Flou - Company Profile

In Old French terms, the word Flou was used to describe a feeling of ‘tiredness or exhaustion’. One can only assume that the renowned Italian bed manufacturers were inspired by this definition nearly 40 years ago when they began producing the perfect product for when you're feeling a little flou.

Company founder Rosario Messina started out as a sales assistant in the famous La Rinascente department store in Milan but moved into the furniture industry when he joined C&B (now B&B Italia) in the early 70s. Later that decade he moved to the Italian textile company Bassetti, and was charged with the task of pushing the ever-increasing popularity of the duvet at the time, which led him towards his vision of creating a new "sleep culture" in the bedroom. Flou launched in 1978 and made an auspicious move by presenting the Nathalie Bed designed by the revered industrial designer Vico Magistretti. Flou describe the Nathalie Bed as the 'mother of all textile beds': a title which is hard to contradict with its fabric covered base frame, headboard and distinctive pillows tied with a bow. The introduction of bold coloured and patterned upholstery for their beds also forged a new dynamic, and glorious, technicolour evidence of this can be seen in the advertising campaigns Flou began putting out in the mid-80s to display this new, loud way of looking at the quietest room in the home.

The success of the Nathalie Bed put Flou on the map and over time, a slew of well-known designers came on board such as Enzo Mari, Mario Bellini, Rodolfo Dordoni and Carlo Colombo. This rise in profile afforded investment into the development of new production processes and research into the use of innovative materials. At present, Flou are producing over 50 different bed designs alongside a range of mattresses, duvets and pillows to suit any 'Goldilocks' predilection for the perfect night's sleep.

Their edit of contemporary bed designs are supplemented by a collection of luxurious bedroom furniture including night tables, vanity tables, mirrors and wardrobes to suit any modern interior scheme. Flou have now even taken a step outside the bedroom by adding a range of elegant sofas to their catalogue with designs by Colombo, Dordoni and the design duo Mario Dell’Orto & Emanuela Garbin from studio Opera Work In Progress.

The Ermes range by Rodolfo Dordoni, 2012

Fully accessorised wardrobes from the Flou range.

[caption id="attachment_2381" style="text-align: center;" width="740"] The Olivier modular sofa by Emanuela Garbin and Mario Dell'Orto, 2015[/caption]

Aram Store have exclusive access to the Flou collection in London - keep an eye out for some very exciting news coming soon.

MYLES BROWN