FLOU
Italy

In the history of the modern bed, the year 1978 was a milestone. It was the year that Flou was founded, a company with the precise objective of innovating the bedroom and create a new ‘sleep culture’. It was a period of great social change: more women were going out to work, the homes required multi-functional spaces, there was the growing desire to live life with greater freedom and higher quality. The bedroom became somewhere more dynamic and the bed abandoned the traditional static all-white appearance and delighted dressing in colors. Flou was ahead of its time and launched Nathalie, a bed designed by Maestro Vico Magistretti. In addition to the innovative design and the possibility of purchasing it ‘ready for sleep’, Nathalie was also extremely practical: a flick of the wrist and it was made. The success of Nathalie is history and this creation is now considered to be the mother of all ‘modern textile beds’ which then became a furnishing division in its own right – soft, upholstered, removable covers, washable, a place where the sheets and bedcovers were replaced with brightly-colored duvets.
Flou had arrived and its continual development saw esthetics and function going hand-in-hand with innovation in the field of materials, technology, rationalization of the production processes. However, the company philosophy remained unchanged: to produce excellent beds, designed with the precise objective of improving comfort, wellness and quality of life. At the time of writing, Flou is producing more than 50 different beds, from single to king-size, from sofa-beds to studio couches, produced with fabrics, wood, leather, hide and other materials. The company also produces the technical accessories – mattresses, pillows, mattress supports, cover fabrics – duvet covers available in a wide range of colors and patterns, collections that are reviewed every year; furnishing accessories – chests-of-drawers, night-stands, occasional furniture, desks, armchairs, mirrors, lamps, poufs and bookcases. The collection is completed and enriched with the extraordinary wardrobes of the Guardaroba range; some of the doors connect and match with the textile soul of the company. Thanks to this innovative concept, Flou has been able to interpret the ‘sleep culture’. It is now a market leader in the sector and has been promoted from being the ‘bed specialist’ to the ‘bedroom specialist’. The complete collection is available in the leading furniture stores in Italy and across the world, and in the Flou showrooms in Milan and New York.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION
On 24 October 2005, Flou S.p.A. achieved UNI EN ISO 14001 environmental certification, which attests to this company’s commitment to respect the environment. ISO 14001 Environmental Quality certification requires compliance with standards, procedures and behaviour whose aim is to reduce the negative environmental impact of industrial activities. As it is alert to these questions, Flou applied for this certification voluntarily, considering that it was duty bound to adopt models of sustainable development to benefit the community as a whole. NOTES ABOUT ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CERTIFICATIONCERTIFICATION – This is the patient verification process to which Flou S.p.A. submitted spontaneously, in order to obtain the document of compliance issued by the certifying authority ICILA, which is recognised by SINCERT, the organism responsible for certifying authority accreditation. THE CERTIFICATE - This is the document issued by ICILA (which, together with Flou S.p.A., stands warranty and is responsible for it), drawn up at the conclusion of the process of analyses and tests relative to environmental certification. For Flou S.p.A., it signifies the company’s acceptance and adoption of the specific standards cited. It remains in force for three years and its maintenance is subject to strict periodical checks carried out by the certifying authority throughout its period of validity.