The best summer cocktail chairs: new launches at Milan's furniture fair are full of colour, unusual shapes and made with contemporary materials

Small, summery chairs in bright colours add to entertaining spaces inside and out.
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Nicole Swengley20 August 2019

A colourful cocktail of small, summery chairs adds character to any entertaining space.

With designers taking adventurous approaches to colour and pattern, it’s easy to create a lively ambience while the use of lighter, contemporary materials lets you whizz seats outside or indoors depending on the weather.

New launches at Milan’s furniture fair in April presented an intoxicating choice.

The enveloping, asymmetric backrest of Aroma, created by Japanese designers Setsu and Shinobu Ito for Gufram (£1,764; gufram.it) culminates in a small, integral tabletop that’s perfect for perching a cocktail glass or bowl of olives.

The removable wool cover over its steel/wood frame can be customised in any fabric or colour including zesty yellow, deep blue and hot orange.

Just as characterful is Saba Italia’s Baby Geo (£1,405; gomodern.co.uk), a wholly rounded seat with an internal metal-rod structure that supports a comfortably curved, padded backrest.

Another shapely design is Pil, designed by Alessandro Busana for Bonaldo (£2,150; gomodern.co.uk) with deeply upholstered cushions that come in many mouth-watering colours.

Also launched in Milan was Dot (£1,990; roche-bobois.com), a neat, rounded chair on a swivel base designed by Raphael Navot for Roche Bobois’ Nativ collection. Upholstered in stretchy “Lasti” fabric, it’s available in yellow, blue or dark green plus grey.

Milan’s showstopper was the limited-edition Dolls design (£12,800) by London studio, Raw Edges, for Louis Vuitton’s ongoing Objets Nomades collection.

This eye-catcher’s backrest can be hand painted, turning it into a collector’s item.

Limited edition ‘Dolls’ chairs (£12,800) by London design studio Raw Edges for Louis Vuitton

Two versions of this design were shown — one in vibrant yellow fabric with a sculpted white leather shell, the other with a tropical-print shell and deep green base.

Equally alluring is Moroso’s flamboyantly flowery Antibodi armchair (£3,288; chaplins.co.uk). Its “petals” are made from double-sided materials — felt/baize or baize/leather — to create structural upholstery fixed to a stainless-steel frame.

The Italian brand’s fascination with materials is also revealed in the Banjooli collection (chair £432; armchairs £585; table £432), with rust-proof, tubular-steel frames handwoven with colourful polyethylene cord.

In a choice of six colours, woven polyethylene cord also gives Saba Italia’s New York Soleil chair its laid-back charm (chair £600; armchair £1,300; gomodern.co.uk).

The tubular metal frame is specially treated for outdoor use while cushions are covered in quick-drying, non-absorbent fabric with removable outer cushion covers in 13 different shades.

Bridging the indoor-outdoor divide is Saba Italia’s Grace (£1,700; gomodern.co.uk), its bubbly personality characterised by clusters of metal rings and cushioned spheres. It’s available in a wide choice of colours including a dozen garden-friendly fabrics.

Fritz Hansen’s Drop chair at Chaplins (£253) is newly refreshed in sunny yellow, calming blue, blush pink and mid-grey as well as classic white and black.

Originally designed by Arne Jacobsen for Denmark’s SAS Royal Hotel in 1958, it was relaunched in 2014 and updated this year. Powder-coated, chromed-steel legs support its plastic, pear drop shape with an optional cushion in light or dark grey.

Easy to pop outside when the sun shines is Diabla’s cheeky, bright pink Lipstick chair (£250; chaplins.co.uk). Shaped like its namesake, it’s made from 100 per cent recyclable polyethylene.

Or make a colourfully retro splash with Boqa’s Acapulco chair (£375; scp.co.uk). Inspired by Mexican Fifties designs, its steel frame is woven with plastic rope in fuchsia, yellow, turquoise, olive-green, orange, sky blue, red or white.

Anyone looking for a vibrant interpretation of the classic bistro chair should check out Miky by EMU, with a painted, galvanised steel frame available in 18 shades from zingy yellow to sky blue (chair £129; armchair £145; table £210; chaplins.co.uk).

The Weekend armchair, designed by Studio Brichet Ziegler for Petite Friture, also has a strong, graphic presence created by the vertical/horizontal interplay of slatted, lacquered-aluminium seats and backrests.

Available in blue, burgundy, yellow, white or black, the chairs can be snapped up in the twentytwentyone sale for £255 (originally £300) with a matching table reduced to £561 (from £660). The sale runs until July 28.