Calligaris, founded in Friuli in 1923 as a small chair production workshop, boasts worldwide distribution of interior furnishings including products for living and sleeping areas. Calligaris products embody traditional craftsmanship, contemporary technology and offer elegant and impactful solutions for any space. The company's philosophy is based on Made-in-Italy values and the desire to communicate them globally. For this reason, the Calligaris branches in Russia, France, the United States and Japan disseminate the Italian style that the company represents. Every product goes through an extensive process to become precisely what the customer desires. Planners, designers, architects, and artisans work together to create exclusive products that combine beauty and functionality. A prototype is analysed, improved and only then is it put into production. In almost 100 years, Calligaris has demonstrated an outstanding ability to adapt to change, anticipate market evolutions, meet customer needs, and create products that can furnish any space with style and contemporaneity.
Calligaris: the evolution of wood chairs since 1923
Calligaris was founded in 1923 in Manzano in the province of Udine. Antonio Calligaris first produced chairs in his small workshop; the first was Marocca with a wood frame and straw seat. In a very short time, Manzano and the entire surrounding area became a "chair district". In the 1960s, under the direction of the third Calligaris generation, the company added a new automatic machine capable of stuffing almost one chair per minute with synthetic fibres instead of natural straw. From that moment on, the company grew rapidly and soon became a well-known brand that made its name abroad. In the 1980s, the company added new materials like plastics, metals, fabrics, methacrylates, glass and ceramics to wood. Today Calligaris has five factories and is present in over 100 countries around the world. Its growing export business has already reached 70% of the company total, demonstrating how Made-in-Italy values are still highly valued outside national borders.
Not only wood: new Calligaris materials
Although Calligaris is known for its passion for wood, the ability to anticipate the times helped the company explore new materials, selecting the best and adapting them to aesthetic and functional needs. The company's current catalogues include textiles treated with nanosphere technologies that make them pleasant to the touch, protecting them from dust and difficult stains. With a special silver ion treatment, fabrics acquire antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Plastics are also among the new materials used by Calligaris, allowing for great creativity. Materials are selected on the basis of a variety of characteristics. For example, polypropylene is strong and durable, resistant to chemical agents, acids and inclement weather while polycarbonate, with its smooth glossy surface, is suitable for the application of semi-transparent colours. Naturally, wood continues to be the company's most popular material, and the one most desired by clients. In the company's current collections, wood is combined with other materials like metal or glass, or used on its own - either solid or veneered - and protected with special coatings. Calligaris wood is FSC® certified and harvested from sustainably managed forests that meet stringent environmental, economic and social standards.
How a design chair is born
Designing a chair, like any piece of furniture that we find in our homes, is a long and complex creative process. Numerous figures are involved: the brand client, the designer, and the sculptor who will produce the first prototype. Before production, the prototype is analysed aesthetically and functionally because a chair must be beautiful, durable and comfortable.
Studio Archirivolto, responsible for the design of many Calligaris products, was entrusted the latest Calligaris product, the Liberty chair. Before designing any piece of furniture, the designers stated that they carry out preliminary market research and draw inspiration from ordinary people - the final buyers and users. The goal is to ensure the "aesthetic durability" of a design that will never tire over time. The Fifties chair, by Busetti Garuti Redaelli, is a tribute to 1950s aesthetics. It is simple in design but precious in its combination of materials. The legs and frame are available in brass-plated or black metal versions while the upholstered seat and back are covered in leather or velvet.
Ines is a fabric-upholstered chair that brings classic 1950s design back into the limelight. Soft and colourful with rounded lines, Ines is dedicated to people who appreciate the charm of the past and traditional materials. It is available in different fabrics, from a version printed with leaves to a vintage version and Maka for outdoor use.
