Among the keys to LEMA’s success is undoubtedly the passion and dedication that the Meroni family has carried forward from generation to generation. First with Carla and Luigi, today with their children and grandchildren: before being an industrial organization, LEMA is a family business guided by a consistent entrepreneurial vision whose founding values of respect and professional ethics constitute the working method. LEMA’s management, in synergy with the Meroni family’s policy, responds to the challenges of the global market with careful and meticulous enhancement of a capital of skills and experience accumulated over the years, also through the continuous contribution of new professionals and ongoing training of its resources.
A family business
1930
It was in the 1930s that Angelo Meroni, grandfather and namesake of the current President, began the family business by opening a craft workshop in the center of Arosio specializing in the production of classic furniture.
1940
The Meroni family opened a shop in Milan. Here, taking advantage of the energy of the boom period, the encounter with the first architects and designers who were beginning to emerge on the national scene was decisive in driving towards a more contemporary aesthetic production and the transformation into an industry.
1948
From a craft business to an industry, La Sorgente del Mobile was born, a brand that marked the history of Italian design.
1970
The positive experience of La Sorgente del Mobile led Angelo’s sons, Luigi and Enrico, to start a more organized industrial production, entrusting Angelo Mangiarotti with the design of a cutting-edge headquarters in Alzate Brianza: an innovative plant for management with a brand new philosophy. LEMA, in fact, is the first Italian company to design and produce integrated furniture systems, organizing the entire production cycle, from the arrival of raw materials to packaging.
1978
Tito Agnoli – one of the most renowned designers and a leading figure in Italian design between the late 1950s and the 1970s – signs Lo Scaffale, the first Italian supporting side system in multiple finishes produced on an industrial scale: a program that will have great success due to its perfect adaptability to different needs and styles.
1981
Armadio al Centimetro is born, a modular wardrobe program to be made to measure, another milestone in LEMA’s history. A system that will be completely renewed in 1997, and is still evolving today, to meet and anticipate the needs of private and contract customers.
1992
The Giussano plant is inaugurated, designed by architect Angelo Mangiarotti. To offer the market a complete and articulated collection intended for contemporary office furnishings, the International Office Concept is born, renamed in 2019 as IOC Project Partners.
1994
Piero Lissoni becomes the brand’s art director.
1995
Selecta is presented, a custom-made day system characterized by extreme compositional flexibility, an evolution of Lo Scaffale.
2004
LEMA Contract is founded, a division dedicated to large supplies. From multi-apartment to retail, from hotels to corporate, LEMA offers custom-made solutions for prestigious projects all over the world.
2011
LEMA increasingly tells its story through a lifestyle inspired by a sophisticated and contemporary approach to living. Renowned names from the international design scene sign new projects that enrich the LEMA catalog every year. Among them, Werner Aisslinger, Gordon Guillaumier, Ferruccio Laviani, LucidiPevere, Nendo, Neri&Hu, Raw Edges, Francesco Rota, Tokujin Yoshioka. LEMA Contract signs the project for the rooms of the prestigious Bulgari Knightsbridge Palace Hotel in London.
2012
LEMA opens its London headquarters in the heart of Chelsea on King’s Road. In 2012, the LEMA UK Ltd branch is born, followed in 2015 by the opening of the Flagship Store.
2017
Confirming the company’s interest in the Asian market, LEMA inaugurates its first flagship store in Shanghai. Also in the Chinese metropolis, it supplies 1,480 custom wardrobes for the 325 apartments of the prestigious One Park residential complex. With the innovative, patented LEMA Air Cleaning System, an exclusive world first, the company once again revolutionizes the concept of the wardrobe, which for the first time plays an active role in sanitizing the personal items contained within.
2018
LEMA Contract supplies custom furniture for the rooms of the iconic Lutetia hotel in Paris. LEMA increasingly handles supplies for prestigious hospitality and real estate development projects worldwide. In London, LEMA UK establishes itself among the most important national realities in contract by volume.
2019
LEMA opens its USA headquarters. LEMA wardrobes are featured in 565 Broome Soho, the first residential building by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in New York. In London, it furnishes the 5-star Great Scotland Yard hotel, the historic headquarters of the municipal police. Expansion in the Far East continues with 10 new flagship stores. LT40 by David Lopez Quincoces is presented, an extremely versatile modular system for both aesthetics and function. LEMA launches In’Habit, a catalog that each year presents new proposals within real architecture.
2024
LEMA welcomes a new artistic direction with the A++ Group, led by Carlo Colombo and Paolo Colombo. With a human-centered and wellness-focused approach, A++ transforms contemporary needs into harmonious spaces that foster authentic connections between people and their environment.
The company
Founded in the early 1970s, LEMA is a family-run Italian company and one of the first in the sector to introduce the concept of integrated furniture systems. A distinctive industrial model that provides for complete control of the entire production cycle: from the selection of raw materials to the realization of the finished product, all within its own facilities. The headquarters is located in the heart of Brianza, in over 55,000 sqm covered and distributed over two production sites: in Alzate Brianza (Como) and in Giussano (Monza e Brianza), both designed by the famous architect Angelo Mangiarotti, a key figure in the Italian architecture and industrial design scene. Today LEMA has more than 250 employees and a network of about 1,000 active retailers in over 65 countries around the world, confirming itself among the main international players in high-end furniture.
LEMA Universe
The history of LEMA is the story of a Made in Italy that, wisely combining innovation and tradition, has made quality and customization its strengths. Its strength lies in its extraordinary manufacturing ability, a typically Italian trait, which has made it possible to combine the values and technological efficiencies of a large industrial company with profound artisanal mastery. Great care is taken at every stage of production, from design, thanks to close collaboration with designers, to the final product. It is precisely in the attention to quality that the essence of Italian design and the extraordinary way in which LEMA interprets it reside.
The Group
The history of LEMA is the story of a Made in Italy that, wisely combining innovation and tradition, has made quality and customization its strengths. The company’s strength lies in its extraordinary manufacturing ability which, over the years, has made it possible to combine the values of artisanal tradition with the most innovative technologies. Great care is taken at every stage of production, from design to the final product, thanks to attention to quality and close collaboration with designers.
Home
Tailoring and custom-made production of each piece of furniture are the two main features that have distinguished Lema over the years.
Atelier
Lema Atelier was established in 2019, with the intention of transferring the experience gained in the Contract sector and the advantages of industrial production.
Contract
Lema Contract is able to handle large custom orders by integrating every design phase, from concept to the development of prototypes and mock-ups up to logistics and final installation.
IOC - Project Partners
The philosophy of the IOC project is to improve the environment in which people work. The mission is to create more welcoming, attractive and pleasant spaces, which are also functional.
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