Lema's journey narrates a tale of Italian manufacturing juxtaposed with innovation and tradition resting on the pillars of quality and customisation. In 1970, the Meroni family - who still own and operate the brand - built an empire on the foundation of traditions that date back to the early post-war years, earning it a place among the pioneers of Italian style. Lema offers a diverse catalogue of modular systems and furnishings for a range of interiors including the living room, bedroom and certain freestanding furnishings. It was the first Italian design company to articulate a system of load-bearing side panels along with launching the custom-built Armadio al Centimetro wardrobe.

Every year, Lema has been a part of Salone del Mobile with its exemplary offerings, which have included collaborations with Piero Lissoni, David Lopez Quincoses, Gordon Guillaumier and Chiara Andreatti, who have presented at Lema's design event each year and have demonstrated the company's core value of creating excellence in all their design works. No exception will be made this year as the Italian brand is set to participate in the global design event Salone 2022 with products that materialised as initiatives; a consequence of collaboration with architecture and design studio Norm Architects. The studio’s typical Scandinavian elegant, minimalist aesthetic and style draws strength from its simplicity interlaced with Lema’s contemporary and versatile language to conceive three new products: the Claire armchair, the Francis coffee tables and the Fred dining chair.

The disposition of the Claire lounge chair is defined by the contrast between the delicate and generous proportions that compose its silhouette. Featuring a high backrest and rounded shape, the lounge chair invites users to immerse themselves in its enveloping comfort. The lavish upholstery is balanced out by the minimal metal frame, uplifted by solid wood armrests that give the entire armchair a refreshing tangibility. The sophisticated details and meticulously balanced volumes and proportions have paved the way for the creation of a classic lounge for modern living, epitomising a sweet soul and a contemporary spirit.

The Francis coffee tables designed by Norm Architects for Lema are a minimalist and highly expressive solution reminiscent of elemental sentiments. The balanced forms give the coffee tables a flawless concoction of tactility and lightness, imposing an image of material becoming light. An alluring outline that seamlessly blends into living spaces, the Francis coffee table establishes harmony between sophisticated minimalism and expressive impact. The monolithic, circular shapes that constitute the base and top of the coffee table are evocative of the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, an outlandish region where nature holds a status unsurpassed. The soul of the contemporary designs is in the rigid material that they are shaped by and in the balanced encounter between apparently simple and basic geometric shapes, which make the entire ensemble modernistic.

The interweaving of Danish spirit and Italian stylistic elements resulted in Fred, a simple wooden chair that showcases the exemplary skills of Lema’s master cabinetmakers. A thorough attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship, both of which are distinctive to the brand, the Fred dining chair is influenced by mid-century furniture design  and the finesse of Italian style, justified in the design through an approach developed around minimalism indicative of Danish aesthetics. The chair’s perfectly rounded wooden backrest gently supports and ensures comfortable sitting owing to the flexible upholstered seat. Sturdy wood, upholstered comfort, a buoyant demeanour, and sophisticated contours: the Fred dining chair amalgamates wood bone joints and brass fixtures, accentuating details and the materials’ innate qualities.

The innovative approach Lema takes to unite design visions that differ in style and method is what makes the brand stand out in the furniture industry. Modularity, customisation, manufacturing expertise and a strong commitment to quality sum up Lema's exceptional interpretation of Italian design and consequent success. With this year's Salone, Lema forges ahead with its philosophy of creating a home that embodies subtlety in design, reflecting a lifestyle free of stress and pretence.