From the terrace to the yacht: How designers bring their furniture on board
Boote Exclusiv
· 19.07.2025
A text by Norman Kietzmann
Living is increasingly extending its feelers outdoors. Outdoor seating groups are seen as a complete extension of their indoor counterparts. So it's only natural that furniture companies are setting their sights on the nautical world as well as the garden, patio and poolside. After all, the distinction between indoors and outdoors has long since been thrown overboard. The advantage of the transfer: outdoor furniture is equally resistant to moisture and salt air. Now they are being transferred to a place that is anything but static, but constantly in motion. And that means that the furniture needs a different grounding. Either they are fixed to the floor, as is the case with large sofa landscapes, whose position does not vary anyway. Or they have to gain weight so that wind and waves cannot harm them.
The "Skipper" folding chair, which the La Conca design studio has created for Visionnaire, tends in precisely this direction. The furniture creates a balance between solidity and lightness. "Like the mast of a boat that carries the power of the sails, its solid iroko wood frame ensures stability, while the technical fabric of the seat and backrest guarantees flexibility and comfort," says the Italian company.
Playing with contrasts on land and at sea
Leather inserts form refined details, which are particularly prominent on the edge of the seat and on the lightly upholstered armrests and testify to the savoir-faire of craftsmanship. The mechanical folding structure is made of steel and aluminium. This means that it not only has the necessary mass to function under the most extreme weather conditions. The metal elements also increase the durability of the furniture, which looks just as good on board a yacht as it does on the veranda on the beach.
The "Exteta x Riva" collection, a collaboration between the Italian outdoor furniture manufacturer and the legendary shipyardwhose boats are still considered the epitome of nautical elegance today and which also epitomise what comes to everyone's mind when they hear the word Dolce Vita. The collection, designed by Massimo Castagna, includes seating and tables that reflect the Style of historic Riva boats take up. This can be seen in the elegant sapele mahogany with masterfully crafted, glossy surfaces accentuated by shimmering stainless steel elements. The collection also includes armchairs and sofas. A counterpoint to the voluminous seat cushions and backrests is provided by wooden armrests, whose sweeping contours are reminiscent of the striking silhouette of the iconic "Riva Aquarama" remember.
Furniture in voluminous shapes
Upholstered furniture doesn't even try to score points with slim proportions. They rely on emphatically voluminous shapes that radiate so much softness and comfort that they literally encourage you to throw yourself into them. In this way, fully-fledged seating landscapes are realised on the outside, which are in no way inferior in size to their counterparts in the interior. On the contrary: they even increase significantly in their spatial dimensions - such as the "Baia" upholstery series created by French designer Christophe Pillet for Ethimo. The upholstered modules allow a variety of seating configurations to create cosy zones and adapt to different room dimensions. Filigree feet make the furniture appear lighter. This creates a "furnished" meta-level that appears to float above the deck. Matching sun loungers and coffee tables with marble tops round off the collection. Here, too, the aim is to change the feeling of outdoor furniture: away from a collection of individual pieces and towards a composition of elements that are perfectly coordinated and harmonise with each other.
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The contours flatter the body
The communicative qualities are also enhanced at this point. The new sofa from the "Erica" collection - a design by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia - scores points with its "bent" seat. It enhances eye contact between the people sitting on it and encourages conversation. The same applies to the "Bézier Cord Outdoor" seating programme from Minotti. The name is an allusion to a parametric curve by the French mathematician Pierre Bézier, which serves as the basis for sofas and armchairs with a flowing design language. The design was in the hands of Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan (Studio MK27), who usually favours cubic forms. But here he wanted to get closer to nature: with furniture that looks like pebbles polished round by water and caresses the body when touched. By varying the depth of the sofas, the furniture allows for a variety of sitting positions.
The "Trampoline" daybed by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina proves that cubic upholstery is not the measure of all things. The seating and reclining surfaces are asymmetrically curved. They also feature softly rounded ends, giving the chaise longue a kidney shape. The backrest is woven from polypropylene and nylon ropes. PU foam and wadding made from recycled PET fibres are used to fill the upholstered cushions. The water-repellent upholstery fabric is also made from recycled plastic, which is mainly used for drinks bottles and thus refers to pressing waste problems.
The typology of the wing chair masters the leap out into the open. By holding the head by lateral supports, an acoustic retreat is created that effectively filters out disturbing noises from the surroundings. Just like the "Seashell Grand" armchair designed by Jean-Marie Massaud for Dedon. The furniture defines a comfortable island of retreat. It uses the "EcoCycle" fibre developed by the manufacturer itself, which consists of ninety percent plant-based resources. In this production process, sugar cane is pressed to extract the juice, which is then converted into cane sugar. The discarded fibres are processed into ethanol, from which bio-based polyethylene is produced, the core material of the "EcoCycle" fibre. By processing waste from food production, the CO2 footprint of the furniture is noticeably reduced, while there are no disadvantages in terms of feel and weather resistance.
New centre for social life on board
Outdoor is not a place, but rather an attitude to make living more relaxed and casual. This is also reflected in the formal language of outdoor furniture. Wickerwork and fine lattice structures allow glances to pass. They give the seating furniture a sense of lightness. In addition, permeable structures create sophisticated shadow effects that change with the position of the sun and move across the deck. Nautical references are obvious. The loosely placed back cushions of the "Oasis" armchair and sofa programme from Flexform (design: Antonio Citterio) are framed by a weave that is vaguely reminiscent of historical fishing nets. The structure has character and warmth. At the same time, its workmanship leaves no doubt that it gives the outdoor living experience an upgrade in sophistication and refinement.
Colour also plays a key role al fresco. With "Orson", Milan-based designer Gordon Guillaumier reinterprets the typology of the classic director's chair for Roda. A jacquard cover made of acrylic yarn ensures a contemporary look. In a collaboration with Missoni, the upholstery is now available in the iconic zigzag and stripe patterns of the Italian fashion house. The chairs are not inconspicuous companions; they confidently come to the fore: instead of being self-indulgent natures, they are companions for a journey at sea that is charged with sensuality and warmth through their company. True to the motto: if you continue to make do with monotonous upholstery, it's your own fault.
What else does it need? The right light, of course. Lighting candles on a yacht can be a nerve-wracking affair. Here, movable lights provide illumination that is free of wax drips and independent of gusts of wind. Thanks to integrated rechargeable batteries, they can be positioned wirelessly - whether on the dining table or directly in the beach club. Kensaku Oshiro designed some very beautiful examples for Poltrona Frau. His Japanese lanterns from the "Sparkler" collection create fascinating casts of light and shadow with their woven polypropylene rope structure. At the same time, they echo the nostalgic shapes of traditional wineskins that have adorned Mediterranean gardens for centuries. A perfect mix of Orient and Occident for the designer, who was born in Okinawa and has lived and worked in Milan for many years.
When cooking becomes a happening
Italian kitchen manufacturer Officine Gullo has created an eye-catcher on deck with its newly launched "Nautical Collection". Instead of preparing food in secret and then only presenting the finished dishes, the entire process takes centre stage. Cooking becomes a happening - and the guests are directly involved. This is ensured by a raised counter that surrounds the kitchen island on three of its four sides and is flanked by upholstered bar stools. The collection is not limited to free-standing solutions and also offers equipped walls for cooking and refrigeration appliances as well as professional grills and systems that bring the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants on board. This enhances enjoyment, but more importantly, the kitchen becomes the heart of social life on board. It embodies a place for socialising and interaction. This brings us back to the transfer from land to water. Life on board is becoming more cosy in all its facets - thanks to an upgrade of the outdoor areas.
