Rational luxury: a design language that endures
Its first creative chapter, led by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, embraced traditional woodworking, classical references and sculptural forms such as the Africa chair from the Artona collection and the New Harmony series. In 1993, Antonio Citterio became sole designer and Creative Director, steering Maxalto into what he terms “modern neo-classicism”: a language that filters early 20th‑century and interwar French inspirations through the eye of an Italian architect to create pieces that feel current decade after decade. The collection was sensitively refreshed in recent years with new tones and finishes, and 2025 marks Maxalto’s 50th anniversary with limited editions that underscore the brand’s enduring values.
Maxalto is not trend‑driven. It cultivates a coherent, evolving universe where each new product sits naturally alongside those from 5, 10 or 25 years ago. That continuity is the direct result of single authorship and tight art direction. References to the quiet elegance of Jean‑Michel Frank and a Parisian sense of restraint yield interiors that are luminous, warm and never over‑styled. This is “rational luxury”: proportion, comfort and finish quality doing the heavy lifting, not decoration.
Craftsmanship with industrial rigor
Maxalto unites innovation and tradition. While it shares B&B Italia’s Research & Development capabilities and quality standards, the brand operates its own factory dedicated to woods and precious materials. Historic techniques like shellac finishing and high‑gloss lacquers sit alongside state‑of‑the‑art processes, ensuring consistency across large programmes without losing the soul of handwork.
Material choices are exacting: carefully selected European leathers, richly grained woods (including wenge and oak in natural, light and dark tones), and metal structures in bronze, chrome or burnished aluminium. Upholstered seating leverages cold‑moulded polyurethane and solid metal frames—solutions that deliver uniform comfort, high durability and long service life. The result is furniture that looks refined up close and performs under daily use.
