Market Preview Guide

1. DESIGNER RESOURCES
Italmond Works Hard to Enhance
Symbiotic Relationship with Interior Designers
The importance of interior designers to installations. “Astute clientele know the dif-
Italmond and of Italmond to interior design- ference,” says Carter. “It’s the difference
ers can be summed up in one hyphenated between a well planned and manufactured
word: eighty-five. Eighty-five percent of Ital- product as compared to those companies who
mond’s business is through the design trade. would rather fabricate an order to a limited
Recognizing the power of this symbiosis, set of options. Our options are unlimited.”
Italmond brought in Brian Carter three years Founded in 1980 and based in Los
ago as Design Director to make the company Angeles, Italmond employs artisan furniture
even more designer friendly — to fine tune makers and finishers at its factories in Los
the company’s product mix and customer Angeles and abroad — all producing fine
service with the needs of professional handmade pieces either from the Italmond
designers working in both residential and line or from interior designers’ own cre-
contract arenas. ations. To sweeten the pot, the company’s
Formerly a professional member of ASID design department provides product draw-
and a licensed interior designer in Florida, ings and/or models to interior designers,
Carter has enhanced Italmond’s position as a when necessary, for custom products. The
major resource for refined esoteric pieces line can be found in interior design centers
that are hard to find, especially at affordable and in virtually every major market across
prices. Affordable prices are only one aspect America. Plus, specialty retailers with design begun importing exquisite fabrics from
of the line. There’s a prevalence of refined staff who promote high-quality interiors carry Belgium. Designers can also specify specialty
quality and attention to detail in everything the line. vinyl upholstery coverings from Valtex as well
they do. The broad Italmond line has something as any of the quality leathers from Moore &
Carter also brings a design professional’s for every design job, from the stately to the Gils without sending C.O.M. from these sup-
perspective to the manufacturing and finish- casual, from Baroque to Mid-Century Deco. pliers. These types of programs and offerings
ing process. Finishing fine furniture well While the line is predominantly wood-framed have grown even more focused in addition
requires an artistic touch, and Carter has upholstery, dining room and living room, it to providing a fine product along with a
worked closely with factory craftsmen to also features a large collection of barstools, complete assortment of customization
develop more advanced custom finishing occasional tables, armoires and accent furni- options: finishing, dimensions, leathers, nail
techniques often required by designers. Each ture. Their catalog offers a glimpse of history trims, cushioning and upholstery detailing. If
order is reviewed to ensure the final finish is with 27 years of product design geared for there’s something they don’t have they can
exactly what the designer requested. This the trade. They have more offerings than find it.
level of individual attention results in the one can imagine and the rare occasion Beyond residential, Italmond has vast
designer receiving something extraordinarily where an item is discontinued, they usually experience in working with designers on
beautiful for their clients and installations. can still make it for the designer. hospitality and contract projects, including
There are instances where the designer Italmond uses only select and solid hard- the Assil Eye Institute in Beverly Hills and The
needs to have another designer’s expertise woods in its line, including any species and Avalon, a 198-room luxury condo hotel in
brought into their more complex and specialty veneers specified by designers. Biloxi, Miss. “Continuity and simplicity are
demanding design jobs. This indeed is what Reclaimed, environmentally-friendly hard- fundamental strategies for a successful com-
makes the Italmond line a valuable collabora- woods are now available for any tabletop. mercial installation,” explains Carter. “The
tor and manufacturer for the designer’s To expand its fabric offerings, Italmond has initial time planning and designing well-
thought-out furniture conducive to the proj-
ect is imperative, whether the designs come
from our portfolio or the designers.”
Carter and the Italmond team usually
introduce several new items to complement
and expand an already-existing product or
style category, especially with new items that
serve the designer’s needs and interests as
well as demonstrating ways to make them
more profitable. For example, at the October
High Point Market, Italmond will introduce
an important new piece incorporating cast
and hand-wrought aluminum, which can be
hand finished or polished. The aluminum
design takes the form of a decorative panel
inspired by the work of Gilbert Poillerat and
translated into a grand console table with
finished wood legs. A picture of this piece
can be found in the Furniture Preview Edition
under “New Introductions.”
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