Inventing is tricky, reinventing is even harder. Barel did it in a technical innovative way: founded in 1958, the Italian firm is specialized in drop-forged iron furniture, like the one displayed on the occasion of the last Salone del Mobile Fair. Thanks to a continuous search in terms of new ways to make iron express its potential, the company launched to collaborations, respectively with Ugo La Pietra and Elio Garis.

The two designers created two new ways to exploit wrought iron, that has thus become an unexpected light material to customize beds, tools, counters and mirrors. On the one hand, Ugo La Pietra designed Filicudi, a furniture collection inspired to the Sicilian island by combining iron with ceramic, wood and gritstone. A new way to bring traditions up to date by exploiting the core material of Barel’sproduction as well as new elements such as ceramic, to emphasize the local side of the firm. 

The second collection, by Elio Garis, features Lyra and Star.

The first one is made of two impressive refined light beds, Apollo and Hermes. Star employs iron in a different way, as the trimming material rather than the main one, which in this case is wood. Star presents three different headboards to completely customize a bed by mixing traditional iron and contemporary design.

Iron butterflies, light lines and wood merge together to make an inspiration come true, to further enrich the quality showcase of Milan’s Design Week.

INFO: http://barel.it/

PHOTO: Courtesy Barel