Poliform

A major player on the international furniture scene, Poliform is famous for its elegant Italian contemporary design. Offering a collection of furniture for the whole house – including wardrobes, library systems, sofas, armchairs and beds – the company is renowned for luxury and excellent quality, continually adapting its designs to anticipate and interpret trends in contemporary living. In 1996, kitchens were added to the range through the acquisition of the Varenna brand (now officially known as Poliform) and its new flagship showroom is set to open this spring on London’s Wigmore Street.

Set to be as inspirational in its architecture as in the design models displayed inside, the new showroom will occupy a Victorian building whose beautiful façade, marble pillars, crumbling finials and ancient warren of rooms are being sympathetically restored to create a magnificent new showcase for the company. It will feature four models from the Poliform Kitchens Collection, including its groundbreaking collaborations with designers and architects. An integral part of Poliform’s DNA and a testament to its design integrity and passion, these include partnerships with acclaimed names such as Jean-Marie Massaud, Marcel Wanders, Emmanuel Gallina, Carlo Colombo and Paolo Piva

Colombo’s collaboration with Poliform produced two cutting-edge kitchen models: Trail (2015) is distinguished by its integrated, chamfered handles, minimum-thickness worktops and open, back-lit cabinets; Twelve (2009) combines absence of handles with a huge variety of textures and finishes, plus a 12mm door (hence the name). Alea (2003) was designed by Paolo Piva to show that kitchens can channel pure design and essential form while still being highly functional (his idea was that each element, from worktop to island, becomes a perfect geometrical ‘solid’ that enhances the materials used). Other popular kitchen models include Phoenix (2014), inspired by concepts of pure aesthetic rigour and line, with integrated handles facilitating the brand’s characteristic crisp detailing.

The company’s industrial ethos has been its trademark since it was launched in 1970, a time when this was still a revolutionary concept for domestic interiors. Poliform was quick to see, and exploit, the potential of automated production line methods and continues to monitor every new technical development in an increasingly global market. It’s a strategy that has more than paid off: Poliform is distributed in more than 80 countries and has 750 shops and showrooms around the world, 80 of which are monobrand.

The company provides a complete design to installation package, starting with drawings for each unique room composition. Furniture for bedrooms and drawing rooms can have comparable finishes to the kitchen so that a subtle unifying thread links every area. The exceptional design of each piece makes it timeless: colour palettes and textures may change, but the clean lines and craftsmanship synonymous with Poliform can be passed down the generations.