JEDDAH, 29 October 2007 — Furniture is an essential part of our modern lifestyle. From time to time, it transforms itself and meets the needs of contemporary life. Objects such as tables, chairs, beds, desks, dressers and cupboards have become an essential part of homes and offices for comfortable living and working.
It is no wonder that furniture mart is today a booming industry. At present, furniture with artistic designs and decorations are growing popular. Hence, it is now being considered a form of decorative art.
Asian furniture has a distinct history. Japanese furniture has a minimalist style. Wood is extensively used. Japanese furniture is also best known for its craftsmanship and reliance of wood grain instead of paintings or thick lacquers. Chinese furniture is known for its ornamental style across the world. But Western countries manufacture furniture that they claim to be a class and tends to attract the high-end market segments.
Luigi Cavalli, president of Bologna-based Ipe Cavalli, is a major Italian furniture manufacturer who has inherited the skills from his father who set up the business in 1959 in Bologna. Today, he has the full support of his wife and their two children — son, an economics graduate, and daughter, an architect.
“Together we have developed an aesthetic code that is encrypted in our minds, but clearly visible in the products. That’s called style,” he said.
Together they are running the company that manufactures four distinct brands — Visionnaire, Grantour, Streamlined and Contemporary Classic. “My four different brands of furniture are distinctively different from each other. Each represents a unique philosophy,” Cavalli told Arab News in an interview.
Asked how are they priced, Cavalli said: “My customers first ask me whether the quality of my furniture is the best, whether the design is absolutely original and whether it is made in Italy. If they find all these to their satisfaction, they don’t mind paying whatever the price.”
He added: “My target is always the high-end market because of the high quality furniture that we manufacture with precious materials, all of them resourced in Italy,” said Cavalli who has 200 showrooms worldwide, although the only showroom he owns is in Bologna. All the others are franchises or run with local partners.
Whether leather, glass, crystal, silk, cotton or stainless steel that are used in furniture making or interior decors, they are all obtained within Italy. Italy has the factories for all these and the world’s largest number of tanneries.
“The Italian design of furniture and decors is in great demand and so we will continue to manufacture them within the country. The day we compromise with quality, design and ambiance then we will think of moving our manufacturing areas outside the country,” said Cavalli, who was here for the opening of a Visionnaire showroom, the Kingdom’s first and the region’s fourth.
Asked about the investment that goes into each new showroom, he said it could range from one to two million euro.