A modular system of bookcases, desks and tables designed by Italian architect and designer Ilaria Marelli, the Ethea collection from Manerba transforms workspaces into welcoming and flexible environments.  

As art director of the Italian furniture brand, Marelli developed the Ethea collection as part of her Be Human Concept, which aims to move office design away from sterility and ambiguity and towards more human-centric ideals: inclusivity, collaboration, well-being and diversity. 

Within the Ethea collection from Manerba are beautifully designed bookcases, modular desks and bar tables, each of which are crafted to enhance contemporary hybrid workspaces through their lightweight construction, cheerful colour palette and near-endless adaptability. 

The Ethea bookcases maximize verticality while retaining a sleek and modern appearance. Composed of a tubular metal structure with a round cross-section, the bookcases can be configured as wall units or as standalone structures that do double duty as room dividers to delineate spaces.

Arrangements can be linear or curved and feature either closed containers and perforated dividers or open shelving; each component in the system can be easily moved, reconfigured, removed or enlarged to effortlessly meet changing demands. 

Also included in the Ethea collection from Manerba are several desks, tables, low and high coffee tables, bar tables and consoles. Built around the same tubular metal structure with round cross-section, the workstations can be set up for individuals or two- or four-people, in linear or face-to-face arrangements; sound absorbing panels can be added to mitigate noise in busy settings. 

The systems in the Ethea collection from Manerba are offered in a range of painted colours for the metal portions — hues run from warm shades like Ochre, Clay, Orange and Garnet Red to brighter tones like Sea Blue and Violet. For the surfaces, there is a portfolio of melamine, matte melamine and wood-look melamine options to choose from.