The story of Lema is a story of Italian manufacturing and an expert combination of innovation and tradition based on the central tenets of quality and customisation. The strength of the company lies in its extraordinary manufacturing capacity that has over the years made it possible to combine the values of traditional craftsmanship with the most innovative technologies. Great care is taken at every stage of realisation, from the design to the final product, thanks to the attention to quality and the close collaboration relationship with the designers.
THE GROUP
A family company
A solid entrepreneurial vision that does not forget the values of the family business
Among the keys to Lema’s success there is undoubtedly the passion and dedication that the Meroni family carries on from generation to generation. Initially with Carla and Luigi, today with their children and grandchildren: before being an industrial organisation, Lema is a family business guided by a coherent entrepreneurial vision whose founding values of respect and professional ethics constitute the working method. Lema management, in synergy with the policy of the Meroni family, responds to the challenges of the global market with a careful and accurate enhancement of a capital of skills and experience gained over the years, also through the continuous contribution of new professionals and a constant training of its own resources.
The company
Pioneers in Italy in integrated furniture systems
In the early ’70s, Lema was the first Italian company to design and produce integrated furniture systems, managing the entire production cycle internally, from the search for raw materials, to processing, right up to the finished product. Today, the Italian company boasts in the heart of Brianza a covered industrial production plant of 55,000 square metres, divided between the two plants, one in Alzate Brianza (CO) and one in Giussano (MB), designed by Arch. Angelo Mangiarotti with over 250 employees, and a network of approximately 1,000 resellers distributed in 65 countries around the world.
LEMA UNIVERSE
Lema opens its USA headquarters. Belong to Lema the wardrobes for 565 Broome Soho, the first residential building designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in New York. In London, the company supplies furnishings for the five-star Great Scotland Yard hotel, located at the old headquarters of the Metropolitan Police. Lema continues to expand in the Far East, inaugurating ten more flagship stores. The new LT40 modular system by David Lopez Quincoces is unveiled. An extremely versatile system in terms of both aesthetics and function. Lema releases the first volume of In’Habit, this annual series will showcase the latest releases from Lema in a real setting.
Lema Contract supplies bespoke furniture for the rooms of the iconic Lutetia hotel in Paris. Lema delivers more and more projects for prestigious hotel and real-estate clients around the world. In London, Lema UK establishes itself as one of the leading players in the contract sector.
Lema’s focus on the Asian market is further demonstrated by the opening of the first flagship store in Shanghai. Lema supplies 1480 bespoke wardrobes for 325 apartments in the prestigious One Park residential complex in Shanghai.
Thanks to LEMA Air Cleaning System, an innovative patented system which Lema has the exclusive rights to all over the world, the company is able to once again revolutionise the wardrobe sector by enabling them to play an active role in the sanitisation of their contents.
Lema’s first directly run flagship store in London - the capital of the international contract industry - opens its doors. This important strategic step follows the creation of Lema UK in 2012. The 400m2 space at No.183 Kings Road, in the heart of Chelsea, is the perfect place to show off the group’s two main focuses: Lema Casa and Lema Contract. On one hand the excellence in the kind of mass production typical of a large, industrial company, on the other hand the manufacturing expertise, which enable us to develop custom-made solutions for notable furniture contract, all over the world.
Lema becomes increasingly synonymous with a lifestyle concept inspired by a sophisticated and contemporary approach to living. A number of well-known international designers contribute to new projects which expand the Lema product range, including Werner Aisslinger, Gordon Guillaumier, Ferruccio Laviani, LucidiPevere, Nendo, Neri&Hu, Raw Edges, Francesco Rota and Tokujin Yoshioka. Lema Contract completes a project to furnish the rooms of the prestigious Bulgari Knightsbridge Palace Hotel in London.
Launch of Lema Contract, the division specialising in large-scale projects. From multi-apartment complexes to retail via hotels and corporate spaces, Lema offers custom-made solutions for the most prestigious projects in the world.
Lema unveils Selecta, a furniture system which builds on the legacy of Lo Scaffale to offer extreme compositional flexibility.
The Giussano facility - designed by Angelo Mangiarotti - is opened. The International Office Concept is set up to offer a comprehensive collection focusing on contemporary office furniture. This is renamed IOC Project Partners in 2019.
Armadio al Centimetro is launched. This bespoke modular wardrobe system is another fundamental milestone in Lema’s history. The system is completely refreshed in 1997 and has continued to evolve to this day, anticipating and adapting to the requirements of private and contract clients.
Tito Agnoli - one of the best-known and most successful Italian designers between the 1950s and 1970s - designs Lo Scaffale, the first Italian system with load-bearing side panels and a variety of finishes available to be produced on an industrial scale: the system would enjoy great success on account of its adaptability to different requirements and styles.
The transformation from artisanal business into industrial operation is confirmed with the launch of La Sorgente del Mobile, which would become a historic brand in the world of Italian design.
The transformation from artisanal business into industrial operation is confirmed with the launch of La Sorgente del Mobile, which would become a historic brand in the world of Italian design.
The Meroni family opens a new store in Milan. Harnessing the power of the design boom, the family begins to work with architects and designers who are starting to establish themselves on the national stage. This is a key factor in the business moving towards a more contemporary style and production taking on a more industrial nature.