JOURNAL · ITALIAN DESIGN

Poliform: one space, many ways to feel at home

Casaformastudio editorial visualisation inspired by the products discussed; not an official Poliform configuration.

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The living room gathers light from the sea. A little further back, the dining table awaits the evening; the kitchen joins the conversation with the quiet presence of furniture. An open-plan home feels effortless when every activity has a place and the eye can travel freely between them.

Our Mediterranean concept explores that balance through proportion, materials and light. Poliform’s history, the enveloping Saint-Germain sofa and the new Harp kitchen offer three perspectives on a connected home.

Poliform: from Brianza craftsmanship to a vision of the home

Poliform’s roots reach back to an artisan enterprise established in Inverigo, Brianza, in 1942. In 1970 Alberto Spinelli, Aldo Spinelli and Giovanni Anzani founded Poliform, transforming the family business into a modern industrial company. Practical knowledge met an approach to furniture that could evolve with the spaces around it.

The acquisition of Varenna in 1996 extended that thinking to kitchens. In 2018 the kitchens also took the Poliform name, expressing a shared identity across the home. Storage systems and individual pieces could belong to a coherent setting while retaining their own purpose and character.

For a designer, this continuity offers the freedom to consider relationships between pieces alongside the qualities of each object.

Saint-Germain: a soft boundary for the living area

Designed by Jean-Marie Massaud in 2020, Saint-Germain is a modular sofa system with organic forms recalling 1970s design. Its modules allow linear, corner and freer arrangements, while fabric and leather coverings articulate the generous volumes.

In our concept, a moss-green bouclé interpretation brings softness to the precision of oak and marble. The sofa gathers the conversation area and establishes a low boundary that leaves sightlines open. The rug completes this small domestic architecture, identifying a place to unwind while the continuous floor connects it to the wider room.

The arrangement should follow the actual floor plan. Seating habits, views and comfortable movement around occupied furniture matter as much as the outline of the sofa.

Harp: a new kitchen for Poliform’s 2026 collection

Harp is part of Poliform’s 2026 collection. It brings assertive geometry together with softer curves, using a graphic detail across base and tall units to establish a visual rhythm. Wood finishes, marble worktops and brushed steel details give the design a layered material character.

For us, this suggests a kitchen that contributes to the atmosphere of the living space. Curves can ease the visual transition around an island; the rhythm of tall storage can lend order to a wall. The possibilities must be developed against the available configurations and finishes.

The oak and pale-stone island in our image is a conceptual interpretation of this dialogue. It explores scale, atmosphere and relationships between furnishings rather than documenting a Harp catalogue configuration.

Three clear functions within one room

The dining table becomes the connecting point. Close to the kitchen, it makes serving and sharing feel natural. In conversation with the sofa, it lets an evening unfold across the room. A pendant above the table establishes a visual centre and a more intimate pool of light after dark.

We develop this continuity through a few deliberate decisions:

• Clear circulation: routes to the entrance, terrace and kitchen should remain comfortable around occupied dining chairs and the conversation area.
• Furniture as a boundary: the rug, sofa back, dining table and island make each activity legible while preserving views.
• A related material palette: oak, pale stone and deep greens recur at different intensities, with tactile, transparent and matt surfaces bringing depth.
• Light for different moments: kitchen task lighting, a dedicated dining light and softer living-room sources allow several activities to coexist.

Visual openness needs everyday comfort behind it. Extraction, appliance noise, adequate storage and acoustic softness all deserve attention. Where cooking habits call for more separation, a glazed closure can preserve the visual connection.

Making the landscape part of the room

In the concept, panoramic glazing connects all three areas to the Mediterranean. The greens of the sofa and marble wall relate to the olive trees outside; pale stone gathers the daylight. As sunset passes through clouds, shifting light reveals the texture of fabric and the grain of oak in turn.

The quality of a room also comes from what remains free: a comfortable passage, an uninterrupted view and enough space between everyday gestures.

Frequently asked questions

Should the kitchen and living room have identical finishes?

They can share a colour family and selected materials. Measured differences help each area retain its own identity.

Does Saint-Germain suit every open-plan room?

Its modularity offers several possibilities, but overall dimensions and seat depths need checking against circulation and the other furniture on the actual plan.

Is the image a completed Casaformastudio project?

It is an Casaformastudio editorial visualisation inspired by the products discussed. It is neither a photograph of a completed project nor official Poliform imagery. Product shapes and finishes should be checked against the manufacturer’s documentation.

Let’s design the relationships within your home

Would you like your open-plan kitchen and living room to feel more harmonious? We can begin with your floor plan and daily routines to develop the layout, furnishings, materials and lighting. Explore our approach or tell us about your home using the contacts below.

The design is earned, never merely decorated.

Sources and further reading

Poliform history · Sustainability report and brand history · Saint-Germain · Harp, 2026 collection.