Dezeen Magazine

Patricia Urquiola refreshes Maia outdoor furniture with teak and hand-braided rope

Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has updated her Maia collection of outdoor furniture for Kettal by replacing the seat with nautical rope and the legs with teak wood.

Maia Rope chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

Patricia Urquiola's Maia Rope collection includes four armchairs, two footstools, a two-seater sofa, an egg-shaped swing chair, a bar stool and a table.

All of the pieces created for Spanish brand Kettal feature chunky teak legs and an angular aluminium frame containing the hand-knotted rope mesh.

Maia Rope chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

"The new Kettal Maia Rope collection adds a light design and natural elegance," said a statement from Kettal. "It is hand-braided with nautical rope and the legs are teak, a combination that transmits energy and warmth."

Maia Rope chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

The woven rope replaces the criss-crossing synthetic fibre of Urquiola's original Maia designs released in 2005, which also had aluminium legs.

Maia Rope chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

"The launch of Kettal's Maia collection was a milestone in the company's history. Its runaway success garnered the company international recognition and prestige," said a spokesperson for the brand.

The signature pattern that the designer creates with the knotted yarn can only be achieved by hand braiding.

Maia Rope chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

The brand believes that the updated collection has an "indoor design aesthetic" due to the more natural finish, whilst remaining suitable for outdoor use. The new club armchair also has slightly different proportions to its previous version.

Urquiola's previous collaborations with Kettal include the Mesh furniture range, which is built from expanded aluminium mesh elements. She has also designed the Vieques collection of carpets made with a three-dimensional Nido d'Ape fabric created especially for Kettal.

Maia Rope chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

In the past Urquiola has created rugs and seat covers with oversized stitching for Spanish brand Gan, a modular sofa system covered in jersey material for Italian brand Moroso, and a retail space for kitchen appliance brand Scholtès.