The history

A decisive turning point in the history of the modern bed came in 1978: in this year, Flou was founded with the specific aim of revolutionising the bedroom and creating a new “sleep culture”.

FLOU - Designmöbel und Wohnaccessoires für Zuhause und Büro kaufen im Raum Zug, Luzern und Zürich bei Bruno Wickart.

It was a time of great change: women were discovering the world of work, houses and flats needed multifunctional spaces, and the desire for a freer and better life was emerging. The bedroom becomes a dynamic place, the bed shakes off its traditional “always white” image and takes on colour. Flou is ahead of its time and introduces Nathalie, a bed born from the genius of Vico Magistretti. In addition to the innovative design and the possibility of buying it “ready to sleep”, Nathalie has another great practicality: a small gesture and it is as good as new. The success is so great that Nathalie becomes the progenitor of “modern textile beds”, which become a precise branch of furniture: soft, upholstered, removable and washable, where beautiful colourful duvet covers replace sheets and blankets. And Flou continues to move forward; aesthetics and practicality keep pace with material innovation, technology and rationalisation of production processes. Only the company philosophy remains the same: to produce excellent beds with the precise aim of improving comfort, well-being and quality of life. Today, Flou produces more than fifty beds, from single and double beds to sofa beds and convertible beds made of fabric, wood, leather and other materials. The company also manufactures technical accessories (mattresses, pillows, mattress bases, upholstery fabrics), bed covers are available in a wide range of colours and patterns and are updated every year. The programme also includes complementary furnishing elements: drawer units, bedside tables, furniture, desks, armchairs, mirrors, lamps, pouffes and bookcases. The unusual wardrobes complete and enrich the product range. Their doors take up and confirm the principle of the company’s “textile soul”. Thanks to its innovative approach to the interpretation of “sleeping culture”, Flou has achieved market leadership and has gone from being a “bed specialist” to a “bedroom specialist”.

The founder of Flou: Rosario Messina

“The bed is the place where the future is born, where married life takes place, where the family is formed and where plans are made for the next day. I still think the same today as I did when I founded Flou”. This sentence by founder Rosario Messina, who died prematurely on 9 March 2011, contains the true essence and soul of Flou. His extraordinary professional and private life was honoured with the prestigious “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Knight of Labour) award, which was presented to him by the President of the Italian Republic in June 2008. Born in Aci Castello in Sicily in 1942, he took over the family’s fortunes after the early death of his father, a farmer. Still very young, he took a job at Rinascente in Catania. However, his work did not prevent him from attending evening classes and gaining a vocational qualification. He then transferred to the Catania branch of Zanussi-Rex, the Italian market leader for electrical household appliances at the time. He decided to move to northern Italy, where he became sales manager of a prestigious design company. He then took over the sales management of another large company in the sector, which, like the previous one, was located in the industrialised Brianza region. This experience brought him to Bassetti, where he worked on a new concept for the use of fabrics in furnishings. In 1978, the decisive turning point: together with other partners, he founded the company Flou, which he subsequently took over completely. Initiative, vision and an innovative spirit are the qualities that enabled the Sicilian Messina to establish himself in Lombardy, the historic cradle of the most famous design companies: the town of Meda even awarded him honorary citizenship. His illustrious career has been crowned with prizes and honours. These include the “Compasso d’Oro ADI alla Carriera” (ADI Golden Circle for Career); the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award; the “Made in Italy Awards, New York” prize; the Gold Medal of the Monza section of the Italian Employers’ Association; the “Piazza Mercanti” award from the Milan Chamber of Commerce; the appointment as a member of the Industrialists Association of Monza and Brianza; the Rotary “Paul Harris Award for Entrepreneurs” and participation in symposia, forums and conferences, where he presented the “Flou case” as an example of innovation in the furnishing sector. In the nineties, he held the highest offices in the trade associations: Chairman of the Mobili Assarredo Group, Chairman of Assarredo, Chairman of Cosmit, the organising committee of the Salone del Mobile: in the two terms of office under his leadership, Milan became the capital of design. Finally, in 2008, he was elected Chairman of Federlegno-Arredo, an association representing 2,300 entrepreneurs from 12 trade associations in the furniture and furnishing sectors. Rosario Messina has also held institutional posts such as Member of the Consiglio di Indirizzo della Fondazione Centro Sviluppo Rapporti Italia-Russia (Council of the Foundation of the Centre for the Development of Italian-Russian Relations); Member of the Consiglio Direttivo e Giunta Confindustria Nazionale (Council and Committee of the National Confederation of Employers); Vice-President of the CFI-Comitato Fiere Industria di nomina Confindustriale (Committee for Industrial Fairs), Member of the Board of Directors of the Angelo De Gasperis Foundation. In 2008 he was appointed Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy and the following year he was awarded the title of ‘Cavaliere del Lavoro’ (Knight of Labour) by the President of the Republic of Italy. His marriage to Cettina Selva resulted in three children: Massimiliano, Cristiana and Manuela. After completing their studies, they started working for the company, holding the positions of General Manager, Trade Marketing Manager and Research & Development Manager.

GOOD NIGHT – GOOD LIFE

The Flou bed system is the result of a path that Flou has been following for many years, ever since the company started making beds that have made millions of people in Italy and around the world dream. A path that aims to achieve absolute well-being during sleep. But this journey never ends and is also an incentive to continue, because Flou’s DNA includes the urge to explore, discover and innovate. This innate desire to look ahead in order to constantly improve something. Always.

Here: Manufacturer profile of Flou

The designers of Flou

Bellini Mario

Mario Bellini (Milan, 1935) graduated as an architect from the Milan Polytechnic in 1959. He is well known for his design work, which he began in 1963 as an industrial design consultant at Olivetti and then extended to the most important Italian and international companies. He has been awarded the Golden Circle 8 times and has received the most prestigious international awards such as the Gold Medal of the Chartered Society of Designers (England) and the Honorary Title of Designer for Industry of the RSA (England). He is represented in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York with 25 works and in 1987 a personal retrospective was dedicated to him. His works can also be found in the collections of the world’s largest museums. Since the 1980s, he has worked with growing success in the field of architecture in Europe, Japan, the United States, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. His award-winning architectural works have been published on the front pages of the international specialised press and included in the world’s most prestigious architectural and cultural events. In December 2004, the President of the Republic, C.A. Ciampi, awarded him the 1st Class Diploma with Gold Medal for his services to education, culture and art, in recognition of the international importance of his work. He has taught at the most important cultural centres in the world. Member of the Executive Committee of the XVII Milan Triennale, from 1986 to 1991 he was Director of Domus, the prestigious monthly magazine for architecture, design and art. Mario Bellini’s activities and thoughts have been documented in a comprehensive bibliography, which also includes two individual writings published by Electra and Skira in 1988 and 1996 respectively.

Beds

GrandPiano

Borgonovo Pinuccio

Born in Giussano (MI) on 25 September 1956, after training at the State Institute of Art of Cantù, he gained significant experience in the project centre of one of the most important furnishing factories, where he acquired in-depth knowledge of materials, their technical application, production techniques and the problems associated with industrial planning. In 1987, he began working as a freelancer and became a consultant for several large furniture companies. His collaboration with research and development centres and designers resulted in internationally successful products. In 1992, he began an intensive collaboration with another renowned company, for which he designed a complete furnishing collection based on innovative concepts. These concepts enabled, among other things, the development of the first modular furniture with finite multipurpose elements to appear on the market. In 2001, he developed a new living concept. The division of space is based on the interaction of products with a distinctly technical character: a modular, modular system, a table collection (which was nominated for the Compasso d’Oro 2005 (Golden Compass)), a programme/system for closing and dividing rooms (doors, sliding and partition walls). For some companies, he not only takes care of the design and industrial planning of the products, but also the artistic direction and the coordination of image strategies.

Beds and furnishing accessories

Castagna Massimo

Massimo Castagna was born in 1957 and graduated in architecture from Milan Polytechnic in 1984. In 1986 he founded Studio AD Architettura, which operates in many sectors, whether residential or commercial property, renovation or restoration projects, interior design or product design. He can boast collaborations with the most prestigious companies in the furnishing sector, for which he takes care of the artistic direction and the philosophy and selection of products, as well as coordinating the work team and image. One of his most important works is the “Piramide” high-altitude research laboratory for the Everest-K2-CNR Scientific Committee, which was built in Nepal at an altitude of 5050 metres in 1991 and was selected for the 18th Milan Triennale. For ten years he has been a lecturer for the Federmobile Masters at Polidesign at the Milan Polytechnic on subjects such as sales training for interior design shops.

Beds and furnishing accessories

Colombo Carlo

Born in Carimate (CO) in 1967, he graduated in architecture from Milan Polytechnic in 1993. He then opened an office working mainly in the field of planning, realising numerous projects for the renovation of social and private housing. He collaborates with various production companies in the fields of furnishings, lighting technology and gift items. He teaches Industrial Packaging at the Faculty of Architecture at the Milan University of Technology, where he is an assistant professor in the Interior Design Department. As an Italian member, he holds conferences on industrial design in Italy, Israel, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, Ukraine, Australia and England. His projects have been exhibited in museums of applied arts and contemporary art galleries in Paris, Bremen and Cologne.

Beds

Furnishing accessories

Dordoni Rodolfo

Born in Milan in 1954, Rodolfo Dordoni graduated in architecture in 1979 and until 1989 he was in charge of the artistic direction and image of Cappellini (among the products he designed we remember the “Colombia” container system, the “Lipsia” chairs and the “Cuba” sofa). He has worked for many companies in the furnishing sector such as Barovier & Toso, Moroso, Foscarini, Tisettanta, Artemide, Driade, Arteluce, Venini, Flos, Lema, Fontana Arte, Minotti, Molteni, Jab, Dornbracht, Sambonet, Rossana and Fiam. Since 1995, he has designed numerous shops and showrooms for D&G / Dolce & Gabbana.

Beds

Furnishing accessories

OPERA DESIGN: Emanuela Garbin e Mario Dell’Orto

For clients, consultancy can include specific needs or art direction in general, defining an organisational and synergic route so that the various initiatives contribute to placing the brand on the market as well and as clearly as possible. In the field of design, the studio has developed and continues to develop models for various types of furniture. Armchairs, sofas, furniture, beds and complementary furnishings bear the signature of OPERA DESIGN and are produced by renowned companies. Various models have received important awards at exhibitions and competitions in Italy and abroad. For exhibition spaces or showrooms, the studio takes care of planning and restructuring, defining the strategy of the intervention, image and communication. The project does not end here, however, as the studio works to maintain and grow the sales outlet through initiatives, promotions and events. Individual specialisations converge in the studio, allowing it to carry out synergistic activities. In this way, the many problems facing the sector today can be tackled from a broader perspective, as it is currently undergoing a major upheaval and significant changes.

Beds

Furnishing accessories

Frommherz Cuno

He was born in Switzerland in 1963. Cuno Frommherz opened his studio for product design in 1996. Before that, the self-taught designer worked for an interior designer for several years and originally trained as a cabinet maker. He designs furniture for well-known international companies. His work has been honoured with several prestigious design awards. He has given lectures on design in Germany, Holland, Russia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Denmark. The basis of his work is the examination of space, beauty and perception. It is these themes that move him and challenge him to continue searching and to think about products again and again. Josef Brodsky said: “I can only move my fingers because there is space in between”. This statement is an important principle of his design philosophy. Spaces in between are just as important as the object itself and are an integral part of it. In his view, the outside world, space and people are inextricably interwoven. Cuno Frommherz seeks to give his designs their own personality and at the same time restraint and calm. In this way, the user has the opportunity to make their own contribution without being dominated by the product.

Giovanetti Riccardo

Born in Milan in 1967, he graduated in industrial design from the Faculty of Architecture at Milan Polytechnic in 1992. He designs furnishings, lamps for Candle, Firme di Vetro and Fontana Arte, electrical household appliances for Whirlpool, flooring for Hasetora, Forbo, Tarkett and hi-fi systems for Pioneer. He works as an art director with various companies involved in the production of materials for furnishings. He designs interiors for public spaces and museums such as the Triennale in Milan, the ID Forum in Copenhagen, the Ozone Design Centre in Tokyo and the Musèe des Arts Dècoratifs in Paris. He teaches at the design and architecture school ‘Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design’ in Milan.

Beds

Furnishing accessories

Rémy
Rémy

Lanzi Luigi

Born in 1950 in Bologna, where he currently lives and works. He became interested in furnishings in the 1970s and at the age of 22 he opened the first showroom for furniture, lighting and furnishing accessories in his home town, selling products from the most prestigious brands in the sector. Riding the wave of this success, he opened three more showrooms in the 1980s, which were subsequently joined by a prestigious art gallery where exhibitions, happenings and performances by major artists and designers of international calibre were organised. Since the early 1990s, he has dedicated himself to reorganising the showrooms of renowned brands in the clothing, leather goods and accessories sectors. At the same time, he also organised the interior design of the residences of celebrities from show business, sport and culture. At the same time, he began working in the design sector, creating designs for Via Bizzuno and 120% Lino. Since 2002, he has been involved in the development of the ‘Vestire Flou’ home collection and also takes care of the furnishings and image of Flou brand outlets in Italy and abroad.

Furnishing accessories

Servomuto

Magistretti Vico

Gold Medal at the IX Triennale (1951) and the Grand Prix at the X Triennale (1954). Triennale (1954), two Golden Circles (in 1967 and 1979 respectively), the S.I.A.D. Gold Medal of the Society of Industrial Artists & Designers (1986), the Golden Circle for his professional career (1995), two Gold and Silver Medals at the Vienna Furniture Salon International (1970), the Golden Chair at the Cologne Furniture Fair (1982) and the Gold Medal Apostolo del Design Milan (1997). He continues to work on project culture, experimenting with innovative materials and technologies (plastic and derivatives), with spatial solutions (stackable and transportable) and with ever new forms and functions, far removed in their rigour from the fashions that have characterised the last sixty years. His works can be seen in the most important design exhibitions in Italy, Europe, the United States and Japan and are part of the permanent collections of the most prestigious museums in the world: twelve of them are in the Permanent Collection of the MOMA in New York. Honorary member of the London Royal College of Art of Londen, where he is also Honorary Visiting Professor, and of the Royal Scottish Incorporation of Architects; he has taught at the Domus Academy of Milan and held conferences in Milan, Venice, Rome, London, Barcellona, Copenhagen, Aspen, Tokyo and Sao Paolo. He has designed for the biggest Italian and foreign brands and can boast of having designed the most beds for a single company: Flou. “The most important pieces I have designed – regardless of their commercial success – are those that have written a little bit of the history of the company I designed them for. And I’m pleased that some of them, like Nathalie, are still in production after 20 or 30 years”. This quote concludes the short biography of the great master of Italian design, who died in Milan on 19 September 2006 at the age of 86.

Beds

Manzoni Giulio

Born in 1952, he graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1976; he has collaborated with the Universities of Milan and Pavia, the Comprensorio 8 in Como, the Intercomunale in Pordenone and the Campione Casino. Present at the “Biennale di Architettura” in Venice, he holds numerous Italian and international patents, including the first “Magico bed base” and the “Riletto bed-desk”, which were awarded the “Leonardo” prize by the Museo della Scienza e della Tecnica in Milan, and the “Ercolino” bed, winner of the “Design Award Professional” prize. He works with the most prestigious Italian furnishing companies and is particularly interested in multifunctional products and new technologies.

Beds

PiazzaDuomo

Mari Enzo

Enzo Mari was born in Novara in 1932 and works in various directions, all of which have in common a rethinking of the meaning of form and project. This activity, which began with research into visual perception, was then extended to games for children, graphics, design and architecture. He has given numerous courses, such as those at the “Research Centre for Visual Communication” at the University of Parma, at the “Accademia di Belle Arti” in Carrara, at the “Faculty of Architecture” at the Milan Polytechnic and at the “ISIA” in Florence. Recently at the “Hochschule der Künste” of Berlin and at the “Hochschule fur Angewandte Kunst” of Vienna. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in industrial design by the Faculty of Architecture of the Milan University of Technology. He is a member of the “Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione” (Communication Research Centre and Archive) in Parma, whose archive contains around nine thousand of his original drawings. He has exhibited his work in numerous museums such as “La Biennale” in Venice, “La Triennale” in Milan, “Schloss Charlottenburg” in Berlin, the “Galleria Santa Monica” in Barcellona and the “Galleria d’Arte Moderna” in San Marino. His works of art and design are part of the collections of various museums, including the CSAC in Parma, the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna in Rome, the MOMA in New York and the Triennale in Milan. He has been awarded numerous prizes for his research work, such as four “Golden Compasses”. In 2001, Bollati Boringhieri published his assay “Project and Passion”. Among the most recent publications on his work, we mention the following: “Why a book on Enzo Mari?” by F. Burkhardt and F. Picchi, editors Motta; “Enzo Mari – The work at the centre”, by A. d’Avossa and F. Picchi, editors Electa; “Enzo Mari: Between art of the project and applied art”, by the National Museum of Ceramics of Faenza.

Beds

Nunziati Matteo

Matteo Nunziati opened his studio in Milan in 2000. Studio Nunziati works in the field of interior architecture and design and collaborates with major companies in the furniture, lighting and gift industries. Matteo Nunziati has won several prestigious design awards, among the most recent are: the Good Design Award 2011 Chicago USA, the Wallpaper Design Award 2011 United Kingdom, the Cityscape Award 2013 Saudi Arabia. He specialises in the design of luxury hotels, wellness centres, spas and residential projects. He has completed and ongoing projects in Italy, Switzerland, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Maldives and China. He also designs furnishings for exhibitions, events and trade fairs. Since 2004 he has been teaching at design institutes and schools: – he leads the workshop of the “Hotel Design” fast-track course at the Domus Academy – he is always a “Project Leader” at the Domus Academy as part of the Masters of Interior Design (2005 edition, 2006 edition) – he collaborates with the Department of Industrial Design/ Graduate Institute of Innovation and Design, National Taipei University of Technology di Taipei, Taiwan. In 2005 he collaborates with the creative faculty, IDI Interior Design Institute of Milan. In 2006 he takes part in the exhibition “50+2y Italian design” at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, he is among the selection of the most representative international designers from 1954 to 2006. Every year in 2006, he takes part in the “Brand and Designers China Iniziative 2006”, a series of conferences organised by Shenzen Sphinx Culture and Communication, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shenzen Sub-council (CCPIT) and the Shenzen Media Group in the city of Shenzen, China. Since 2007, he has organised several events at the trade fairs “Abitare il Tempo” in Verona (Italy), “Mipim” Cannes (France), “Cityscape” (Dubai), “Salone Internazionale del Mobile” Milan (Italy). Since 2007 he has been teaching the course “Interior Design for Hotels” at the Domus Academy in Milan in collaboration with the University of the Arts London Central Saint Martins. In 2011 he gave the lesson “The way of work of an italian leading design office” at the university “tshinghua university Shenzhen” in Shenzhen in China in collaboration with the Domus Academy of Milan. Since 2008 he has been invited as a design professional to participate in international conferences organised on the occasion of important trade fairs: “MIPIM” Cannes – France, “Eire” Milan-Italy, “European SPA Summit” Paris-France, “Sia Guest” Rimini-Italy. Since 2009 he has participated in prestigious conferences organised by the “Federlegno Arredo” association in collaboration with the ICE (Institute for Foreign Trade) and the Italian government to present Italian design worldwide (Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Estonia, Switzerland, etc.). His projects have been published in the major Italian and international design magazines.

Furnishing accessories

Paper

Prato Vittorio

Vittorio Prato was born in Desio in 1946 and has been working with other project managers in the field of design and interior architecture since 1965. For eight years he worked at the Centro Cesare Cassina as a project manager and since 1972 he has been the head of the research and development centre at B&B Italia. Since 1976, he has worked as a freelance designer, project developer and consultant, collaborating with numerous companies. He designed new workshop accessories for Beta Utensili; an innovative ergonomic chair for dental practices for Idea; the first office chair base made of a microfibre-filled thermoplastic for Vaghi; and a highly innovative bed range for Flou. The Chassis bed developed for Interflex was registered for the XIII Golden Circle (1984). He also collaborates with the Paolo Tilche-Artform architecture firm, Cassina, Joint, Maisa, Minotti Italia, Potocco-Accademia, Former, Coopsette, Vibieffe, Valdichienti and the Japanese company Kosuga in the field of project planning and consultancy. For Lema-Sorgente dei Mobili, he is not only a consultant but also the project manager of a furnishing system. In the nineties Besana Mobili produced one of his new concept modular systems and for Meritalia he designed numerous models for the contract sector and took care of the project in general.

Beds

The Swiss mail order company for design classics: Bruno Wickart

At Bruno Wickart, you only buy original pieces of furniture from Flou. Discover Italian classics at the best price in Switzerland in our design shop. In our showroom, you will receive personalised interior design advice. Of course you can also order and buy online, our telephone advice service will provide you with competent support free of charge.

For a beautiful home: the complete bedroom programme at Wickart

The interior design for bedrooms includes all furnishing elements in exclusive Italian design.

Drawer cabinets,
bedside tables,
bookcases,
desks,
armchairs and
living accessories such as mirrors, lamps and pouffes.

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