kettal maia

braiding over a light frame

Urquiola wanted a collection that fits its setting the way good architecture does, and the lightness of Maia comes from its weave. The braid is worked around the frame by hand in a pattern that reads almost like a textile. Seen against a garden, the pieces look lighter than their size, and the frame beneath gives them their strength.

The range is compact and focused on seating. There is a sled base garden chair, a garden chair with armrests, a synthetic fiber armchair offered in two versions, a sled base stool and a one seat swing seat that hangs. The sled base pieces sit on continuous runners, which spread weight on a wooden deck and slide rather than catch when moved. The chair with armrests is the Kettal Maia dining chair, sized for a table. The hanging swing seat is the one known as the Kettal Maia egg chair.

Synthetic fiber treated against UV holds its color and does not split the way untreated cane does in dry heat. Frames come in aluminum, which does not rust, or teak, which silvers with age if left bare. Cushions use mass-dyed acrylic, Porotex and chenille fabrics. Chenille gives the softest hand of the three.

Maia suits a porch, a pool house or a corner of a garden where two or three seats and a hanging chair are enough. A Kettal Maia swing seat can hang beside a pair of chairs in the same braid, so the group reads as one set. The braid gives this corner of Kettal patio furniture a handcrafted look, and we can price any combination. Kettal Maia chair prices depend on the frame and the cushion fabric, so we quote each piece.

A hand braid over a light frame, made to live outside.