Lema participated at this year's London Design Festival with an exclusive installation at the Lema London flagship store located at 183 King's Road. The Italian brand presented its new collection for this international design event, which was first revealed at Salone del Mobile in Milan. The new set-up highlighted the fusion of Italian design and Japanese traditions, celebrating a dialogue between the two cultures through shapes and materials.
One of the standout pieces of the showroom was the new Hasu armchair, designed by Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba. The name Hasu derives from the Japanese word for lotus flower, reflecting the natural beauty that inspires this elegant piece. Soft, enveloping and three-dimensional volumes define this compact, light and soft armchair, which is also stable and solid thanks to its wooden structure. It features formal purity, perfect proportions of the seat and backrest and visual simplicity. Its star-shaped cross base supports and elevates the seat.
The window display also featured the new Omega armchair by Federica Biasi, recognised for its clean, elegant and contemporary design. Omega is inspired by the design of the 1950s, combining history, materials and iconicity into a timeless furnishing where vintage charm meets modern aesthetics. With a slightly padded, moulded shell covered in leather or synthetic leather, Omega combines the softness of its seating forms with the strength of a metal structure.
The set-up continued with other iconic pieces, including Biasi's Niveaux sofa, paired with the Drum coffee tables by Piero Lissoni and the Francis coffee tables by Norm Architects, as well as the Lullaby night group, also by Serafini and Palomba. With its rounded forms and imposing headboard, Lullaby is the perfect combination of sophistication and functionality.
Other noteworthy pieces included the Bulè dining table, paired with the new Ayon leather chairs designed by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti. This area invited clients to discover their craftsmanship blended with the industrial production of a chair crafted from light leather with an ash frame. The leather finely wraps around the upper structure of the chair design, offering both comfort and refined elegance. Exposed stitching creates a fine pattern that highlights the manufacturing quality that distinguishes the product: a fusion of materials where the beauty of natural imperfections becomes its expressive strength.
In a separate living area, the spotlight was on Roberto Lazzeroni's Ares modular sofa, designed to offer maximum comfort. Visually striking, Ares is ideal for those who seek refined and elegant pieces. With its unconventional style, Ares is described as an "out-of-the-box" sofa design, where the high backrest wraps around the seat with its curvilinear form, lowering to create the armrest and giving the sofa a majestic appearance. Supported by a refined ash wood base in thermo-treated oak, the furniture design combines rigid elements and plush cushions to skilfully balance comfort and functionality.
The sofa was complemented by Lazzeroni's new Orion coffee tables, featuring geometric shapes and pastel colours to introduce both practicality and aesthetics into homes. Available in various shapes and sizes, the table designs are enhanced by a graphic element, a slight metal dip with a bronze or matte lacquered finish that merges functionality and simplicity. Orion's distinctive features are its plastic, at times modernist shapes, and the intricate detailing of its legs. Whether used individually or paired together, their unique and captivating design allows them to blend into any space. The design installation was completed with the iconic Maddox bed and the quintessential LT40 modular system.
At the back of the showroom, the new August dining table by Lazzeroni, paired with functional Babi dining chairs drew attention, along with a selection of Lema's iconic wardrobes and night systems. August reflects the "complex simplicity" of trestle tables. Originally developed as sturdy worktables in the mid-20th century, they have since found their place as design pieces in homes. The tabletop, available in various sizes and materials, is lightened by its thin top. The trestle legs mirror the table's aesthetic inspiration. Various finishes create a piece with multiple potential compositional customisations: glossy and matt elements combine to create unique and personal visual effects, adapting the table to a wide range of lifestyles.
Finally, the clients could explore a studio apartment, set up in the showroom's basement and accessible via the dramatic staircase designed by Lissoni. This space responded to contemporary, compact living, offering a complete apartment solution with a kitchen, bedroom and living room, all furnished with product designs by Lema.
With this installation at the design festival, Lema consolidated its position as a pioneer in Italian design, emphasising the importance of creating a dialogue between different cultures while maintaining its brand identity. The synergy between Italian and Japanese aesthetics becomes the guiding theme of a collection that aims to express the height of elegance and functionality.
In its 22nd edition, the London Design Festival—including its 11 design districts, partners and the design fair Material Matters—stirs the city with a dynamic programme of installations, exhibitions, workshops, talks and more. Follow STIR at London Design Festival 2024, as we continue to bring the best of the festival's offerings as media partners along with our own initiatives across the city, including our partners Shoreditch Design Triangle, Mayfair, the Global Design Forum, and more across Brompton, Battersea, Chelsea, Dalston to Stokey and Bankside.
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