Poltrona Frau Unveils Carrephilia at Maison & Objet: A New Expression of Craft and Collaboration

Paris during Maison & Objet always thrums with design energy, and this year Poltrona Frau added a distinctive new voice to the conversation. Inside its elegant flagship store, the Italian heritage brand unveiled Carrephilia, an armchair born of collaboration with Wilmotte & Associés, the Paris-based architecture and design studio with which it shares more than two decades of creative synergy.

Carrephilia is more than a seat

This is the embodiment of balance, craft, and connection. Generous in proportion yet light in presence, the chair’s defining character lies in its interwoven Pelle Frau® strips, a mesh that is at once transparent, refined, and enduring. The woven texture echoes the discipline of geometry while inviting the softness of pause and welcome. It is, as its name suggests, an ode both to carré – the grounding symbol of the square – and to philia, the spirit of hospitality.

Duality

Presented in two distinct versions, Carrephilia showcased its dual nature: one with a natural ash frame, pale Pelle Frau® tones, and fabric cushions that highlight its luminous tactility; the other, a sleek monochrome in weghè-stained ash and inky Pelle Frau® finishes, exuding quiet strength and sophistication. This versatility underscores its ambition to serve both luxury hospitality and high-end residential settings with equal grace.

The launch reaffirms Poltrona Frau’s position at the intersection of Italian craftsmanship and architectural refinement, a dialogue it has carried with Wilmotte & Associés since the early 2000s. Now part of the Custom Interiors collection, Carrephilia extends that legacy with fully bespoke options in materials, colours, and finishes.

Poltrona Frau unveiled the Fornasetti x Poltrona Frau capsule at Le Bon Marché during the show. Here, iconic pieces – the 1919 armchair and Isidoro bar cabinet – were reimagined with Fornasetti’s whimsical “Ultime Notizie” motif, proving once again that design, at its best, is a conversation between tradition and reinvention.