celebrating our second century Lema Mobili has been the champion of the “Made in Italy” aesthetic for more than 40 years. Mobili is the Italian word for furniture, and Lema has been one of our go-to partners for just that—everything from sofas to tables and credenzas. Their headquarters, and their main factory, are located in Italy’s Brianza region, placing them at the heart of manufacturing for the world’s highest-quality furniture.
Lema is a family-owned business. Now in its third generation, the company is led by Angelo Meroni, pictured here in his Brianza office. His passion for compelling design and the highest-quality furniture was instilled by his grandfather, also named Angelo Maroni, who started the business in 1970.
Upon entering the factory, a dramatic, gleaming Lema logo makes it perfectly clear where we are. Designed in 1970 by architect Angelo Mangiarotti for the Meroni family, this isn’t just any factory—it features design sensibilities fit for the leading furniture manufacturer.
Lema’s newest wares are shown off in a substantial showroom where buyers from around the world gather to discuss unique and varied projects. Pictured here, Angelo Meroni shows off a piece introduced in 2016: the Eydo chaise lounge designed by architect Francesco Rota.
Lema is renowned for the quality of their case goods—furniture made of hard materials, such as wood. Many of the residences at AKA West Hollywood are furnished with the T020, a flexible storage solution designed by the Milan-based architect Piero Lissoni. Pictured above, a supply of boards has been cut to size and await finishing before assembly.
At Lema, manufacturing is a mix of automated assembly and hand-finishing. Below, a sophisticated edge banding machine creates aesthetically pleasing trim edges.
Manufacturing isn’t complete until finish is applied to the wood, giving it an attractive surface appearance. Lema’s supplier is Cleaf, an Italian manufacturer of renowned, high-quality finishes.
Carbone Oak finish is sprayed onto wooden boards. After the finish is applied, the excess must be wiped away—leaving just enough finish to fully penetrate the wood, while still revealing the beautiful grain beneath. Done by hand, this process is essential to the quality of the final product.
Italian furniture is typically polished with matte or glossy finishes. This style can be found throughout many AKA residences—our credenzas especially. Pictured here, a machine that fully automates the application process. Each board is sprayed three times; after each application, the boards are left to dry for two hours in an oven, to strengthen and ensure the durability of every board. After the finish is applied, the boards are weighed by hand—within a fraction of a gram—to ensure the proper thickness of the paint.
Manufacturing fine furniture is a labor of love. Hand-assembly and a laser-sharp attention to detail, especially for automated processes, leave no room for an imperfect product to leave the factory.
