In the beginning, it was peonies. Lots of peonies, a whole collection. Indeed, the most important collection in the world, located on an area of fifteen hectares, with six hundred varieties of plants and a total of two hundred thousand specimens. This is where Ethimo, a Made in Italy luxury outdoor furniture brand appreciated worldwide, comes from. It comes from Carlo Confidati’s – founder of Unopiù, one of the first companies in Italy to produce outdoor furniture – love for peonies. Confidati has a passion for these beautiful flowers – Chinese in origin but whose presence in Italy dates back to at least the 17th century – and chose Vitorchiano (VT) in 1993 to create the Centro Botanico Moutan (from the Chinese Mu Tan shrub peony), where to collect all existing peony species, even the rarest in the world.
Furniture inspired by nature
The centre became so important and beautiful that the family decided to open it to the public. Visitors can admire not only the fantastic flowers – with names that evoke their beauty: ‘Blue Phoenix with Spread Wings, Moon on Mount Kun Lun, Coral Throne, Prosperity’ – but also the outdoor furniture, which has a sober design inspired by the colours and shapes of nature and is made of selected materials in an environmentally friendly way.
Ethimo was born in 2009 from this mix of ingredients. The brand drew immediate attention thanks to the collections’ innovative design – the result of collaboration with designers from all over the world – the fine materials, and the focus on sustainability.
“The Ethimo style,” says the company’s CEO, Gian Paolo Migliaccio, in an interview with The Way magazine, “is a tribute to our initial passion for gardens and nature. The great harmony with the outdoor environment allows design to be combined with function and form in a way that is well contextualised outdoors. The Mediterranean landscapes are the places we think of; the recyclable materials are in tune with nature, FSC wood comes from certified forests, synthetic wicker is recyclable, and all are in strict harmony with the environment.’
Design and sustainability: Ethimo’s pillars
The opening of the first showroom in Corso Magenta in Milan and, above all, the participation in the Salone del Mobile in 2013 established Ethimo among the leaders in outdoor furniture and made it a point of reference for the collections’ design and the choice of materials. Sustainability is a very important value for Ethimo. In 2021, the company headquarters was equipped with a photovoltaic system that covers 90 per cent of its energy needs. The company also pays great attention to the choice of materials. Teak, a wood used in many Ethimo collections, comes from responsible management plantations. It is no coincidence that the company has held the international FSC Forest Stewardship Council certification since 2016, which certifies that the wood comes from responsibly managed forests and supply chains. Aluminium is another material widely used by Ethimo, not only because of its strength characteristics but also because it is endlessly recyclable.
Today, Ethimo, led by CEO Gian Paolo Migliaccio, sells in seventy countries and has a turnover of tens of millions of Euros. Congratulations to those who bring Made in Italy creativity and design to the world!
Read about other outstanding companies from Lazio.