Nardi Maximo Modular Sofa: The Complete Layout & Configuration Guide

Nardi Maximo: One Sofa, Endless Configurations

Few pieces of outdoor furniture reward a little planning quite like the Nardi Maximo modular sofa. It is not a single sofa you buy off the page and hope fits your terrace — it is a kit of intelligently designed seating modules that click together into whatever shape your space, your family and your entertaining habits demand. A snug two-seater on a city balcony this year can grow into a sweeping U-shaped garden lounge next year, simply by adding modules. As designers who fit outdoor rooms across Ireland every week, we think of Maximo the way an architect thinks of a floor plan: get the layout right, and everything else — comfort, flow, style — falls into place.

This guide walks you through every Maximo component in plain language, then hands you six-plus named layouts you can copy directly, the right Tavolino tables to pair with each, the cushion and Sunbrella® options, colour strategy, measuring and clearances, and the care routine that keeps the whole system looking showroom-fresh through an Irish winter. By the end you will be able to sketch your own Maximo configuration with confidence.

Why Nardi, and Why Maximo

Nardi is a family-owned firm based in Chiampo, in the Veneto region of northern Italy, and it has been perfecting resin outdoor furniture for decades. Two facts matter enormously for the Irish buyer. First, Nardi’s frames are made from batch-dyed, anti-UV fibreglass-reinforced resin — the colour runs right through the material rather than sitting on the surface, so scuffs do not reveal a different shade underneath and the tone does not bleach out under summer sun. Second, that resin is 100% recyclable, which is a genuine sustainability credential rather than a marketing line. It is also fully weatherproof: rain, salt air, frost and UV are all designed for, which is exactly what our coastal and rain-prone climate throws at furniture year round.

Maximo is Nardi’s flagship modular lounge system. The seats are deep, the backs are properly reclined for lingering rather than perching, and every module shares the same clean, low, contemporary silhouette. Because the modules are engineered to a common dimension and connect with concealed clips, you can reconfigure the sofa in an afternoon — no tools, no matching headaches. That flexibility is the whole point, so let us start by learning the parts.

The Maximo Component Family Explained

Every Maximo layout is assembled from a small vocabulary of modules. Learn these eight pieces and you can read any configuration like a sentence.

The Armchair Module

The Maximo Armchair is the most self-contained unit: a single seat with an integrated back and two arms. Use it as a standalone lounge chair, or place a pair either side of a coffee table for a symmetrical conversation set. It is the safest first purchase if you are unsure how far you want to grow the system — it works beautifully alone and slots into a larger scheme later. Note that within a run of sofa you generally would not use full armchairs in the middle; the armchair is for endpoints and standalone use.

The End Module (Left / Right)

The Maximo End Module is a seat with a back and a single arm, designed to terminate a run of sofa. You order it as a left or right hand version depending on which side the arm sits when you are looking at the sofa. Every straight or L-shaped Maximo sofa is bookended by two end modules — one left, one right — with centre seats filling the space between them. This is the piece people most often forget to order, so build your parts list from the ends inward.

The Centre Seat Module

The Maximo Centre Seat is an armless seat with a back — the workhorse that lets you extend a sofa to any length. Want a three-seater? Two ends plus one centre. A four-seater? Two ends plus two centres. Because centre seats are armless, they sit flush against their neighbours, giving that unbroken, banquette-like seating line that makes Maximo feel so generous.

The Corner Module

The Maximo Corner Module is the piece that turns a straight sofa into an L or a U. It is a square seat that occupies the 90-degree pivot, letting two runs of seating meet cleanly at a right angle. One corner gives you an L-shape; two corners give you a U. It is worth noting the corner is a genuine seat as well as a connector, so it adds capacity, not just geometry.

The Pouf

The Maximo Pouf is the most versatile accessory in the range. Backless and armless, it works as a footstool in front of the sofa, as extra pull-up seating when guests arrive, or — placed at the open end of an L-shape — as a chaise-longue extension that lets you stretch out fully. Two poufs pushed together in the middle of a U make an informal ottoman-cum-coffee surface. Because it matches the seat height exactly, it always reads as part of the family.

The Backrest, Armrest and Storage Pocket

Three smaller components fine-tune the system. The Maximo Backrest converts a pouf or an open seat into a backed seat, useful when you want to add a back to a chaise section or create a double-sided island of seating. The Maximo Armrest adds an arm where you want to define an edge or give a drinks-resting ledge without committing to a full end module. And the clever Maximo Storage Pocket hangs discreetly on the side of a module to hold a book, remote, sun cream or phone — small, but the kind of detail that makes an outdoor room feel considered.

How the Modules Connect

Part of what makes Maximo so satisfying to own is the connection system. Adjacent modules are held together by concealed clips and brackets that lock the seats into a single rigid unit — there is no drifting apart when someone sits down, and no visible hardware to spoil the line. Yet the same clips release by hand, so reconfiguring is genuinely a job of minutes rather than an afternoon with an Allen key. This is why we encourage clients to think of Maximo as a long-term investment that flexes: the sofa you build for a young family’s first patio can be rebuilt, module for module, into an entertaining suite a decade later without replacing a single seat. Because every unit is engineered to the identical seat height and depth, mixing pieces bought at different times still produces a perfectly level, aligned sofa.

Armchair or End Module: Which Do You Need?

This is the question we field most often, and the answer is simple once you see it. Choose the end module when the seat will be part of a continuous sofa — it has one arm and one open side so it can butt up against a centre seat or a corner. Choose the armchair when the seat needs to stand alone, because it has arms on both sides and a finished look all round. A useful test: if the piece touches another module on the arm-less side, it is an end; if it sits by itself, it is an armchair. Many of the best layouts use both — a continuous sofa built from ends and centres, with a pair of armchairs pulled up opposite.

Six-Plus Maximo Layouts You Can Copy

Here are the configurations we specify most often, from the smallest balcony to a full entertaining suite. Each lists the exact modules to order.

1. The Compact Balcony (2-Seater)

Modules: 1 left end + 1 right end.

The simplest Maximo sofa is just two end modules pushed together — a proper two-seater with an arm on each side, no centre seat needed. It measures barely wider than a loveseat, making it ideal for a city balcony, a courtyard or a small patio. Pair it with a single Tavolino 60 Mini pulled to one side, and you have a complete outdoor lounge in under two metres of width. If you want to stretch out, add one pouf as a footstool.

2. The Classic Three-Seater

Modules: 1 left end + 1 centre seat + 1 right end.

This is the everyday hero: a full-length three-seat sofa with arms at both ends and a comfortable armless middle. It suits the majority of patios and decks, seats a family of three in total comfort or four at a squeeze, and gives you a clean rectangular footprint that is easy to place against a wall or a planter. Face it with a Tavolino 70 Maxi and drop a Tavolino 33 side table at one arm for drinks.

3. The L-Shape Corner Sofa

Modules: 1 left end + 1 centre + 1 corner + 1 centre + 1 right end.

Add a corner module and two runs of seating meet at a right angle — the single most popular garden layout we install. The L-shape hugs the corner of a patio or deck, defines an outdoor room without walls, and gives everyone a sightline to everyone else. It is the natural home for a low coffee table in the crook of the L. Scale it up or down by adding or removing centre seats on either arm of the L; the corner and two ends stay constant.

4. The Corner-with-Chaise (Corner + Pouf)

Modules: 1 left end + 2 centres + 1 corner + 1 centre + 1 pouf (open end).

Here we leave one arm of the L open and cap it with a pouf instead of an end module. The result is a chaise-longue section you can lie back on with your legs up, while the rest of the sofa stays in conversation mode. When guests arrive, the pouf pulls away to become extra seating — a genuinely dual-purpose move. This is our go-to for clients who want one seat that reads as pure relaxation.

5. The Entertaining U-Shape

Modules: 1 left end + 1 centre + 1 corner + 2 centres + 1 corner + 1 centre + 1 right end.

Two corners turn the sofa into a U that wraps three sides of a coffee table — the ultimate configuration for conversation, because everyone faces inward. This is the layout for households that entertain: it seats six to eight comfortably and creates a defined outdoor lounge in the middle of a lawn or a large deck. Anchor the centre with a pair of tables at different heights, or a Tavolino 80 as a substantial shared surface.

6. The Big Entertaining U (Grand Suite)

Modules: 1 left end + 2 centres + 1 corner + 3 centres + 1 corner + 2 centres + 1 right end, plus 2 poufs floating in the centre.

For large gardens, hospitality terraces and holiday-home decks, extend every run of the U and add a pair of poufs in the middle that double as extra seats or a shared ottoman. This suite seats ten or more and turns an open lawn into a genuine outdoor living room. Because Maximo is contract-grade — the same furniture Nardi supplies to hotels and restaurants — it stands up to this level of daily use without complaint.

7. The Symmetrical Conversation Set

Modules: 2 armchairs + 1 three-seater (2 ends + 1 centre) + 1 pouf.

Not every space wants a single continuous sofa. Two standalone Maximo armchairs facing a three-seater across a coffee table gives you a more formal, hotel-lobby symmetry, and the individual chairs can be pulled around a fire pit or turned to catch the evening sun. The pouf floats where needed. This is the most flexible arrangement of all because nothing is fixed.

A Note on Scaling Any Layout

Every layout above is a starting point, not a rule. The beauty of the module vocabulary is that any of these can be stretched or shrunk by a single centre seat. Find the three-seater a touch short for your family? Add one centre seat and it becomes a four. Find the U dominates too much of a small deck? Drop a centre from each arm and it tightens without losing its shape. When we quote a Maximo project, we almost always sketch two or three lengths of the same configuration so the client can feel the difference between, say, a six-seat and an eight-seat U before committing. Take the same approach at home: settle on the shape first, then tune the length.

Choosing the Right Tavolino Tables

Maximo has its own family of low Tavolino tables, sized and finished to sit within the seating rather than fight it. Getting the table right is half the battle in a lounge layout.

• Tavolino 33 side table: a tall, slim side table at seat-arm height — perfect for a single drink or a coffee cup beside an end module.
• Tavolino 60 Mini & Tavolino 60 Maxi: a 60cm round in two heights. The Mini is the lower coffee height; the Maxi sits a little taller for easier reach. Ideal for two-seaters and balconies.
• Tavolino 70 Mini & Tavolino 70 Maxi: the 70cm round, again in two heights — the sweet spot for a three-seater or an L-shape, big enough to share a tray of drinks.
• Tavolino 80 Contract: the largest, at 80cm, engineered to contract standard — the shared centrepiece for a U-shape or a busy hospitality setting.

A useful designer trick: mix two heights. Place a Tavolino 70 Maxi as the main surface and float a Mini alongside it so drinks and snacks live at different levels — it looks intentional and works better in practice.

Cushions, Sunbrella® and Comfort

Maximo seats come cushioned, but the scatter and accent cushions are where you dial in both comfort and personality. Two sizes cover almost every need: the square 50x50 cushion for lumbar and corner support, and the rectangular 60x40 cushion for a longer bolster along the back. For the corners specifically, the Maximo Corner Back Cushion is shaped to fill the diagonal of a corner module so the back line stays continuous.

All of these are available in genuine Sunbrella® fabric — the benchmark for outdoor upholstery. Sunbrella is solution-dyed acrylic, meaning the colour is locked into the fibre; it resists fading, repels water, shrugs off mildew and cleans up easily, which is exactly what you want under Irish skies. The Arredo Sunbrella cushion tones (Timo, Perla, Lava, Cannella) are designed to coordinate with the Maximo frame colours, so you can go tonal or deliberately contrast.

Rectangular Bolsters and the Storage Pocket, Revisited

Do not overlook the 60x40 rectangular cushion as a styling tool. Run two or three of them horizontally along the back of a long sofa and the seating instantly reads softer and more inviting; they also let a shorter guest sit fully back in comfort on Maximo’s deep seats. Pair them with the square 50x50s at the corners and you build the layered, hotel-terrace look with almost no effort. And once you have lived with the sofa for a week, add a storage pocket or two — you will be amazed how often a home for the sunglasses, the sun cream and the phone earns its keep on a busy summer afternoon.

Colour Selection: Getting the Palette Right

Maximo frames come in four core resin tones, each pairable with a Sunbrella seat shade. Understanding the four helps you commit with confidence:

• Gesso — a soft chalk white/cream. Light, airy and Mediterranean; brilliant for brightening a shaded courtyard, though it shows dust sooner and rewards the occasional wipe-down.
• Terra — a warm taupe/greige. The great all-rounder that flatters natural stone, timber decking and planting alike.
• Cactus — a muted sage green that sits beautifully against a garden backdrop and reads as calm and organic.
• Basalto — a deep charcoal grey. Architectural and forgiving; our most popular choice for contemporary homes and the tone that hides the odd splash of Irish weather best.

The seat fabrics — Timo (a green-leaning neutral), Perla (pale grey), Lava (deep grey), Cannella (warm cinnamon) — then let you tune the mood. For a serene, resolved look, keep frame and seat in the same family (Basalto frame with Lava seat, say). For energy and definition, contrast them (a Gesso frame with Cannella cushions). There is no wrong answer, but pick your frame first — it is the permanent element — and treat cushions as the layer you can refresh down the line.

Measuring, Clearances and Planning Your Space

Before you order a single module, sketch your area to scale. A few rules of thumb keep a Maximo layout comfortable rather than cramped:

• Leave a walkway. Allow at least 60–75cm of clear floor between the front of the seats and the coffee table, and around the outside of the sofa, so people can move without shuffling.
• Coffee-table gap. Aim for roughly 30–45cm between the seat edge and the table — close enough to reach a drink, far enough to stretch your legs.
• Build from the ends in. Every straight run needs a left end and a right end; count your centre seats between them. Every corner you add turns a straight into an L, and a second corner turns it into a U.
• Mock it up. Lay newspaper or masking tape on the ground in the module footprint before buying. It is the cheapest way to avoid ordering one centre seat too many — or too few.
• Mind the sun and wind. Orient the open side of an L or U toward the best view and the afternoon sun, and away from the prevailing wind where you can.

Because Maximo modules share a common depth and height, they always align perfectly — the planning is purely about width and shape, which makes it refreshingly easy to get right on paper.

Styling the Finished Sofa

With the structure decided, styling is what lifts Maximo from “nice patio furniture” to a designed outdoor room. Layer cushions in two or three tones, mixing the 50x50 and 60x40 sizes for depth. Add a low, soft outdoor rug beneath the coffee table to ground the arrangement and define the room. Bring in greenery at the corners — a tall grass or an olive in a planter softens the sofa’s clean lines. And do not underestimate light: warm, portable lighting transforms the space after sunset. A set of stylish rechargeable table lamps dotted along the arms and side tables extends the evening beautifully — browse our side tables and our full Fine Dine collection for finishing touches that pull the whole scheme together.

Covers and Care: Making It Last

Maximo is built for the outdoors, but a little care extends its life and keeps it pristine. The resin frames need nothing more than a wipe with warm soapy water and a rinse; because the colour is batch-dyed through the material, they will not fade or flake. The Sunbrella cushions can be brushed clean, spot-cleaned with mild soap, and left to air-dry — the fabric’s water-repellent finish does most of the work.

For the off-season or extended spells of bad weather, the Nardi Maximo Cover — available in Small, Medium and Large to match your configuration’s footprint — keeps rain, leaves and grime off the cushions and frames. We recommend storing cushions indoors or under cover through the depths of winter where you can; the frames themselves are frost-proof and happy to stay out year round. Do that, and a Maximo suite will look as good in its tenth season as its first.

Maximo for Hospitality and Contract Settings

It is worth remembering that Maximo was designed to contract standard, which is why we specify it so often for hotels, restaurants, rooftop bars and holiday lets across Ireland as well as for private homes. The same qualities that make it a sensible domestic buy — UV-stable colour, weatherproof recyclable resin, wipe-clean frames and Sunbrella upholstery — are exactly what a commercial operator needs from furniture that lives outdoors and takes heavy daily use. For these settings the modular nature is doubly valuable: a venue can reconfigure the seating for a private function, break a large U into intimate clusters for quiet nights, or expand the layout as the terrace grows. The Tavolino 80 Contract table and the robust corner and centre modules are the pieces we lean on most for these projects. If you are furnishing a commercial terrace, the planning logic in this guide applies unchanged — simply scale the U or L to the covers you need and budget a cover for the off-season.

The Sustainability Story

For a growing number of our clients, how furniture is made matters as much as how it looks. Maximo has a genuinely good answer. Nardi manufactures entirely in Italy, at Chiampo in the Veneto, keeping its supply chain tight and transparent. The resin the frames are made from is 100% recyclable, and Nardi’s batch-dyeing process means no surface coatings or paints that can chip and pollute. Because the furniture is engineered to last decades outdoors rather than to be replaced every few seasons, the whole-life environmental cost is low — the greenest sofa is the one you never have to throw away. When you choose Maximo you are buying into a piece designed to be repaired, reconfigured and, eventually, recycled rather than sent to landfill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add to my Maximo sofa later?

Yes — that is the entire point of the system. Because modules share fixed dimensions and connect with the same concealed clips, a piece bought next year will align perfectly with one bought today. The only thing to watch is colour continuity: note your exact frame and Sunbrella shade at purchase so any additions match. Frame tones are extremely stable thanks to batch dyeing, so mixing purchase dates rarely shows.

Do I need a left and a right end?

For any continuous sofa, yes — one left end and one right end bookend the run, with centre seats between them. The left/right designation refers to which side the arm sits as you face the sofa. If in doubt, our team will confirm the correct hand for your layout when you order.

Can Maximo stay outside all winter?

The resin frames are frost-proof and weatherproof and can remain outdoors year round. We recommend bringing cushions indoors or under cover in the harshest months, and using the Nardi Maximo cover over the whole suite during extended bad weather to keep everything clean and dry.

How many people does a Maximo sofa seat?

It depends entirely on your configuration. A two-end sofa seats two; a three-seater seats three to four; an L-shape typically five to six; and a full entertaining U eight to ten or more, especially once you add poufs as pull-up seating. Count roughly one person per module, plus one per pouf.

Which colour is easiest to live with?

Basalto, the deep charcoal, is our most forgiving and popular frame — it suits contemporary homes and disguises the odd splash of weather. Terra is the warmest all-rounder if you want something softer. Gesso is the brightest and most Mediterranean but rewards a more regular wipe-down.

Bringing It All Together

The genius of the Nardi Maximo system is that it meets you where you are and grows with you. Start with a two-seater on a balcony, a classic three-seater on the patio, or commit to a full entertaining U across the lawn — and know that whatever you choose can be extended, reshaped or rearranged as your life changes. Choose your frame colour for permanence, your cushions for personality, the right Tavolino for your table needs, and a cover to see it through the winter, and you have an outdoor room that will serve you for years. Made in Italy from recyclable, batch-dyed, weatherproof resin, Maximo is engineered for exactly the climate we have here.

Ready to configure yours? Explore every module, table and accessory in the full Nardi collection, or talk to our design team and we will help you build the perfect layout for your space.