Restarting is what production is waiting with anxiety all over the world in this particular difficult moment. Italian manufacturing has been obliged to stop its activity before the other countries and is now finding solutions and ideas to start a new phase.
As Boffi explains in a press realise that is a sort of cheering letter for all the Country, at such a time of great uncertainty, initiatives to collaborate and safeguard the situation are developing even among those companies who are usually engaged in healthy competition but who know how to interpret the delicacy of the moment and feel a strong desire to federate their efforts in shared objectives.
It is in this spirit that a group of companies in the furniture and design sector have established a new level of dialogue over recent weeks. An initial chat between a few individuals in just a few weeks has turned into a fervent digital round table involving some of the most important companies in the sector: B&B Italia, Bisazza, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Flexform, Giorgetti, Molteni Group, Poltrona Frau.
The group’s first tangible result was a document drawn up two weeks ago to request a rent moratorium for all commercial properties that are currently closed. The companies proposed to reach an agreement that would reduce the cost of rent by 50% from April to December 2020. The request was immediately sent to all landlords of rented properties throughout the world and today constitutes an important tool and an effective basis for discussion.
Today the main objective of the group, and of the entire sector, is to ensure that production will recommence. “We continue to support the manufacturing sector as central to Italy – they write in the press release – but it is important to remember that in 2017 in the European ranking we lost the long-maintained second position, following Germany, to France.”
The furniture and design sector constitutes one of the 3 strategic sectors of Italian production. With the strength of its 20,000 active companies and 130,000 employees, the sector generates 23 billion in turnover with an export level that exceeds 60%.
If we considered the entire ‘Legno-Arredo’ wood and furniture industry, then we would be talking about 75,000 active companies with 315,000 employees and a turnover of 43 billion.

Another step to the internationalization has been made by Boffi and De Padova, the two famous Italian brands of kitchen and furnishing that at the and of the last year opened a new showroom in Spain. This time, the choice has been the capital, Madrid, second locations for the two companies in the Iberian region, after the opening of another showroom in Barcelona.
The location in Madrid is an industrial-inspired space of 160-sqm, featuring a variety of interior scenes where the most creative and exclusive proposals from Boffi, De Padova, MA / U Studio and ADL combine together.
Located on Calle Jorge Juan 43, in the heart of the Salamanca district in Madrid, the space was designed by the Style Department of Boffi | De Padova in order to serve as a benchmark for architects, interior designers and design aficionados.
With this new opening in Madrid, Boffi | De Padova consolidates its presence in Spain and confirms its position as a reference in the design of high quality collections for every area of the home.

Two prestigious international events saw the Italian kitchen brand Boffi as protagonist.
Design and performance has been shown by Boffi, during the Cologne Passagen week, the Interior Design Week Köln, held from 14 to 20 January. For the occasion, Boffi Köln flagship store presented Boffi, De Padova and MA/U Studio novelties. The store also hosted a special event where Norbert Wangen introduced the K6 kitchen, the latest comer of the iconic K serie.
In the same period, Boffi also organized special events during Maison et Objet in Paris, where the company stores invite the public to discover its latest news. The main events saw the participation of Piero Lissoni, Art Director of Boffi and De Padova (presenting Combine kitchen), GamFratesi, designers for De Padova (presenting Etiquette sofa) and Norbert Wangen, designer for Boffi (presenting K6 kitchen).

During the latest Paris Design Week, important recurrence for the French and international design community that takes place from 6 to 15 September, Boffi organizes some events in the owned Parisian showrooms. The three brands of the Italian Group, Boffi De Padova and MA/U Studio, offer tailor-made solutions for home, defining a total living experience, as visible in the renewed French showroom.
This space is transforming and has been enlarged with four large windows, conquering an important adjacent space. Here, Boffi invites customers to discover the evolution of its Parisian location, central point of development of the French market for twenty years, a market that historically is one of the most strategic and successful in the international expansion of the Group.

Salinas, the kitchen island designed by architect Patricia Urquiola with custom-made Boffi tall units in ash grey oak veneer wood was part of the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the LG Eco-City Garden (Awarded in the 2018 Chelsea Awards with the Silver-gilt medal).
During the garden show, the Salinas kitchen island showcases worktops in decorated dark lava stone, doors in black Paperstone® and Metals – copper finish, and a sliding peninsula table in natural water-painted “Olivato” ash wood.
Salinas is a non-traditional modular system in matt black metal featuring open shelving and specialised kitchen accessories. Based on the idea of a ‘hidden machine’, the design introduces an integrated trench that discreetly stores all the technical parts of the kitchen (such as electrical, plumbing…) whilst providing extra storage space.
With a particular focus on sustainability, Patricia Urquiola collaborated with Boffi’s R&D team to find a wide array of finishes for both worktops and doors. As a result, the kitchen offers metals (zinc/brass/copper/aluminium) finishes, industrial glass, lacquers and textured concretes, allowing endless combinations and aesthetics. Some of these are therefore extremely eco-friendly i.e. Nerosicilia lava stone – natural lava stone decorated with a geometric patter made of powder glass from recycled LDC screens or Paperstone®, a surface material made out of pressed recycled paper, glued together with a non-toxic phenolic resin.

With its Cove kitchen, designed by Zaha Hadid Design, Boffi received the EDIDA 2018 in the Kitchen category.
Launched in 2003, EDIDA is the Elle Deco International Design Award, a prestigious international event where the 25 editors-in-chief of the Elle Decoration international network gather to award global excellence in design in 13 categories.
Designed by Zaha Hadid Design, Cove is a monoblock kitchen characterized by sinuous and simple forms, using malleable materials such as Corian and wood. This is part of Boffi_code proposal, a project designed to meet the needs and expectations of international and demanding customers. Previously awarded also with the Muuuz international Awards (MIAW) Design and Innovation Award 2017, and with the Best of Year Award Winners 2017, Cove has been officially presented in dedicated events in Milan, Paris, London, Shanghai and Cologne Boffi stores.

The Boffi store in Paris (234 Saint Germain Blvd) has been completed renewed. With over twenty years of history, the shop is placed Located in one of the most important fashion and design districts where many important brands are concentrated. It covers an area of over 350m² in a remarkable Haussmann-style building. A team of experienced architects, interior designers and installers creates concepts of distinction to fit the varying needs of discerning clients from the start.
Now, the latest K21, Apr60, Xila, Hide and K14 kitchen collections are shown, as well as the Flyer bathrooms with the thin sandblasting Sabbia bathtub, then the PH Carrara washbasin and the Wood In bath system, with the elegant Iceland monobloc bathtub. Finally, the Greene, Antibes and Anthea systems are showcased. The De Padova collections and the minimalist MA/U Studio products complete the set-up.

De Padova, historical Italian company of furniture and interior design, has chosen Gaggenau, German brand of premium home appliances, for its new showroom in Milan (via Santa Cecilia 7), as exclusive partner for the household appliances sector. The new prestigious location was born by the integration with Boffi and has been designed by Piero Lissoni, the art director of both the brands. In the showroom, where design and architecture are perfectly combined, all the innovative and technological collection of Gaggenau stands out for the synergy between functionality and esthetics.