Tela by Matteo Nunziati, precious materials for a collection in which every element is part of a dialogue

Five years after the launch of Rubelli Casa in 2015, Rubelli has entrusted the Italian architect and designer Matteo Nunziati with the creative direction of its division devoted to furnishings. To mark the start of this collaboration, Matteo Nunziati recounts, “I concentrated not on the idea of ​​designing pieces that would be iconic,  protagonists. Rather I aimed at a collection that would furnish a complete ambiance with a coherent style, in which each element would be part of a dialogue.” And the Tela armchair is only one of these elements, but it already expresses the essence of a broader and more articulated project that comprises two lines of upholstered furniture complete with sofas and armchairs, a series of coffee tables and side-tables, a bookcase and line of sideboards. All the pieces are united by the use of precious materials (from walnut to marble, fabric and leather), the care lavished on every detail and the introduction of innovative processes. For example, in Tela, the fabric framed in the solid wood structure (eucalyptus, black walnut and wengé-stained ash) and paired with leather becomes a structural material. Each structural detail, such as the joint between the back, legs and armrests, sheathed in leather, is designed to bring out the craft quality. Because the idea behind Matteo Nunziati 's new artistic direction is to renew the look of Rubelli Casa while preserving all its values.

At a glance

What is it?
Tela is a lounge chair with a contemporary design ideally aimed at both the high-end residential and contract markets.
What is your design concept?
Matteo Nunziati wished to express the DNA of the Rubelli textile company by giving it the form of a design product, as if “weaving the design”. From the desire to give full prominence to the fabric not only as upholstery but as a structural element of the project, then came the focus of innovation: the idea of combining fabric and leather in the backrest in a way new to the sector.
How is it made and with what materials?
The fabric is framed by wood. The structure of the seat is in solid natural Walnut or mocha-stained Ash. All the structural details, such as the joint between the back, legs and armrests, sheathed in fabric, or the other joints, slightly rounded, have been designed to enhance the absolute craft quality of this armchair.
How is it produced and where?
Tela is produced by trusted suppliers in Brianza, selected for their excellent products and great experience in woodworking.
What skills are needed to produce it?
The product combines outstanding craft skills and innovative production technology. From the selection of solid wood by expert cabinet-makers, to drying to ensure its stability and processing with innovative 5-axis wood machining centers. The last step in the finishing is strictly performed by hand. The leather coupled to the fabric is worked by skilled craftsmen.
What is its added value?
Complementing the wooden framework of the chair, the fabric paired with the leather appears to be suspended. This original technical solution transforms the fabric into a structural material. The joint between the back, legs and armrests is also sheathed in fabric with an innovative process .
Three adjectives to describe it.
Elegant, comfortable, original.
How does the designer describe it?
“In my project as artistic director for Rubelli Casa I imagined a landscape of refined domestic objects, which would interact with each other through the restraint of the forms and the outstanding quality of the craftsmanship. I did not focus on designing iconic pieces, protagonists. Rather I aimed at a collection that would furnish a complete ambiance with a coherent style, in which each element would be part of a dialogue. Tela is the first piece in a broader and more articulated project and at the same time expresses its essence.”