Poliform's Mad Out collection invites us to spend time under the stars

Whatever your latitude, the furnishing industries are betting on you taking your living into the great outdoors. We are not just talking about the cooking of your sausages, or sun-soaked lounging, but your armchair, your sofa, your pouf, your side table and your ambient lighting. As is evidenced this week at Salone del Mobile and its ancillary events around the city of Milan, living amongst nature is getting infinitely more comfortable, more stylish, more every day.

Poliform are among those who are cushioning the move outside with the creation of a new outdoor line featuring pieces by Jean-Marie Massaud, Emmanuel Gallina and Marcel Wanders. Included is Mad Out, a collection which extends Poliform’s iconic Mad collection, designed by Marcel Wanders, for use in the open. Comprised of a sofa, armchair and coffee table, the all-weather collection is currently on its launch outing, creating a living space among the cloisters of San Simpliciano in the heart of the Brera Design District in Milan.

It forms part of the Italian furniture brand’s Percezioni presentation, which reflects on the relationship between man and nature, and the less structured boundaries that green and growing horizons give to our outdoor rooms, compared to the rigid walls of our indoor living spaces. 'While architecture determines the boundaries and meanings of our lives within domestic spaces and collective places, nature does the very same thing when we are outside. The horizon is the landscape and our perceptions are magnified: light is brighter and darkness, like the smells, noises and sensations on our skin, is more intense.' says Wanders.

Wanders’ new furniture pieces haven’t evolved simply from a tweaking of the existing Mad designs to fortify them for life in the open air; Mad Out has its own identity. The name, the performance, the rounded, homely style remains, but the precise form, technology, techniques and materials are quite different. 'With a focus on craftsmanship, I translated the structure using an intricate weaving technique. In doing so I created lightness, a see-through effect and wonderful shadow play,' explains Wanders. 'These subtle qualities make these pieces perfect for outdoors, yet keep the archetype of classic indoor pieces. I basically created Mad with air.'

The need, the Dutch designer points out, is no longer to furnish the outdoor lives of the hardy, the bohemian or those blessed with 24-hour access to a pool and 30C heat – they already have all they need for life under the stars. It’s for all and any of us to comfortably and elegantly extend the living spaces of our every day.

'Mad Out will not help you while camping, not even while glamping, nor while visiting Grand Canyon,' says its creator. 'It’s not made to accommodate your sunbathing habits, it does not include a hammock. Mad Out is your living room outdoors; it’s near to the kitchen, the “open air” extension of the house. It sets the scene for long happy conversations with family and friends under the open skies.' And who doesn’t want that?

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