Out in the open with Minotti's Outdoor Collection

As we enter the year 2023, the trend for designing elegant and comfortable outdoor spaces for living and socialising continues to accelerate. Across many contexts from rural to urban and climates from cool to tropical, our living habits have now evolved to better embrace the great outdoors – improving our wellbeing, connecting us more to nature and expanding the possibilities of space.

So what can we expect for the development of this trend this year? Italian brand Minotti found that throughout 2022, specifiers were placing increased importance on sourcing furniture for outdoor living rooms that were just as sophisticated as their indoor counterparts – in both aesthetics and material terms – with an increasing focus on the seamless continuation of the indoor with the out. And it looks like we can only expect to see outdoor spaces striving for even further refinement in 2023.

Established in 1948, Minotti is an ambassador for the classic-modern lifestyle in the residential and hospitality sectors, and so well placed to meet these new demands of the outdoor furniture market. Coordinated by art director Rodolfo Dordoni with in-house creative department Minotti Studio, the latest outdoor collection places a focus on continuity of refinement and harmonious cohesion, featuring furniture series by international designers Rodolfo Dordoni, GamFratesi, Inoda+Sveje and Gordon Guillaumier.

Minotti prides itself on its ability to respond to the subtle shifts of the industry and, accordingly, has released a series of new products and relevant updates to its outdoor collections. Updates include expanding popular indoor furniture families to include outdoor versions, embracing biophilic aesthetics with new materials and colours, offering new sizes and scaling on certain pieces from popular collections – allowing sophisticated atmospheres to be crafted outdoors while also improving sustainability across the designs.

The outdoor collection brings the comfort and elegance of Minotti’s indoor classics out into the fresh air. Not simply adaptations, these are highly sophisticated and authentic responses to the exterior environment, bringing with them the same subtle notes of style and elegance. For example, Yoko Cord Outdoor – the open-air version of the Yoko family of seats designed by Japanese-Danish duo Inoda+Sveje – features durable materials such as 100% recyclable polyester cord, a natural teak frame and bronze details in stainless steel, all while echoing the elegance of the indoor Yoko collection for ultimate synergy across indoor and outdoor living spaces.

The new Belt Cord Outdoor family of seats, meanwhile, brings the hugely popular indoor collection of the same name into the sun. The outdoor version is durable, but remains just as comfortable and refined. Its enveloping structures are made of cocooning polypropylene cord and feature comfortable padded cushions with extra-durable polyurethane foam inserts, covered in water-repellent fibre and fabric. In addition, the Lido Cord Outdoor family, designed by Italian-Danish duo GamFratesi, has two new elements bringing more variety to outdoor living with a linear two-seater sofa and a bench.

Also responding to trends toward biophilic forms and natural materials, Minotti has released the new Patio Teak seating system – also by GamFratesi – an evolution of the Patio seating system originally in aluminium. Smooth to the touch, the soft wood is carefully selected for weather resistance and supported by elegant aluminium details and Ecru polypropylene cord.

More natural colours and textures can also be found in the Minotti 2022 Outdoor Textile Collection. New earthy tones take inspiration from nature, including sandy neutrals and subtle greens. And, being made of 100% recyclable, water-repellent, anti-allergy, non-toxic OEKO-TEX® polypropylene yarn with stain-proof, anti-allergic and mould-proof properties, these high-quality fabrics allow indoor landscapes to merge easily with the outside world, thus bringing added flexibility to living.

Minotti’s Outdoor Collection is designed to flow seamlessly across exteriors of many scales and requirements: from intimate dinners at home to large social events on the terrace or deck of a luxury yacht. Additional elements such as the stone or wood-topped Bellagio table by Gordon Guillaumier (now also available in different sizes), or the soft pebble-shaped Stony coffee tables, further contribute to the scene. While the woven Avery rug – made of Olyna Outdoor, a 100% Made in Italy polyolefin fibre, crafted from a compact yet flexible braided structure with a tricot effect – is now available in three new colours and serves as the perfect stage.

Interior designers seeking to better visualise this atmosphere can experience the collection at the Minotti Pavilion, a virtual building that houses the brand’s designs in symbiosis with each other and interprets Minotti’s aspirational architecture-of-living philosophy. Here, the refined ‘outdoor mosaic’ of furnishings can be properly contextualised as well as shared digitally with clients – offering professionals a sophisticated communication tool to go with the elegant outdoor spaces.

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