Brand Feature: Cattelan Italia

Cattelan Italia is a name synonymous with excellent design, top-tier materials, and stylish flourishes that are carefully and thoughtfully incorporated on unforgettable designs. Earlier this year, they released their 2022 collection, with the design intent of creating pieces for a harmonious living space.

With an excellent track record stretching back to 1979, Cattelan has decades of experience and connections to call on when crafting their unforgettable pieces, and we are always interested in seeing what they create. From a design perspective, they create balanced pieces that are easily incorporated into various spaces, and that work well with a multitude of furniture and styles. We’ve picked some standout pieces from their impressive output to highlight their artful, distinct output.

Distinguished Designs

We begin with the Skorpio Keramik dining table. This dramatic table features an angular metal base topped by a spacious, gorgeous tabletop made from a glass sheet coated with Cattelan’s signature Keramik finish. This finish creates the look of cut stone with much greater resilience and stain-resistance, and also protects the glass, for an amazing look that’s easy to maintain and clean. The Skorpio can anchor a dining space, with ample room for guests and a striking profile.

Cattelan’s dining chairs offer comfort, quality, a multitude of material and finish options, and plenty of style. The Camilla is from their 2022 collection, an armchair with an elegant base in metal or wood that is topped by a pillowy, sumptuous seat, deep enough to ensconce diners in comfort. Upholstery options allow for plenty of customization, while the back features padded elements to create a soft and rounded look to add to the idea of peace and coziness.

Distinguished Designs

For a more minimalist dining space, the Rhonda is well-upholstered and padded for a comfortable dining experience, but features a low back and more traditional armrests. An elegant base (available in wood or metal) complements the seat, creating a balanced impression that pairs well with nearly every dining space. 

Cattelan’s expertise ranges beyond the dining room, and their pieces cover all the rooms of a home, as evidenced by their Award TV Unit. This timeless media unit has generous dimensions and an open, uncomplicated design with functional ledges and intriguing angles. A single sliding drawer provides a large amount of accessible, out-of-sight storage for remote controls, gadgets, and cables. A ceramic finish top (with a range of pattern options) completes the Award, lending it texture and definition.

Timeless Appeal

Expertise in the service of balance, tranquility, and function distinguishes Cattelan’s pieces. Many of their pieces are uncomplicated yet remarkable, with fine materials and an occasional dramatic flourish balanced by careful flourishes and thoughtful elements. For over 40 years, Cattelan has delighted the design community, and we look forward to exploring their range and seeing what they will craft in the future.

If your home needs the Cattelan touch, we have the perfect piece for you.

Brand Feature: Ditre Italia

Ditre Italia has been a favorite at Sklar. Their seating is always remarkable both in form and function. Crafting comfortable sofas and memorable armchairs, Ditre Italia balances comfort and style effortlessly, with their exacting manufacturing standards and attention to detail.

Since 1976, Ditre has worked with talented designers and committed builders to create unforgettable furniture with a focus on seating such as sofas and armchairs. In over 40 years Ditre has built a reputation for top quality manufacturing and a tailor’s exactness for creating a perfect fit. They’ve also kept innovating, and their latest launch is proof of exciting things to come.

Pure Breath

With Pure Breath, Ditre takes on the question of air quality. This air purification project is a result of collaborating with Anemotech, a startup specializing in air filters. Pure Breath is an innovative air purifier that works passively, scrubbing air without using any electricity, made possible with three layers of Anemotech’s filtering fabrics that disintegrate and capture allergens, dust particles, and chemical pollutants. The product itself is a simple panel that can be placed underneath a sofa, fitting for Ditre, whose output includes many remarkable sofas.

Superior Seating

Speaking of seating, this wouldn’t be a brand feature without a look at the designs that make Ditre so iconic.

With a classic design, generous cushions, and elegant legs, the Kris Mix Sectional combines the traditional look of a sectional with some Art Deco elements. A wonderfully inviting presence and profile are combined with a modular design that lets the Kris Mix fit perfectly into nearly any space.

A modular sofa system with classic aesthetic appeal, big upholstered seats, and an endless array of variations of fabric and form make the Blake Sofa an excellent choice for a traditional, elegant, and understated living space.

Ditre’s experience and design daring aren’t limited to sofas. The Marabù Armchair, with thick upholstery and a blocky body balanced wonderfully on a curved tubular frame, creates a unique yet inviting look. The Marabù has a substantial presence and comfortable construction, making it an excellent addition to graceful living areas.

Craftsmanship & Comfort

Ditre never fail to impress us with their intriguing designs, but we love the craftsmanship, passion, and skill that are infused into their pieces. The attention to detail and the options in terms of finish and fabric create a lot of potential for Ditre pieces, and they’re super comfortable and pleasant, helpful for creating a calm oasis in your space, and making it tranquil and grounded.

We’re eager to see Pure Breath and their next innovations beyond that, but we’re no less excited to see what designs they come up with!

Salone ’22 Market Trends

From June 7th to June 12th, the Sklar team went international, attending the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2022 at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho, Italy. With summer temperatures in full swing, the high-90 temperatures and bright sunshine matched the buoyant, excitable mood throughout the market. The Salone 2022 brought more than just two years of new products and trends — it brought friends together, greeting each other with real hugs and smiles after a long pandemic hiatus. Salone 2022 not only gave Sklar a chance to catch up with old connections, but we also explored incredible new innovations and trends in furniture.

One major trend that caught our eye was the explosion of marble and ceramic pieces this season. We saw marble and ceramic pieces from many vendors, featuring incredible patterns, colours, and mixes. From vibrant, earthy greens and browns to soft, pastel blues and pinks, designers are leveraging the entire color spectrum in their pieces. With their mixed textures and hues, marble and ceramic pieces are guaranteed showstoppers.

Tabletops at Salone were the polar opposite of the colorful ceramics and marbles we saw. With a complete absence of color, black tabletops dominated the scene. In coffee tables, dining tables, and accent tables alike, black tabletops were around every corner from a plethora of designers. Boasting textured gloss, soft matte, and dimpled finishes, we saw options for every style and aesthetic with these pieces.

By the fourth day of Salone 2022, we recognized another extremely subtle trend: tons of metal accents on both chairs and ottomans. As soon as we pinpointed this new trend, we noticed it everywhere! Brass and chrome feet or legs extend up from the ground onto the bottom third of the ottoman or chair, giving a soft, contemporary look to the piece. Black nickel is prominent in European designs, with a spattering of chrome, too.

Despite the strong presence of modern black tabletops and metal accent legs, many designers have been throwing things back to organic shapes and silhouettes. Rounded sofas, chairs, and ottomans continue to be a hot commodity in the design world, but this trend has since expanded to include accessories, rugs, and cocktail tables, too. We’ve seen this trend before, but in a time when the world needs softness and comfort, this safe style is welcomed back with open arms.

The final trend we noticed coming to life at Salone ‘22 was shirring and pleating, on everything from beds to ottomans and accent chairs, too! This delicate leather detailing adds an extra dimension to the piece, making it more interesting than plain leather or fabric alone. Created by gathering fabric into a bunched pattern, shirring and pleating draw attention and create a sense of movement.

We come away from Salone ‘22 as we do from every market, with a renewed excitement to improve our showroom and give our Design Team access to the best out there. This time was no different except we brought one more thing with us — the joy of being together again with our partners and our friends!

Brand Feature: Tomasella

Founded in 1948 by Luigi Tomasella, the namesake company Tomasella was fated for success as an Italian furniture producer. Fulfilling its mission of “looking back to the past to understand the future,” Tomasella focuses on innovation while respecting and maintaining tradition. In 2022, Tomasella is a thriving leading producer of Italian furniture, with a 100,000 square metre space devoted to producing high-quality modern and contemporary pieces for all spaces in your home. However, Tomasella has shown exceptional wardrobe craftsmanship in particular, so let’s explore some of their wardrobe-focused pieces on offer at Sklar.

Walk-In Wardrobe: Logica

The Logica Walk-In Wardrobe is a great choice for those looking to highlight their wardrobe while maintaining a high-class organizational system for all of their pieces. With specified areas to hang your dresses and button-downs, multiple shelves for bedding and headwear, and hidden drawers for your less fashionable pieces, the Logica has it all. Available in matte lacquered colors or a “mother of pearl” fabric effect, you can customize your Logica to perfectly match your aesthetic. Factor in the Logica’s gorgeous anthracite metal accessories and you’ve got a designer walk-in to match your designer wardrobe.

Athena & Replay Dressers

If you’re looking for smaller, more compact wardrobe storage, Tomasella has some great dresser options as well. The Athena dresser combines bold shapes and lines with multi-dimensional accents, resulting in a modern, staggered stripe pattern. With six spacious drawers, a wide top panel for decor, and a variety of materials and colors to choose from, the Athena is an eye-catching choice. If you’re looking for something more subtle, the Replay dresser is a strong contender. The Replay’s minimalist design makes it a great accent piece for busier bedrooms, complementing existing patterns and colors while providing dimension and contrast with its dual-toned coloring.  

Walk-in Wardrobe: Liberty

The Liberty Walk-In Wardrobe offers incredible shelving, clothing rails, and drawers with an industrial, masculine look and feel. With an entirely metal frame and oak shelving and drawers, the Liberty exudes luxury and class. Available in anthracite or chalk white metal, and lacquered, textured, knotted, or colored wood options, you can customize the Liberty to fit your specific tastes. The Liberty is the perfect opportunity to display your best suits and dresses alongside your designer accessories, all without detracting from the striking quality of the wardrobe.

Shop Tomasella at Sklar

With over 70 years of experience, Tomasella’s furnishings are an incredible addition to Sklar’s offerings. Whether you’re looking for a complete walk-in wardrobe revitalization or seeking smaller storage options like a dresser, see what Tomasella products we have in store at Sklar.

Brand Feature: Presotto

Since 1948, Presotto has established a name for themselves based on high-quality and innovative craftsmanship. Creativity, optimism, experimentation, and adaptation have supported Presotto’s growth and evolution since their inception, and they continue to create ahead of the curve. Designing and manufacturing their products in Italy, Presotto takes pride in their Italian roots while looking ahead to the trends of the future and prioritizing environmental sustainability during the entire process. Presotto’s sense of cultural imprinting helps them “read the past, interpret the present, and design the future,” while sharing their incredible beds, wardrobes, and sideboards with Sklar Furnishings.

Posh and Minimalist

While Presotto’s roots are in tradition, innovating for the future is evident in their designs. The Presotto Plaid Bed, for example, combines the past and the future in one minimalistic piece. Featuring a classic plaid design upholstered in a more traditional fashion, the Plaid Bed brings futuristic elements into play with a draped feature on the extra-wide two-paneled headboard. The Club Chest blends similar past-and-present features so characteristic of Presotto. Made of traditional wooden materials but finished with sleek, contemporary shapes, the Club Chest is the best of both worlds.

Dynamic and Eye-Catching

If you’re looking for a wardrobe fit for a museum display, Presotto’s wardrobe collection meets and exceeds that expectation. Stretching from floor to ceiling, Presotto’s wardrobe designs give you options between having your clothing on display or having the wardrobe be the display. The Telaio vetro, featuring sleek glass doors, allows a tasteful peek into your wardrobe. With distinct shelves and drawers for storage, the Telaio Vetro allows you to display your proudest fashion pieces discretely. If you prefer a more private wardrobe, the Step might be for you. Combining staggered, blocked panels with hidden handles for a minimalistic look, the Step doubles as an artistic addition to your bedroom.

Stylish and Sleek

The perfect accompaniment to a bare living room wall is a Presotto sideboard. Wide, stylish, and sleek, sideboards are a great combination of storage solutions and decor. If simple and classic is your style, the Bridge sideboard is an excellent choice. With customizable finishes from lacquers and colored wood to classic wood and metallic finishes, the distinguishing Bridge is a gorgeous addition to any home. If bold and bright is more up your alley, the Hug is an impressive option. The deep color of the Hug draws your eye straight to this sideboard, and the smooth doors give it an endlessly long look. Accented with matte or metallic legs and available in three lacquer options, the Hug adds some pizazz to an otherwise empty wall.

Boasting high-quality and innovative craftsmanship, customizable and creative storage solutions, and eye-catching accent pieces, Presotto is sure to make a statement in your home. Take a look at Presottos’ pieces available through Sklar Furnishings; you won’t be disappointed.

Brand Feature: Pianca

With the first mention of Pianca dating back to the 16th century, this brand boasts 14 generations of woodworking and design mastery. Pianca creates flexible design pieces focused on meeting the lifestyle needs of the people they serve while maintaining the history and foundation of their brand, emphasizing Italian culture, family, and creative genius. Emphasizing sustainability and embracing the ever-changing nature of the human experience, Pianca transforms, adapts, and makes your house a home.

Take a look through some of Pianca’s revolutionary pieces available with Sklar, and get one step closer to feeling at home.

Customizable Wall Units

One of the best ways to add space to your home (in exactly the ways you need) is a customizable wall unit. Built-in wall units give you the flexibility you need to plan around other pieces while providing limitless options for custom features. Pianca’s new Spazio Wall Unit is a classic choice for any space, adding a sense of harmony and balance to the room. Available in a range of finishes and sizes, the Spazio is an unrivalled choice. If you need more storage and display functionality from your space, consider the Spazioteca Wall Unit instead. With sharp geometric shapes and shelves, doors, and drawers, the Spazioteca is a stand-out piece.

Safe Haven Bedrooms

Everyone deserves a bedroom they feel safe and comfortable in. With Pianca, you can furnish your bedroom with versatile and stylish pieces, creating your perfect safe haven. Pianca’s Palù Bedside Table features a minimalist design accented by empty spaces, subtle curvature, and Borgogna, Canaletto or Rovere Naturale wood. A chic, feminine addition to your bedroom, the Palù table instills feelings of comfort and calm. The Embrace Bed by Pianca is the perfect finishing piece for your bedroom, with its curved headboard providing a sense of safety and security. A simple piece with a huge impact, the Embrace bed is delicate and inviting.

Cozy Living Rooms

Pianca’s sofas are incredible additions to your living room space, adding both elegance and comfort to your most-used spaces. The feather-filled Delano Sofa invites you to sit back and relax, with comfortable, plump cushions, and varying backrest and cushion heights. With multiple configuration possibilities for the Delano, this sofa can be customized to suit your space and tastes. The Asolo Sofa combines sleek and elegant design with heavy geometric inspiration, accented with a metal sled base. With three different sizes available and sliding seats, the Asolo offers a variety of configurations is a neat, modern package.

No matter what room you’re looking to furnish, Pianca has a variety of customizable pieces to meet your needs. Browse through Sklar’s collection of Pianca pieces here.

Brand Feature: Sklar’s Seating

Italy was once home to the Renaissance, the rebirth of art, design, and avant-garde thought. Sklar Furnishings once again brings that famous Italian style and innovation to their stunning new line of chairs, sofas, and bedding with the new Sklar Seating and Bedding line.

Both bold and soft, innovative and adaptive, Sklar’s eye-catching and comfortable new furniture gives you both a wide variety of options in arrangement while keeping a keen eye on unbeatable detailing. The hand-made production process uses beautifully sourced materials of the finest fabrics, woods, and leathers for a (literally) seamless and inspiring final product sure to make your interior the height of sophistication.

Corner-seating Cornering the Market on Style Innovation

Not only does Sklar’s Italia Seating line use the finest materials, but it does so in a way that makes your investment in personal comfort and style sustainable for both your wallet and the environment. The use of superior materials and detailed-oriented production, such as seamless switching, in addition to the use of recyclable and long-lasting resources, ensures that you can unwind in bold luxury for years to come.

Along with sustainability comes flexibility, as Sklar’s products such as the Sirio Corner Sectional and the Bric sectional are available in a variety of different sizes and configurations designed to accommodate your space. The simple geometrical design of the Bric makes it a bold choice for the modern living room. It is available in either leather or fabric with vertical or no stitching options making this an original addition to any living space, with available upgrades such as a plexiglass armrest tray and an available headrest with metal structure and padding in eco-friendly open-cell polyurethane foam. In addition, adjustable back cushions make for instant deeper seating, and striking buckles on the armrest and lumbar support cushions will instantly transform your comfort zone into an elegant and modern space.

Master-Craftsman Bedding for the Master Bedroom

It’s in the name: a bedroom is all about the bed. Most of us spend a third of our lives on this one piece of furniture, so why not go big, go bold, and go to the ultimate in luxury? Sklar’s Bric and Fiocco beds offer comfortable, beautiful, and transformative pieces for the centerpiece of your most important space.

Both beds offer a compact, modern, and clean design. Simplicity has never been so luxurious! Without unnecessary ostentation, let your choice of materials (leather or fabric) convey simple taste.

If you opt for Sklar’s Bric Height, you have the option of adding a headboard with greater height, which comes with a variety of different density options made with padding in eco-friendly open-cell polyurethane foam, covered with a Tecnoform layer.

Swivel Your Style

Your workspace should reflect your prowess in the boardroom. To match your hard work and impress your clientele, invest in the new Diga Swivel Chair– the higher-end of high-end design. Furnish your office with Sklar’s Diga and inspire yourself, your clients, and your office.

Padding is created within eco-friendly open-cell polyurethane foam available in different densities, with base wooden structure frame, seat suspensions, and backrest in reinforced elastic webbing. Built-in bonuses also include a “push back” reclining mechanism and an antique bronze base. Make your chair, with Sklar’s Diga, the powerhouse seat at the boardroom table!

Brand Feature: Via Seating

Since 1987, Via Seating has been creating innovative, comfortable, and supportive chairs from their headquarters in Sparks, Nevada. Guided by Danish design principles and the idea of making clean, yet delightful chairs, Via Seating has grown to be a big deal in the industry, and one we admire.

With a solid approach and plenty of experience in making world-class seating, it’s no surprise that Via Seating has won big at design shows. This past October, two of Via Seating’s designs won big at NeoCon 2021, one of the biggest commercial design shows in the world. Their Ecliplse chair won Best of NeoCon Gold, and their ONDA chair took Best of NeoCon Silver.

Let’s take a closer look at these stunning designs and just what makes them award-winning.

Eclipsing the Competition

Via Seating’s Eclipse features a stunningly simple design that enables a lot of seating potential, from stackable chairs, light task stools and chairs, to executive guest chairs. The Eclipse features a distinctive rounded, retro-futurist design that was inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.

A distinctive, pleasant, and flexible design that’s both eye-catching and extremely useful in many situations makes the Eclipse an excellent example of the Via Seating ethos. A LEED Clean Air Gold rating means that this chair does not outgas harmful vapors. In addition to Best of NeoCon Gold, this line won the ADEX 2021 Platinum and Red Dot 2020 awards.

The Onda

The Onda line of all-mesh mid and high back chairs are proof that ergonomics do not prevent attractive design. Designed to adjust to and support the human body, the Onda can transform the office or workspace, both in terms of the style and appearance, but also in how it can make sitting for long periods of time less unhealthy.

Intelligent controls allow the Onda chair to be adjusted quickly, and it comes standard with integrated lumbar support to support the health of the spine. Optional copper-infused mesh is biocidal and sanitizes itself, making it great for multiple users in busy spaces. The Onda is the first all-mesh chair in the world with a copper option.

Making Waves

From their innovative work with copper infused meshes, and their ability to combine functional and aesthetic considerations seamlessly into really attractive chairs, Via Seating demonstrates their commitment to doing better at every stage of their evolution.

Beyond their stunning designs and ability to support health, Via Seating are also committed to green practices and sustainability. Their chairs are created with materials that don’t outgas volatile organic compounds, supporting cleaner air in the workplace, institution, or commercial space.

We love to see Via Seating gain the recognition and earn the awards they so richly deserve for the great work they do! We look forward to seeing them continue to transform the market.

Designer Spotlight: Krista Berman

Krista Berman was born in 1965 in St. Louis, Missouri. Growing up among the redwoods with her mother, and learning with her architect father gave her an innate understanding of both nature and structure, two ideas that inspire her artistic approach.

Studying at the California College of Art, and later earning her BFA at the University of Michigan School of Art & Design, Krista focused on graphic design and mixed media. After completing her studies, her career as a graphic designer took her to Anheuser-Busch and Walt Disney World. For the past 20 years, Krista has been busy building her body of work as a resident artist at Orlando’s oldest art collective, the McRae Art Studios.

Contemporary Multi-Disciplinary Artist

As a multi-disciplinary artist, Krista’s work runs the gamut from canvas paintings and prints to metalwork, sculpture, photography, and even neon lights. Her work is guided by the complex relationship between humans and the environment, consumer culture, and the ideas of love and obsession. Natural forms are her chief inspiration, but her painted work also shows the influences of Mark Rothko, Wayne Thiebaud, and even Henri Matisse.

Krista has exhibited throughout the United States, including in her birthplace at the St. Louis Art Museum, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Seattle Art Museum, and many art galleries. Her work can be found in private collections and residences in the United States and Europe.

With studios in Orlando and Detroit, Krista finds plenty of inspiration on the southern beaches and northern lakeshores. Much of her recent work involves found objects from the environs around her studios, as well as the spaces in between when she’s on the road.

Accomplishments

In 2017, Krista was contacted to act as the exhibiting artist and provide the artwork for the new, 4,500 sq. ft. E2 House as part of the Parade of Homes Orlando. Embracing the opportunity to fill a fresh space with beauty, she contributed a huge amount of work including a 2 story canvas collage, welded iron geometrics, and a variety of framed artwork.

Following on that success, Krista once again exhibited her work for the E2 House in the 2018 Parade of Homes. This time, her work graced the myriad spaces of a 7,000 sq. ft. house. Rising magnificently to the challenge, she produced a plentitude of artwork including sculpture, prints, wall art, and the gorgeous Modern-Day Interpretation of a Meditation Bench.

Krista’s bold and colorful work is always a delight to behold, and her range as a multidisciplinary artist covers so many styles and techniques that it is definitely worth checking out! She’s talented and skillful at combining the beauty of the natural world and the anxieties of the modern world, or simply celebrating the potential of forms. Krista Berman keeps us inspired about our own work spreading beauty via design, and we look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future!