Trade Newsletter

Spotlight On Cassina

The “Amedeo Cassina” company was created by the brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina in 1927 in Brianza Italy. After the war Cassina continued to expand in size and fame, thanks to the excellence and quality of its products which covered a broad range of furniture including: chairs, tables, sofas and beds.

In 1964 the “Cassina I Maestri” (Cassina Masters) Collection was born, with the acquisition of the rights to products designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, the most important names of 20th century design. These included the iconic LC1, LC2 and LC3 armchairs and the LC4 chaise longue. Significantly, Le Corbusier himself granted the license to Cassina. Today Cassina is the exclusive worldwide licensee of the Le Corbusier designs. You will find the entire Cassina collection on our website

Cassina continued to add to its collection by acquiring the reproduction rights to the Bauhaus- Archiv in Berlin as well as Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. These collections make them a giant in the furniture industry and give them world wide “super star” status.

Cassina’s continuous pursuit of design innovation and quality remains as true today through the work of some of the world’s leading designers of the 20th and 21st century “I Contemporanei” (Modern Masters) including: Mario Bellini, Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti, Toshiyuki Kita, Gaetano Pesce, Theodore Waddell, Hannes Wettstein, Philippe Starck, Jean Marie Massaud, Piero Lissoni, and others. Some of their pieces are among the most recognized in the world. Flipping through a Cassina catalogue is like walking through the Museum of Modern Art.

The Maralunga seating system was first introduced in 1973. This sofa was revolutionary for the fact that it features an adjustable high / low back made possible by interior stainless steel vertebrae. Its classic contemporary styling and superior comfort are the reasons why Maralunga has remained so strong in worldwide sales for over 30 years. Proudly displayed at Phillip Van Leeuwen and the museum of modern art (permanent collection), New York.

Q & A with the PVL Experts...

In this regular segment we will answer your design and decorating questions. Please send your questions to trade@artoffurniture.ca Q: Is this table solid wood? A: If you are asking the question in a contemporary furniture store the answer is more often than not... No, it is veneer.

To understand why furniture is constructed using veneers over solid wood, we must first realize that wood is a living material. Wood continues to react to environmental conditions long after the tree has been felled and made in to lumber. In areas such as Ottawa where there is a variation in humidity from season to season, wood furniture will expand and contract as it absorbs and expels this moisture. The larger a piece of wood is the more evident the change will be. Many of the patterns and designs possible with veneers would self destruct, if attempted with solid lumber, i.e warping, twisting or checking are examples of some of the issues that can't be prevented with solid wood.

Solid wood tables are usually constructed from smaller strips of wood laminated together and produce a butcher block or stripped effect on the table top. Other solid plank construction table tops have expansion joints to allow the wood to move without splitting. Harvest style tables take advantage of the expansion and contraction of wood to produce splits, cracks and checking which adds character to this style of furniture. None of these aspects however, is desirable on a contemporary dining table.

IWood used in the construction of table tops must be free of natural defects. This can only be obtained using the best parts of a tree and only finest and rarest logs are sent to companies that produce veneer. The slices of veneer are always kept in the order in which they are cut from the tree which produces the best possible grain picture on a table top. This consistency is desirable on a contemporary dining table.

In addition to the obvious aesthetic aspects, the production of veneer greatly expands the amount of usable quality wood or grain pattern which results in less strain on our natural resources. Very little quality wood is wasted and the inferior grade wood cut away during the manufacturing of veneer is used by the factory for heat production. Other portions of the waste wood is utilized in the production of engineered substrates such as MDF(medium density fiberboard), chip board and particle board which provide a stable structure to adhere the veneer to. These substrates are less susceptible to splitting or warping as there are no natural grain lines to contend with and further lessen the strain on natural resources. The second and perhaps more significant benefit are lower production cost and therefore lower retail price for the consumer.

So the next time you are out shopping for that contemporary dining table or other item of furniture the question you should ask is……do I really want solid wood?
Answer provided by Grant Smith PVL Showroom Manager.

A look at Luce Plan...

Luce Plan was founded in 1978, by three architects: Paolo Rizzato, Riccardo Sarfatti and Sandra Severi. They studied together at the Politechnico in Milan and founded Luce Plan, an Italian company focused upon the production of innovative and creative lighting solutions for both home and office use. At Luce Plan the mission is simple, to create lighting with a humanistic approach. Luce Plan starts with an idea and focuses solely on that one idea, separating it from the market, allowing them to work only in the direction of innovation.

Measurement of Quality
The quality of LucePlan products is measured solely to address and respond to the needs of man without suggesting or implying extravagance. "[The Luce Plan design response is] to answer the real needs of man without other suggestions. No fashion, no market, but only focusing at the level of human needs. This humanistic approach is what makes their products unique. Considering interaction and functionality first is what eventually shapes the form of a product.


Design vs. Self Expression
"If the small object you do is well connected with the context, you can create something of harmony. If you create something of fashion, for example with light, if you create something very strong, very special and very strange, this is not design. This is self expression." An object, whether it is a candle or a chair, is not one individual item working on its own. Every object should be designed for its environment, which is why during the 50’s and 60’s in Italy, designers who were trained initially as architects were good at other forms of design because they had gained a broad knowledge of the need to design things within their surrounding contexts. Recently, design schools in general have been developing specific programs aimed solely at one particular, and often highly specialized, part of design, producing more designers who are unable to understand the larger idea or where their own design fits within the larger context. This is good in a sense because there are people who specialize and become highly skilled in certain parts, but the field also needs people who have a general knowledge of the whole picture. An object designed with context and complexity in mind is a well designed object. Objects that are focused on style and decoration are merely a form of self expression.

Italian Attitude towards Quality
Geography plays an important role in Italy’s attitude towards quality. It’s central location on the Mediterranean Sea allowed influences from various surrounding civilizations with a wealth of knowledge and culture. “In Italy there was a great crossing of culture, which allows for quality.” Its position as a geographic focal point made the crossing and blending of cultures possible. Classical influences drawn from history and the influences of the Greeks, Egyptians, and others who had desires to create innovative, interesting and desirable objects triggered an attitude throughout the Mediterranean center for producing high quality products. This would ultimately influence Italy’s desire and attitude for producing a high level of quality. “I look to the past, only to be sure I don’t make something that already exists, and not just to take suggestions. I am a present man and I develop prototypes that should reflect the present and [what I hope for the future. This is the most important element of the project. ”