symphony and therefore beauty.’

Roopa, two new table designs from British duo Doshi Levien, marry essential, sculptural form with high-gloss and popping colour. Gloss tops, available in warm grey, midnight blue, forest green or Jaipur pink, complement the matte MDF frames. ‘We wanted to create a sense of lightness, so you have this top that is almost magically floating above the floor,’ says Levien, ‘and you've got pillars for legs that feel like a deconstructed composition of materials and textures.’

Roopa is the perfect companion to the duo’s Shaal sofa, launched last year but now joined by a complementary chaise longue, daybed and ottoman. ‘The idea was to create a more informal environment in the home, where you can put your feet up, you can read or casually lie in your living room,’ says Doshi. 

‘Arper has a very clear, defined, precise visual language and we wanted to integrate that with the softness required to create a comfortable seating collection,’ says Levien. ‘The sofa is really the centre of most environments, it is the object around which most people come together. it contributes a lot to beautiful interactions between people.’

Antti Kotilainen's Aava range of minimalist chairs was launched a decade ago but has been relaunched this year as Aava 02, available in post-consumer recycled polypropylene or FSC-certified wood, re-imagining a now-classic design in sustainable materials. Fully upholstered seats meanwhile are designed without glue and with a removable seat cover, making it easy to separate and recycle or re-use. Indeed, all of Arper's new arrivals have been designed for easy disassembly for recycling or re-use.

‘The essential question was to find materials of high quality and as sustainable as possible,’ says Kotilainen. ‘Sustainable development should always be part of a designing process.’

Photos: Salva Lopez, courtesy of Arper

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