The story of Italian furniture is as elaborate as the history of the country itself. Italian designers redefined the way we create interiors.
These are 5 of the most esteemed names you need to know.
1. Foscarini – Masters of Murano Glass Lighting
Foscarini are Italian lighting savants, producing some of the most breathtakingly beautiful lighting designs in a fiercely competitive market.
Foscarini was established in 1981 on the Venetian island of Murano, renowned for its hand-blown Murano glass. From humble beginnings providing lighting for the contract sector, Foscarini designers Carlo Urbinati and Alessandro Vecchiato’s vision took flight.
In 1990 they created their most successful light to date, a reimagining of the classic table lamp appropriately named the Lumiere. The rest is well-illuminated history.
2. Cattelan Italia – Architects of “Made In Italy”
Founded by Giorgio and Silvia Cattelan in 1979, Cattelan Italia is one of the biggest names in Italian luxury furniture. They have an enormous range of furniture including tables, seating, beds, storage units and accessories, all of which you’ll find at FCI London.
Their son, Paolo Cattelan, currently leads the brand to ever greater heights among design-savvy enthusiasts. Cattelan’s enduring popularity is down to two things: unmatched quality and design simplicity.
They have worked with the same celebrated designers for decades – Yoshino, Favaretto and Rinaldi, all of whom carry the Made In Italy spirit of the brand in their designs.
3. Dom Edizioni – Ringmasters of Show Business
Dom Edizoni was founded in 2006 by Domenico Mula, an interior designer driven by his search for beauty and a fervent passion to translate his ideas into tangible objects.
Mula’s designs are striking and strong, capturing moments and bringing them to life. It was somewhat inevitable that a brand evoking this kind of intensity would find its way to the cream of the design client crop, including luxury yachts, hotels and the private homes of the super-wealthy.
A natural showman, Mula furnishes his new showrooms according to his moods and often includes personal items in his exhibits.
4. Naos – Scientists of Extending Tables
Not many brands have the confidence to stick to a small, niche range, but not every brand has the chutzpah of Naos.
Since 1984 they have established themselves as innovative furniture engineers, combining cutting edge technology with sophisticated materials and designs that skate the borders of unbelievable.
Dining tables extend at the touch of a button while coffee tables rotate smoothly between levels. Eye-catching aesthetics, like clear glass tops that expose mechanisms, add a futuristic touch to this ground-breaking brand.
5. Gallotti & Radice – Magicians of Crystal Glass
Gallotti and Radice are best known for their poetic juxtaposition of fragility and durability, which they achieve through blending the delicate beauty of glass with the strength of metal and wood.
Founders Pierangelo Gallotti and Luigi Radice started out creating ornaments and once-off furniture items before their shared passion for glass working techniques led them to create an entire furniture range that included items made entirely from crystal glass.
Today they describe their brand as “a laboratory for the imagination.”
Italian craftsmanship has pioneered interior design as we know it – these are just five key trailblazers who paved the way.