Seeking to understand the Natuzzi family legacy, Scape probed Pasquale Junior on the brand’s success. Fuelled by Machiavellian rigour, but attuned to soothing, luxury design, Pasquale Junior drives a new vision: highly collaborative, fiercely passionate.
Every prodigy has an origin story. At Milan Design Week 2025, Natuzzi Italia unveiled its ‘Rooted in Harmony’ exhibition: a collection that pays homage to the brand’s Apulian heritage, a region known for its centuries-old architecture, clear blue-green waters, and rugged stone hills. The centrepiece of the collection, ‘Radice’, is an ode to the harmony between heritage and contemporary design. Scape met with Pasquale Junior Natuzzi for an exclusive conversation on authenticity and staying rooted. Later, South African designers from Ohkre Collective joined the conversation.
What is in the Natuzzi DNA?
We are really lovers, shapers, and crafters of comfort, right? If you think about it, comfort is not something we should be ashamed of. Comfort can be beautiful and functional. Seven or eight years ago, I started this journey to bring a more collaborative de-sign culture to Natuzzi. To show something unexpected. And it happened. Diversity is what we are pursuing because if you blend water and water, you end up having Natuzzi couches that all look the same.
What does excellent design entail?
I put emotions, I put narrative, I put authenticity into the relationship before anything else. In co-creating you need to trust the process, show respect for mutual diversity, and give your heart to it. Otherwise, the projects and products come out expressing a non-authentic feeling.
Would you describe yourself a visionary?
Visionaries are gifted people, you know? I’m not sure if I’m gifted, but I’m definitely lucky because I inherited passion for this company… a hybrid between addiction and devotion.
What is the Natuzzi way of experiencing Italian design excellency?
For me, to continue the business with its natural and normal aesthetic would have been boring, but I didn’t just want change for the love of it. For me it was a change that had a very clear vision, which was to transform Natuzzi into a lifestyle brand within an ecosystem where we don’t just produce designs, but we shape inspirations, we shape emotions, we shape narratives and transform that into a very sophisticated presentation.
What personal inspiration drives your vision and the values of Natuzzi?
There is a quote from my father that I want to get tattooed. It’s a quote of his saying, ‘Figs in the basket’. It’s a narrative of a kid that goes out hunting in the morning, grasping for fruits in the forest. But he gets lost and goes back home. So, there’s no figs – and no fruit – in the basket, right? It’s a very Machiavellian interpretation of life that shaped my behaviour in being 60% creative and 40% focused on deployment and organisational ideas. If you have a good idea, but not a great plan, then you will lose against the person with the stupid idea that’s executed it well.
I’m not sure if I’m gifted, but I’m definitely lucky because I inherited passion for this company…a hybrid between addiction and devotion.
Natuzzi has been in South Africa for 23 years. Nazih Mustapha, the brand’s representative, explained what makes the brand resonate in the furthest parts of the world. Why do you think the brand resonates with South Africans?
From my experience in South Africa, it’s so cosmopolitan and it’s always evolving. South Africans are, yes, inspired by their heritage – but they’re inspired by the world because there are many cultures in South Africa. It’s one of the most n-minded countries I have lived in. And they love design. They love beauty. So Natuzzi fits: as a company that has sold its product for over 60 years, you will find a comfortable Natuzzi couch whatever your likes and design preferences are.
South African designers Phillip Nel and Heinrich van Zyl from Ohkre Collective visited the Natuzzi showroom, seeking brands that resonate with their architectural language: curated and minimal, neutral and laid-back luxury. Like Natuzzi, their design practice is founded on a collaborative philosophy — and it’s precisely this value that led them to Italy, despite their work dominating the African context.
What makes Italian design so special?
Phillip: Italian design takes proportion into consideration. The ergonomics of the designs are well thought through. And the detailing is exquisite: small details, bigger details; it all works together.
What materialities and textures have you noticed at Milan Design Week?
Phillip: Earthy tones were prominent this year. A lot of travertine, a lot of deep brown, and rusty burnt oranges. It’s like a return to nature.
Heinrich: There’s also a huge shift to softer curves, more organic shapes, and a big move back to the 70s design with oversized, modular, more flexible design.
What is Ohkre Collective’s design philosophy?
Phillip: We’re a collaborative platform of designers. We believe people come with a lot of good ideas. Every designer or person has a different opinion, and that, in the end, really elevates a design to become well thought-through and unique.
Heinrich: Client identity is very important for the work that we do. We want to understand the client and how they live their lives. Something as simple as how they use the kitchen – the living space becomes the back-drop to their everyday life so it’s important it functions well. When people work together, it brings a better end result.
How does your philosophy translate into architectural language across your projects?
Heinrich: A golden thread running through all of our projects is the neutral, laid-back luxury that still has warmth – warm tones but still keeping the space very curated and minimal. We really enjoy working with natural stone and bringing out different textures. I think you can do so much with stone: it’s such as sculptural element in kitchens and vanities, or feature walls.
Phillip: In interiors or architecture, I really like to incorporate steel elements, more natural bronzes: those beautiful details from raw materials. If not, a beautiful piece of marble and the diversity of stone is just as exciting.
In residential architecture, what is your favourite room to design?
Phillip: The lounge. As a very curated space, you have the opportunity to put something together that speaks of who you are as a person. Whether it’s the artwork or furniture pieces like a coffee table. It’s always so fun to choose. You can really go wild with armchairs in a design and tie it all together with a nice neutral sofa that really balances it out. Natuzzi’s Infinity Sofa is quite quirky. With the right I could really be a conversational piece in a foyer or an informal lounge.
Heinrich: The kitchen space – not only does it hold potential with tactile finishes and joinery, it also forms an integral part of my daily routine where we come together as family and spend time together. They say the ‘kitchen is the heart of the home’. For me, designing for functionality and beauty once is exciting.
What do you want the Ohkre Collective legacy to be?
Phillip: Creating a narrative through design identity. We play a role as architects in leading clients to good design. But there’s also the part where the client leads us to design that brings out their identity.
