- Art & Design
Paris recently hosted the unveiling of Charles Zana's furniture collection, named Ithaca. Inspired by his experience as an architect, he had the idea of putting his signature, which is synonymous with comfort, elegance and high-quality craftsmanship, on a line of high-end furniture.
During his career as an architect, Charles Zana always felt the need to create a soft decorative landscape. ‘I love the beauty of empty spaces. I remove rough edges and unclean volumes to create spaces that can be lived in,’ he says. His custom-made creations, for both individuals and hotels, are characterised by delicate curves and subtle tones. He draws inspiration from the tradition of designers of the 1930s, such as Jean-Michel Frank, Pierre Chareau and Gio Ponti. The result is furniture and decorations with subtle and allusive accents. 
Furniture with subtle and allusive accents.
Zana now created his first high-quality furniture collection on his own. He decided to give the series a symbolic name, Ithaca, which expresses the steadfastness of his initiating journey through the firm's thirty-year history. His collection includes tables, a desk, seats, a headboard and lighting, and was designed with the vision of creating a contemporary living environment. Each piece is designed in accordance with its decorative principles, namely a harmony of material, colour and volume.
Light plays a central role in the interior architecture of Charles Zana. Whether the lamps are placed, hung or applied, his designs bring a tangible vibration to the room. The legs of the stone lamps, for example, are reminiscent of a Giorgio Morandi-style still life, and a lantern with curved coloured glass is an ode to the knowledge of the Venetian glass masters. 
Its seats are synonymous with comfort. They are available in different fabrics, which, combined with brushed oak and cedar, enhance the sensuality of the transition between the materials. The volumes of the armchairs are sculpted with fine and precise lines. A comfortable armchair invites the duality of materials and the ottoman, like the other models, emphasises the timeless elegance of the traditional upholstery technique. 
The tables are available in different heights. The small tables act as extensions to the sofas. The cedar wood, palette-shaped with curved or cantilevered legs, perfectly complements the solidity of travertine and marble. The free-form, rounded desk is reminiscent of some iconic pieces from post-war design history. The Calanque coffee table has been given a bronze look.
The Ithaca collection confirms Charles Zana's commitment to quality and durability. It became a furniture series according to the needs of a society that is looking for furniture that is both adaptable and specific. 
Header image: photography by Vincent Leroux
Images 2-3: photography by Vincent Leroux
Images 4-10: photography by François Halard