LIVING DIVANI

LIVING DIVANI

©Francesco Caredda

Understated luxury and timeless elegance with the added benefit of a high artisanal content enabling the production of tailor-made pieces. All these, plus quality and consistency, are the keys to success for an Italian brand that has enjoyed great popularity on the international scene for more than fifty years

The cushions on the Kasbah sofa designed by David Lopez Quincoces can be

by Micaela Zucconi

rotated to enable a variety of configurations. Above, the sofa in the Living Divani Gallery

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ounded fifty-two years ago but still driven by an un-

in September 2020 of the Living Divani Gallery on Milan’s Corso

flagging energy. The second generation’s entry into

Monforte. The Milan showroom has been enlarged and modified to

the company has brought new passion that has rein-

display the different aspects of the company, hosting brand icons

vigorated the Living Divani DNA. Carola Bestetti, the

and the latest new additions like the Sumo family by Piero Lissoni,

daughter of founders Luigi Bestetti and Renata Pozzoli, recently

the Moon Coffee Table collection by Mist-o, the Lemni armchair by

took on the role of CEO. Guided by her deep awareness and already

Marco Lavit and the modular outdoor sofa Kasbah by David Lopez

involved in the creative processes, she has launched a strategy of

Quinconces. The extension has made space for a Skylight area de-

extending the range of the collections through openness to new

dicated to outdoor items, while the lower floor is hosting the more

models. In agreement with art director and designer Piero Lissoni,

classic products and a limited-edition collection by Lissoni, “The

internationally-respected professionals and talented young indivi-

Uncollected Collection”, with pieces between art and design. This

duals have been brought in. The architect, who has collaborated

already vast array is enhanced by prestigious partnerships – one of

with the brand since 1988 in a felicitous relationship of shared

these is with the supersports car marque Automobili Lamborghini,

intentions, has gradually defined and given shape to Living Di-

for fitting out the exclusive Lamborghini Lounge in Manhattan’s

vani’s identity. This understanding remains intensely productive,

Chelsea district. The furniture by the Brianza-based company em-

generating ideas based on harmonious proportions and an under-

body all the highlights of company’s production. The pieces include

stated luxury, sober, balanced forms with high artisanal content

Sailor library by David Lopez Quincoces and the Inari bench by Mi-

and careful selection of materials. For the architect, “Consistency

st-o, the Family Lounge Table by Piero Lissoni, the Reader armchair

of quality and quantity”, as well as “Intensity and the presence of

by Piergiorgio and Michele Cazzaniga and the modular Extrasoft

the family” have been the keys to success, leading to an expansion

sofa, a best seller created by Lissoni in 2008, set out in the Welcome

of the product range, a process that in 2012 led to an invitation to

Area, Activation Room, Living Room and Olimpo Meeting Room.

join the Altagamma Foundation, which brings together internatio-

Last but not least are the many projects created for the yacht world,

nally-renowned high-end Italian companies. Sofas and armchairs

especially with Wally, brand of the Ferretti Group, and Sanlorenzo

have been joined by beds and complements like tables and coffee

Yacht, which shares art director Piero Lissoni with Living Divani.

tables, bookcases and carpets in a complete indoor and outdoor

Many pieces have been chosen for yachts like the SX112 and SX88

system for living.

and the lounges in the stands at boat shows like the Cannes Yachting

The company’s exponential growth over recent years has been

Festival, the Genoa Boat Show and the Monaco Yacht Show, the

accompanied by an expansion of the spaces in the headquarters

ideal venues for showing off the Italian lifestyle in its purest form.

in Anzano del Parco (Co), now entirely complete, and the opening

https://livingdivani.it

© Tommaso Sartori

This page, a view of the Living Divani Gallery in Milan. Left, above, Poltrona 02. Below, sedia 06-05-07 and tables 8-9-10, all from Piero Lissoni’s The Uncollected Collection

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questions to Carola Bestetti Ceo Living Divani and Head of Marketing & Communication Living Divani and Italian style...

Pure shapes and attention to detail, complemented by hand-made techniques and select materials that embody typically Italian manufacturing excellence and expertise and a search for the highest levels of comfort and quality of life.

What’s your approach to the issue of sustainability?

In the world of upholstered furniture, our main area of operation, sustainability is mainly linked to the lifespan of our products – timeless objects and high-quality raw materials and production processes. In the context of coverings we already offer low environmental impact leather and fabrics made from regenerated yarn, especially cotton.

Does Living Divani have any projects with the yacht-building world?

We’ve completed many projects in collaboration with architects to develop customised products reflecting the demands of individual owners and sector requirements. Our upholstered products can easily be produced in a large number of versions, fulfilling an extensive range of techniques and aesthetic objectives. One example is our Kasbah sofa – the cushions can be rotated to modify the configuration, transforming it, for example, from corner sofa to daybed.

The Living Divani Gallery in Milan combines art and design. What elements of art have you introduced into your collections? All Living Divani products share an artistic imprint. Their purified aesthetic often means they seem to be sculptures in space. Some creations, though, are more closely related to art, like Lemni, our new chair by the architect Marco Lavit, who works in the field of collectible objects.

Art Design in your collections?

Our company focusses on series production, but we give our creativity free rein with one-off projects that straddle the line between art and design. One example is The Uncollected Collection by Piero Lissoni, celebrating the brand’s 50th anniversary and its thirty years of art direction, which goes beyond the classic form-function concept to express the

© Leo Torri

brand’s sartorial nature and its incredible ability to translate design complexity into contemporary, flawless shapes.

with customised sofa seating made possible by the modular nature of the company’s sofas, which allows individual configurations to be modified. Right, another view of the deck furnished with daybed

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© Leo Torri

Above, the main deck of the SX88 yacht by Cantieri San Lorenzo