The Idea of Shade

The Idea of Shade

It began with a simple question.

On a secluded beach along Sardinia’s eastern coast, there was little more than sand, sea and the open Mediterranean sky.

No beach club. No service. And almost no natural shade.

It was the kind of place that invites you to stay for the entire day. Quiet, beautiful and far removed from anything unnecessary.

But as the sun moved higher, a question emerged.

How could we create enough shade to spend an entire day here without changing the simplicity of the experience?

The answer needed to be more than practical.

It had to be easy to bring to the beach, uncomplicated to assemble and generous enough to create a comfortable space beneath it. At the same time, it should remain open to the sea, allowing air and the gentle coastal breeze to move freely through the structure.

And above all, it had to belong to the landscape.

Not another brightly coloured object on the beach. Not a heavy structure separating us from the surroundings. Not something defined by unnecessary plastic and technical appearance.

The first idea was much simpler.

Fabric. Natural materials. Four poles. A light structure held in tension.

Enough to create shade, but little enough to preserve the openness of the beach.

From that moment, the idea of the Maliti sun sail began to take shape.

What started as a response to one particular day by the sea gradually became a process of development and refinement. Proportions changed. Materials were considered. The relationship between stability, portability and shade was tested again and again.

The beaches of Sardinia became part of that process.

Wind revealed what needed to become stronger. Long days beneath the Mediterranean sun showed how the shade moved. Carrying everything across sand made simplicity and weight just as important as appearance.

Over time, the original idea remained surprisingly unchanged.

To create a generous area of shade with as little structure as possible.

A place that feels protected without feeling enclosed.

A design that is present, but never dominates its surroundings.

That principle eventually became Maliti 07021 IT.

Born from a simple need on an open beach in Sardinia, and shaped by the belief that comfort and elegance do not have to change the character of a place.

Sometimes, an idea begins not with the intention to create a product.

It begins simply with the desire to stay a little longer.