During Milan Design Week, grado once again pays homage to 20th-century classics by revisiting the charm of Bauhaus and continuing the brilliance of modern mid-century influences, offering new interpretations and fusion of these two aesthetics.
The Bauhaus style originated in the early 20th century and became widely popular in the 1930s. This style emphasizes form following function, focusing on geometric shapes, simple lines, and the use of modern materials to achieve a sleek and modern design aesthetic that integrates industrial technology. As a modernist design movement, Bauhaus style quickly gained international attention and had a profound impact on architecture, furniture design, and art. The exhibited Mocacchio Sofa, Candy Cane Barstool, and Flowing Trolley all embody the strong Bauhaus style.
Mocacchio Sofa combines large pieces of leather with mirror polished stainless steel, adding a touch of brilliance to the overall look with the glossy effect of the stainless steel. Inside the sofa, premium down filling is used, and the outer genuine leather upholstery features natural wrinkles, providing not only a more comfortable sitting experience but also a natural and elegant appearance. Its stable and ergonomic design provides specialized support for the lumbar, ensuring prolonged sitting without fatigue. The medium-height backrest prevents the space from appearing crowded even in spaces with lower ceiling heights.
Inspired by the iconic Christmas candy, the Candy Cane Barstool embodies a sleek and elegant design that exudes comfort and style. The wooden seat features a subtle concave shape, carefully crafted to provide optimal support for the contours of the body without sacrificing legroom. The curvature of the seat seamlessly complements the natural curves of the hips, ensuring a comfortable sitting experience. Adding to its allure, the slender yet sturdy stainless steel base forms a striking juxtaposition of curves and straight lines, infusing the barstool with a distinctive and captivating aesthetic. The contrasting luster between the seat and stainless steel base creates a mesmerizing visual effect, adding lingering charm to the piece.
The Flowing Trolley can be flowed as desired, combining three wooden boards with a stainless steel frame. The removable wooden boards allow for items of varying heights to be effortlessly stored. Featuring leather side pockets of different sizes for magazines, tools, and other items, this piece is both functional and stylish. With smooth swivel wheels, it can be easily maneuvered to any desired location – be it the living room, balcony, or kitchen. Wherever you need it, it shall be there.
The “Modern Mid-century Style,” which originated from the 1930s to the 1970s, combines the essence of Bauhaus modernism and organic architecture, representing a continuation and evolution of modernism. It embodies a nostalgic sentiment, pursues modernist and minimalist design principles, seeks to create timeless forms, and emphasizes function over form. The exhibited Kitty Chair, Forest Chair, Taco Chair, Sundae Table, Planets Bedside Table and Plum Modular Sofa exemplify the essence of the Modern Mid-century allure.
The Kitty Chair is inspired by cats. When the designer was young, she had a lovely cat at home that would lazily lie on the bay window, enjoying the warm sunlight. Its presence makes the home warmer and sweeter. The designer incorporated the shape of cat ears into the slightly curved backrest, giving the chair a playful and adorable look. The solid wood frame, crafted with hidden mortise and tenon joints, appears seamless and natural, as if nature’s breath is infused into every inch of wood.
The Forest Chair is a lounge chair crafted from ash wood. The designer aimed to create a pastoral-style lounge chair that captures the plain essence of ash wood. Thus, the wood is meticulously smoothed by artisans while retaining its natural texture, adding visual appeal to the chair. Its integrated backrest and armrest provide excellent body support, allowing for prolonged comfortable seating.
The Taco Chair embodies an outdoor camping style, inspired by the traditional Mexican dish, the taco. Just as different ingredients are wrapped in a tortilla to create a delightful culinary experience, our designer sought to combine various materials in the design of a lounge chair. The chair’s frame is constructed from solid ash wood and stainless steel, while the saddle leather is interwoven with the stainless steel, adding a sophisticated and durable appearance. The varied materials provide a personalized seating experience, with the saddle leather seat molding to the user’s body, offering a snug fit and aligning perfectly with the body’s contours.
The Sundae Table draws inspiration from the curved shape of a sundae, reflecting its wider ends and narrower middle. The table not only offers adjustable height but also features universal wheels for convenient mobility within the home. Versatile in function, it can serve as a modern coffee table, a compact workbench, a side table, or even an impromptu operating surface. Whether placed in the living room, bedroom, study, bay window, or kitchen, its mobile nature allows it to adapt to different spaces while maintaining its steadfast companionship with you.
The Planets Bedside Table is a cabinet combination that can be arranged horizontally or vertically. We have equipped it with connectors to secure the units, preventing any risk of tipping over. The highlight of the cabinet lies in its front panel, featuring spherical recesses and metal strips that mimic planets and their surrounding halos, creating a celestial aesthetic. To ensure that the wood at the thinnest part of the recess maintains thickness, we have used thicker wood throughout the entire construction, guaranteeing the cabinet’s durability.
The Plum Modular Sofa is a brown modular sofa that takes inspiration from plums, a delectable fruit known for its sweet and sour flavor, often used in preserves. The designer skillfully incorporates the groove on the plum into the stitching on the sofa, enhancing the sofa with regular geometric lines for a more stylish look. The brown tone aligns with the popular retro Maillard trend, bringing a warm and nostalgic atmosphere to your home. You can choose different modules according to your requirements and use them independently or in combination. This convenience extends to transportation, installation, and later adjustments and movements. grado aspires for it to offer you a new expression of your free and flexible home life.
grado’s exploration of style will continue indefinitely, as we are persistent in upholding traditional design principles and embracing innovative creations. The journey of design is one we are dedicated to, always seeking to honor the legacy of the past while daring to pioneer the future.
