New Life to Sails by New Life Contract
Recycled Sailcloth Outdoor Seating for Contract Projects
Sailing fabrics are engineered to withstand some of the most demanding conditions at sea, yet when sails reach the end of their nautical life, they can be difficult to recycle. New Life Contract, the Italian design and manufacturing company known for innovation and sustainability, gives these materials a new purpose by transforming retired sails into distinctive outdoor contract furniture.
Through the Dolcevita Regista Vela Collection, reclaimed sailcloth is transformed into folding chairs, armchairs and bar stools designed for hospitality, commercial and outdoor leisure environments.
A Sustainable Vision from New Life Contract
The New Life design team, led by Alan de la Coba, has developed a structured approach to repurposing sailing fabrics that are no longer suitable for marine use. Rather than becoming waste, these high-quality Dacron sails are given a second life as distinctive furniture, celebrating their durability, history and unique character.
By retaining the existing material rather than relying solely on new upholstery fabrics, the collection shows how circular design can create practical, visually distinctive furniture for demanding commercial environments.
The Dolcevita Regista Vela Collection
At the centre of this initiative is the Dolcevita Regista Vela Collection, a range of folding outdoor seating made using recycled sailing sails and including:
- Armchairs
- Chairs
- Bar Stools
Each piece is produced using recycled sails sourced from the port of Trieste, Italy. These technical fabrics retain exceptional strength and weather resistance after their time at sea, making them particularly well suited to outdoor contract furniture applications.
The collection features creative print designs applied using water-based inks that penetrate the fibres for long-lasting colour and performance. Every seam, crease and mark reflects the sail’s previous life, ensuring that no two pieces are exactly alike.
Craftsmanship Meets Sustainability
Every sail is carefully inspected by hand, with the most suitable sections selected for their strength and visual appeal. Skilled artisans then cut and assemble each seating element by hand, ensuring quality and attention to detail throughout production.
The result is outdoor contract seating that is:
- Durable and weather-resistant, using high-performance sailcloth materials engineered for demanding conditions
- Visually distinctive, with unique markings, textures and characteristics that celebrate the material’s history
- Customisable, with alternative prints and branding options available for commercial projects
Why Recycled Sails Matter
Using recycled sails for furniture aligns with New Life Contract’s broader sustainability objectives by extending the lifespan of existing materials and reducing waste. Sailing fabrics are engineered to withstand UV exposure, wind, moisture, and heavy use, making them well suited to outdoor contract furniture applications.
For hospitality terraces, cafés, hotels and outdoor leisure environments, recycled sailcloth offers a distinctive combination of durability, weather resistance and visual character. Each piece carries subtle markings from its previous life at sea, creating furniture with an appearance that cannot be replicated using new materials.
This approach shows how circular design principles can transform specialist materials into practical contract furniture, extend the useful life of valuable resources, and give discarded sailcloth a new role in commercial interiors.
Explore the Collection
The Dolcevita Regista Vela Collection demonstrates how innovative design, craftsmanship and sustainability can work together to create distinctive outdoor furniture using reclaimed sailcloth.
Explore the Dolcevita Regista Collection to discover outdoor contract seating crafted from recycled sailing sails for hospitality, commercial and leisure environments.