Unveil Ithaque - Charles Zana First Furniture Collection

Last October, during FIAC (Paris International Contemporary Art Fair), Charles Zana presented Ithaque, a new line of furniture, created in May and produced in only six months.

Named after Ulysses" initiatory voyage, this first collection reflects the atmospheres full of curved lines and subtle tones that he has been imagining for thirty years and that have led him to realize projects in every corner of the world. Shown against a backdrop of wood-paneled floors and vintage wallpaper, the collection exudes a timeless quality of sumptuous sophistication. Zana draws on his extensive three decades of interior design experience for the collection, which encompasses around 60 new and updated pieces, including armchairs, sofas, stools, chandeliers, floor and table lamps, coffee tables, and desks. 

Zana has worked with French craftspeople for these pieces that take inspiration from the design codes of the 1930s, nodding to everything from Jean-Michael Frank’s materials to Pierre Chareau’s forms and Gio Ponti’s curves. In the new furniture, Zana is guided by the principle of simplicity, eschewing unnecessary embellishments and instead of drawing the sculptural curve of a sofa or the graphic forms of a lamp in clean strokes.

The collection is produced in a subdued palette from luxurious fabrics, such as velvet, and conceived from soft, rounded, minimalist forms. A headboard curves around the bed in the main room, a sofa is articulated to create a cocooned space, armchairs occupy corners, and lighting in stone and marble is evocative of Giorgio Morandi’s still-life paintings. It’s an understated and refined vision of luxury with an emphasis on high-quality materials and craftsmanship, with pieces having ample space to breathe.

The Ithaque collection will be presented during Maison Objet in Paris, at the architect"s studio in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and is awaiting an upcoming exhibition in a new location, yet to be discovered.