ETNA DESIGN

Designer Outdoor Furniture ETNA DESIGN creates outdoor furniture with an unusual fibre-based structure. Arranged strands give the pieces their distinctive geometry, while LINE-X coats the complete furniture piece, encapsulating exposed fibres and becoming part of the finished design. The open, shaped construction presents a different coating task from a conventional flat panel. Exposed or sharp fibres need to be covered across the form, including the places where strands meet and change direction. The LINE-X hybrid polyurea coating provides an elastomeric covering over that fibre-based structure. The finish also has a visual purpose. Its texture and substantial covering help define the character of the completed furniture. Structure, shape and coating work together: the underlying arrangement creates the form, and the coating becomes a visible part of the product's identity. ZRZ initially carried out the coating application for ETNA. This gave the relationship a practical starting point, centred on coating the actual furniture pieces and working with their unusual geometry. As ETNA's production grew, our involvement developed into material supply and technical support for the move to in-house coating. ETNA now applies the coating within its own operation. This project shows how a protective coating can contribute to both product function and product design. Encapsulating the fibre structure was a practical requirement; the distinctive finished appearance became an equally important part of the application.