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Elena Bompani's Itaca furniture is made for a new generation of nomads

Italian designer Elena Bompani has designed a flexible furniture system for renters and travellers.

The Itaca furniture system is made from a lightweight beech wood framework that can be disassembled into a set of poles for easy carrying.

It is customised with linen pockets, boxes and shelves to suit the user's needs and amount of space.

"Itaca was born from an investigation on new types of nomadism and the new relationship between humans and objects, and the idea of home that result from this new way of living and inhabiting," said Bompani.The range currently includes a daybed and a set of shelves, and references materials and colours used by nomadic shepherds.

Pieces are held together by leather belts, while linen pockets slot onto the framework and double as a carry bag for the wooden supports."Being nomads is exciting and challenging but has several problems, both emotional and practical," added the designer.

"We have many objects, many memories, with which often we have emotional ties, but it is not always easy to bring them with us."Designers are increasingly targeting products at what is colloquially known as Generation Rent. Hungarian brand Hannabi released a stackable modular sofa for those who move frequently, and Dutch practice Studio Makkink & Bey designed a similarly nomadic range of furniture, including a sofa bed that folded into a backpack.

Flat-pack furniture is also seeing a surge in popularity, with designers focusing on quick-assembly at home and – in the case of Hay – customisation.

Elena Bompani's Itaca furniture is made for a new generation of nomads

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  • United States
  • Emma Tucker