London- Lema opens on March 20th in London - Furniture brand Lema, one of the protagonists of ‘Made in Italy’ worldwide, takes centre stage in London with the opening of its first company-owned flagship store, located at 183 Kings Road.
Founded in 1970 by the Meroni family, who remain at the helm to this day, Lema has a strong tradition of Italian manufacturing. A regular exhibitor at the Milan Furniture Fair, Lema, under the art direction of designer Piero Lissoni since 1994, specialises in high quality, design-led furniture with a precision of construction and a timeless, understated design aesthetic.
The Kings Road flagship store is designed by Piero Lissoni and has been conceived to stage the two main identities of the Group, cCasa and Lema Contract. These two manufacturing realities represent two separate but interconnected pillars of the Lema brand, united by a common thread: the culture of know-how, tradition and innovation that has always defined the essence of Italian design and the unique world inhabited by Lema’s collections.
The London flagship store marks a significant international investment that follows other recent openings in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Beijing, Taiwan and Melbourne, markets in which ‘Made in Italy’ is recognised and appreciated, and where Lema’s quality and style are attracting a large number of design enthusiasts.
“London is a crucial location on the international market right now, with its concentration of key players – the contract market; the most influential architectural practices working around the world; property developers involved in major projects – our presence here represents a strategic investment for the Group, one that aims at increasing Lema’s partnerships on the international market and establishing the brand firmly on the international high-end furniture scene,” said the President Angelo Meroni.
Distributed over two floors and occupying an area of 400 square metres, the Lema flagship store embodies the elegant style and relaxing Mediterranean atmosphere that define this brand's character.
The ground floor, with large street-level windows overlooking the Kings Road, houses Lema Casa collections, beautifully showcasing the company's philosophy, based on slow-living. The brand’s iconic modular systems - which have always been its crowning achievement - and free-standing furniture, are the result of Lema’s enviable roster of design collaborations, which features products by international designers including Gordon Guillaumier, Francesco Rota, Neri & Hu, Raw Edges, Nendo, Werner Aisslinger, and Christopher Pillet – among others.
The showroom display flows organically to the lower floor, where Lema Contract is located - a bespoke-atelier for architects and interior designers, where a dedicated team is on hand to develop custom-made solutions for large-scale projects. A made-to-measure service, also encompassing the Lema Casa collections, is available to suit every need. Lema’s key presence on the contract market - currently registering a volume equal to 50% of its turnover – sees the brand involved in significant multi-apartment and hospitality projects, such as the London Bulgari Knightsbridge Hotel and other prestigious chains such as Hilton and Kempinski. Among the latest projects, Lema products are present in Cheyne Terrace, Fulham Reach, Neo Bankside and Park House developments.
The space: concept and set-up
Housed in an elegant townhouse recently renovated, with large windows overlooking Kings Road, the new flagship store designed by Piero Lissoni offers an overview of Lema’s production ability. It showcases the Lema house, where daily activities are smoothly punctuated with furniture pieces. On display will be the upholstered collections, the modular wardrobe and shelving systems – Lema’s trademark products – alongside standalone furniture pieces that contribute to create the typical relaxed atmosphere characteristic of the brand.
A floor-to-ceiling Selecta bookshelf, by Officinadesign Lema, made in Carbone oak structure and wood shelves, and a bespoke sculptural staircase in white plated steel and natural oak, create a flowing connection between the two floors.
Selecta – which celebrates its 20th anniversary today - was the first industrial product to combine hand-crafted details on wood, with a series of technical innovations that still make it today one of the most versatile shelving systems in the market. With its flexibile of composition, finishes, and arrangements, Selecta is comparable to a hand-made product, benefitting however of the superior manufacturing quality of an industrial product. Selecta’s key feature is its maximum versatility, both in terms of structure, as well as finishes: the modernity of the lacquered or the natural wood finishes enhance the modular structure, and guarantee the uniqueness of each project that thus will become a one-of-a-kind piece.
On the ground floor, Lema Home concept is displayed through a series of interconnected spaces.
The first area hosts two suspended T030 Box modular systems by Piero Lissoni, with Carbone oak structure combined with doors in Argilla Creta and Ardesia finish, combined with Carbone Oak finish. Designed to simplify the design and installation phase, thus also reducing cost, T030 Box offers an elegant and versatile storage, as well as wall configurations with high-impact graphics suitable for any kind of use. The vast range of finishes is also entirely customisable.
In the middle of the ground floor the Yard sofa by Francesco Rota, upholstered in fabric and complemented by an elegant marble table top, takes centre stage. Yard was born with the aim of creating a piece of furniture with the same structural flexibility as the wardrobe and shelving systems; it combines upholstered elements with storage and surfaces elements – shelves, side tables, and storage boxes – to create a final multifunctional product with endless combinations.
The Wing chair by Werner Aisslinger; the Fence bench by Christophe Pillet; and the Mr Zheng table by Roberto Lazzeroni complete the display.
To conclude, a home office area showcases the refined Novelist desk by Christophe Pillet with Canaletto walnut top, the sophisticated Hati chair by Piero Lissoni, an elegant T030 Box sideboard with lacquered Pomice structure and cement top finishes, alongside a suspended T030 composition with flap doors. The essential Koala bookshelf by Ludovica e Roberto Palomba, the Felix armchair, and Flowers side-tables, both by Roberto Lazzeroni are displayed together with a T030 plinth on wheels, for a sleek and elegant lounge area.
In the basement, Lema Contract bespoke atelier is furnished with Filo table by David Lòpez Quincoces, Galerist display cabinets, Popsi arm-chairs by Ferruccio Laviani, Hati chairs by Piero Lissoni, Mr Zheng small-tables and Mirage mirrors.
A large display area is dedicated to night modular systems, showcasing an array of Armadio al Centimetro (made to measure wardrobe) system and the Hangar walk-in closet by Piero Lissoni.