Flexform unveiled Cestone at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April 2008, designed by Antonio Citterio. The name tells a story of its own: in Italian, cestone means a large basket, and that is exactly what it looks like, woven in leather and filled with soft cushions. But what makes it important is something else: Flexform designed it to stand in the middle of the living room, not against a wall. To do so, the back and sides, usually purely functional, became the heart of the design. Ten years on, Citterio summed up its staying power in one line: "Time authenticates the validity of the idea."
Leather, woven by hand
Back and arms are metal frames covered in woven strips of cowhide. At Flexform's factory in Meda, craftsmen check the hide, cut it by hand into strips, then weave and stitch it; the weave is fastened to the frame with aluminium buttons. The strips come in two widths and in two irregular weaves: a tight one for a compact surface, and a looser, checkerboard one that lets the fabric underneath show through. The leather comes in many colours, from tobacco and chestnut to grey and black, or in suede; the metal frame in six finishes.
Softness inside
The contrast is deliberate: crisp leather outside, comfort within. The seat frame is metal and solid wood with polyurethane padding, on an epoxy powder-coated metal base. Seat, back and arm cushions are filled with sterilised goose down with the Assopiuma gold label, with a crushproof insert in seat and back. Fabric and leather covers are removable. Cestone comes as a stand-alone sofa and as a sectional system in two depths, and pairs with the matching coffee tables with wooden tops.
Our advice
Place Cestone where people can walk around it: that is where the weave really takes centre stage. If you love this use of leather, also take a look at the Flexform Happy armchair, with its back in hand-woven cowhide cord. In our showroom you can touch the leathers and compare the two weaves in person.
Technical data
- Design: Antonio Citterio, 2008
- Versions: stand-alone sofa and sectional system; matching Cestone coffee tables
- Back and arms: metal frame covered in hand-woven cowhide strips (two widths, two weaves), in many colours or suede
- Frame finishes: satin, chrome, burnished, black chrome, glossy anthracite, matt titanium
- Seat frame in metal and solid wood with polyurethane padding; epoxy powder-coated metal base
- Cushions in sterilised goose down, Assopiuma gold label, with crushproof insert in seat and back
- Elements from 198 to 310 cm wide, in two depths: 97 and 114 cm
- Removable fabric or leather upholstery; upholstered back and arms as an alternative to leather
Frequently asked questions
Who designed Cestone and when?
Antonio Citterio, for Flexform. It was unveiled at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April 2008.
What does Cestone mean?
It is Italian for "large basket": the woven leather back and sides hold the soft cushions like a basket.
How is the weave made?
Cowhide strips are cut, woven and stitched by hand, then fastened to the metal frame with aluminium buttons. There are two weaves: tight or checkerboard.
Can it stand in the middle of a room?
Yes, that is what it was designed for: it looks good from every side.
Is it modular?
Yes, it comes as a stand-alone sofa and as a sectional system, in two depths.
