Under the name X-Design Flexfurn, the Belgian manufacturer of folding and stacking furniture, is launching two new innovative product lines onto the market. The LAZE collection and the FLOW collection have three characteristics in common: they are light, extremely strong and modular. Moreover, they have been designed with the focus on attractive contemporary design and are suitable for outdoor use. They meet the market requirements of catering entrepreneurs, event organisers, offices, shopping centres, care institutions, etc. who are looking for affordable ergonomic and flexible design furniture. LAZE is a collection of seating furniture and FLOW is the table and bench collection. An outdoor version has been added to the popular KUBO collection. For the design of the new LAZE collection Flexfurn worked together with Boonen Design Studio. At the start of this year Frédéric Boonen received a Henry van de Velde Award with his Buggybooker as best product on the market.
The LAZE lounge sets
With the LAZE lounge set Flexfurn meets the increasing demand for functional yet exclusive outdoor lounge furniture. Industrial designer Frédéric Boonen took as a basis here the keywords lounge, design, light, modular and outdoor. The result is the surprising LAZE collection.
The LAZE chair is the centrepiece of the collection. A particularly light shell-shaped seat with back support. The rounded shapes are the result of the rotation moulding production method. The high-quality polyethylene used for this makes the seats light, strong, maintenance-friendly and UV-resistant, four important basic characteristics for outdoor furniture. Because of the fine grain of the 100% recyclable polyethylene, the LAZE collection is very easy to keep clean. A number of clever details provide extra durability and ease of use. There are four wear-resistant feet underneath the LAZE chair so that it stands firmly on the ground and does not get damaged. Using the handy connector you can click the chairs neatly and discretely into the configuration of your choice. The lumen LED lights can be attached to the connector by a handy magnet, creating surprising light effects. The LAZE chair can be used with or without cushions. Chair cushions are available in high-quality Sunbrella fabrics and are filled with EZY dry foam, a foam with the right specifications for intensive outdoor use.
The LAZE ottoman is the perfect addition to the chair. If the word multifunctional didn’t already exist, we would have had to invent it for the ottoman! The ottoman can also be used as a small table and as a pouf, but equally well as a small seat, ice bucket, plant container or protection for parasol feet. Of course, the features that make the chair so interesting also apply to the ottoman: wear-resistant feet, connector, magnetic lumen LED lights and cushions in various designs. As an extra with every ottoman you receive a table top and a cap at the bottom of the hollow space for easy water drainage.
The chairs and ottomans can be stacked together on a handy trolley that enables the transport of up to ten units.
The FLOW tables and benches
The approach to the design of the FLOW collection was identical to that for the LAZE collection with an extra dimension: the tables and benches had to be folding. For this reason James Verbeeck opted for a lightweight aluminium frame to which he added extra stability with handy adjusting feet. The high-quality white coating is ideal for events and outdoor use. The black coating looks particularly attractive in combination with the tops in bamboo, perfect for trendy urban catering.
The FLOW grande is a high long bar table. The FLOW dinner is the low shorter version. These two lightweight frames have easily interchangeable table tops in melamine, bamboo or solid core composite material. Melamine is the standard material for indoor use and is available in a variety of colours. Bamboo not only looks very attractive, but is also suitable for outdoor use in good weather conditions. Finally, the solid core composite tops in white or black are ideal for heavy duty outdoor use. The bamboo version is particularly interesting due to the specific properties of this natural product. Bamboo is 27% stronger and 50% more water-resistant than oak. A bamboo leaf has no knots and is resistant to insects and fungi. Flexfurn ensures that only FSC-certified sustainable bamboo is used for production.
The FLOW benches have exactly the same characteristics as the tables: an aluminium folding frame and interchangeable seats. If required, a wide variety of cushions are also available.
For those customers who are a looking for an alternative to the benches with the FLOW grande, there is the KUBO Smart Bar aluminium, a high stacking bar stool with an aluminium frame.
The FLOW tables and benches fit perfectly on the Flexfurn trolleys, a useful functional detail! They are very easy to fold and, just like the LAZE chairs, are easy to put up and down.
James Verbeeck, CEO Flexfurn: “Outdoor is a fast-growing segment with a lot of requirements of its own. Outdoor design furniture not only has to be functional, but also attractive, comfortable and affordable. With the LAZE and FLOW collections Flexfurn is responding to the lounge trend. These collections have a very broad application area. Catering and events are the obvious ones, but these chairs, benches and tables also come into their own in gardens or on terraces. This kind of casual furniture is also suitable for meeting rooms, waiting and reception areas, shopping centres, museums, beach bars, etc. So we firmly believe that these new collections will be a huge success as they add an extra design dimension to Flexfurn’s traditional reliability and functionality.”
