ELRE
Luxury furniture for villas
Minotti, Baxter, B&B Italia, Living Divani, Poliform: how we choose and coordinate luxury furniture so that the villa has a soul and does not look like a showroom.
Luxury furniture: the villa comes to life
Luxury furniture is what turns architecture into a home. In a contemporary villa, with large open spaces and glazed walls, furniture draws the rooms: a sofa defines the living area, a table creates the dining area, a bookcase divides without closing. This is why luxury furniture is designed together with the architecture, not afterwards.
The most common risk is the villa that looks like a showroom: many famous pieces, chosen one by one, that do not speak to each other. Our work is the opposite: few pieces, proportioned to the spaces, in a palette of materials and colours consistent with the stones, woods and light of the house.
The method: from the space to the piece
We start from the plan: where the family sits, where you look at the landscape, where you entertain, where you read. Then we define the proportions: a large living room calls for deep, low sofas, large coffee tables and rugs that hold the composition together. Only then do we choose brands and models.
Each room receives a board with a furnished plan, materials, fabrics, finishes and lighting. The client sees the whole before choosing the single piece, and luxury furniture becomes a reasoned decision, not a sum of purchases.
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The Villa Edit
The method and the 12 systems
Structure and passive house
Building system and Passivhaus
Windows and glazing
Windows, sliding doors, doors
Energy, air and water
Heat pump, ventilation, solar
Natural stone
Marble, travertine, wood
Porcelain tiles
Large slabs inside and out
Lighting
Designing the light
Luxury kitchens
Kitchen, appliances, compost
Bathroom, spa and wellness
Master bathroom, sauna, recovery
Furniture
Living, bedrooms, walk-in closets
Pools and gardens
Outdoor, landscape, robots
Home automation and security
One system for the whole house
Art and objects
Collections and signature pieces
Private service
Private consultation
Would you like a selection of furniture for your villa?
Contact usThe living room
The heart of luxury furniture is the living room: modular sofas that follow the shape of the room, reading armchairs, coffee tables in stone, wood or metal, a large rug that defines the area. In villas with full-height glazing the sofas face the landscape and the fireplace, not the television, which is integrated into a fitted wall or disappears behind a panel.
Sofas and seating
The sofa is the most used and most important piece. Seat depth, padding density, removable covers and the quality of fabrics and leathers all count. In a villa with children or pets we choose hard-wearing performance fabrics; in a house for a few adults, natural fabrics such as linen and wool, or soft leathers that age well.
Tables and dining
The dining table is sized on the usual number of guests, with extensions if needed. Tops in stone, solid wood or glass; comfortable chairs for long dinners. Above it, a dimmable pendant, as we describe on the page about designer lighting.
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The bedroom area
In the bedroom luxury furniture is subtraction: an important bed with an upholstered headboard, floating bedside tables, adjustable reading lights, blackout curtains, nothing superfluous. The mattress deserves the same attention as the bed. The bedroom is the room of sleep, a subject we explore in our wellbeing section.
Walk-in closets
The walk-in closet links bedroom and bathroom and is a small world of its own: integrated lighting that does not fade fabrics, shelves for knitwear, hanging rails at different heights, drawers for accessories and jewellery, a seat, a full-length mirror. It must be ventilated to avoid humidity and odours. In bespoke systems every centimetre is designed around the person who uses it.
Textiles, rugs and walls
Curtains, rugs and wall coverings change the acoustics and atmosphere of a villa. Light curtains filter the light without darkening; heavy blackout curtains are needed in bedrooms. Wool or silk rugs define the zones and absorb the noise of large hard surfaces. Technical wallpapers, even for bathrooms and showers, give character to a wall without building work.
Explore our projects
Schüco glazing, Minimal Cucine and Modulnova kitchen, Poliform and Baxter furniture, Occhio lighting, MAFI wood.
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Outdoor furniture
Terraces, porticoes and pool edges are outdoor rooms and deserve the same level of luxury furniture as the interiors: sofas with quick-dry padding, sun-resistant fabrics, tables in stone or teak, coordinated loungers and parasols. We cover this on the page dedicated to pools and gardens.
Bespoke or from a collection?
A good luxury furniture project combines collection pieces and bespoke furniture. Sofas, armchairs, lamps and tables come from the collections of the great brands; kitchens, wardrobes, bookcases, panelling and bathroom furniture are designed to measure, in the same woods and finishes. It is the bespoke that gives the house an identity no catalogue can copy.
Lead times and logistics
Much high-end furniture is made to order, with lead times of several weeks. For a villa we plan the orders on the construction schedule, with coordinated deliveries and installation once the finishes are complete and protected. Delivering a very large sofa requires checking doors, stairs and lifts before ordering.
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The studio's standard
A furnished plan and materials board for every room; furniture proportioned to the spaces; fabrics chosen for real use; bespoke furniture coordinated with the stones and woods of the house; lighting integrated with the furniture; a schedule for orders and deliveries; care sheets for fabrics, leathers and woods.
Three levels: Essential, Signature, Icon
Essential: quality furniture consistent with the architecture, a few well-chosen pieces. Signature: collections from brands such as B&B Italia, Maxalto, Living Divani or Poliform, bespoke wardrobes and bookcases. Icon: iconic pieces from brands such as Minotti or Baxter, special fabrics and leathers, signature bespoke furniture, objects and works chosen for the house.
The luxury furniture brands we consider
Brianza and northern Italy are the world capital of luxury furniture. These are the brands we consider most often; we choose them for build quality, consistency with minimalist architecture and service.
Minotti and Baxter
Minotti, a Brianza company founded in 1948, is synonymous with sofas and living rooms of generous proportions and a sober language. Baxter is known for its use of leather and for pieces with a strong material character.
In MD Home, the studio’s villa in Verona, the dining table and chairs are by Baxter.
Explore our projects
Edra sofas, Varenna kitchen, Noorth and Agape bathrooms: a project by the studio.
B&B Italia and Maxalto
B&B Italia, founded in 1966, wrote the history of Italian sofa design; the Maxalto collection offers wooden furniture of classic and contemporary elegance at the same time.
Living Divani, Flexform, Poliform, Molteni&C
Living Divani and Flexform are references for highly comfortable sofas and seating. Poliform unites living room, wardrobes and kitchens in a single language. Molteni&C also has a division dedicated to projects with architects and developers.
In the MD Home living room the sofa is by Poliform, with coffee tables by Rimadesio and Desalto; in SD Home, in Soave, the sofas are by Edra, soft and deep, in front of the fitted wall.
Independent selection: the brands mentioned are chosen for quality, performance and service. No brand pays to appear on this page and the links lead to the official websites. Prices, availability and terms should be checked with the manufacturer or with the studio during the design phase.
Luxury furniture and minimalist architecture
In a minimalist villa luxury furniture must respect the silence of the architecture. Low volumes that do not interrupt the view through the glazing, earth and stone colours, a few dark accents, materials that are natural to the touch. A sofa can be the largest piece in the room without becoming intrusive, if its proportions follow those of the space.
Contrast is a valuable tool: a sculptural piece in a very essential setting, a signature armchair next to a simple sofa, a dark stone table on a light floor. But every contrast must be intentional, not accidental.
Furniture materials and finishes
Wood
Oak, walnut, ash and thermo-treated woods, with natural or matt finishes, are the basis of contemporary luxury furniture. Coordinating the wood of the furniture with that of the floors and doors gives the house a calm continuity. Solid wood can be repaired and ages well.
Leather and fabrics
Quality leather takes on the character of the person who uses it and lasts decades; natural fabrics such as linen, wool and cotton give softness; the latest performance fabrics resist stains and wear without looking synthetic. For each seat we choose the upholstery according to real use and the light it receives, because direct sun fades many fabrics.
Stone, metal and glass
Coffee and dining tables in natural stone, bases in burnished metal or bronze, smoked glass tops: these are the materials that give weight and preciousness to the composition. We use them with restraint, repeating the stones and metals already present in the architecture.
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The study, the library, the guest room
Alongside living room and bedrooms a villa has rooms that call for specific luxury furniture. The study needs a desk with natural side light, storage for documents and good acoustics for video calls. The library calls for bespoke bookcases, a reading armchair and warm light. The guest room should be as welcoming as a room in a small quality hotel, with an empty wardrobe and its own bathroom.
Acoustics and comfort
Contemporary villas have large hard surfaces: stone, glass, plaster. Without suitable furniture the rooms echo. Rugs, curtains, upholstered sofas, full bookcases and sound-absorbing panels integrated into the ceilings absorb sound and make rooms pleasant even with many people. Acoustics is a part of luxury furniture that you hear before you see it.
Luxury furniture as an investment
Quality furniture lasts decades, can be repaired and often keeps a second-hand market. Some iconic pieces of Italian design have become collectors’ items. For a villa also intended for resale or luxury rental, consistent furniture increases the perceived value of the house, as we see every day in the properties presented on Elite Luxury Real Estate.
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From selection to delivery
The luxury furniture process follows precise stages: furnished plan and materials board, showroom visits with the client, choice of models, fabrics and finishes, compared quotations, orders planned on the schedule, coordinated deliveries, installation and final check. Every step is documented, so the client always knows what has been ordered, when it will arrive and who will install it.
Luxury furniture: questions to ask before choosing
Before choosing luxury furniture we ask the client a few questions. How many people live in the house every day, and how many at weekends? Are there children or pets? Do you often have guests for dinner? Does the family watch television together or prefer reading? Do you work from home? The answers decide sofa depth, fabric durability, the number of places at the table and the presence of a study.
Luxury furniture built on these answers lasts over time and never looks out of place. Furniture chosen only from magazines ages quickly and does not adapt to real life.
Explore our projects
Metra glazing, Viabizzuno and OTY lighting, infinity pool: designed and supervised by the studio.
Luxury furniture for second homes
For a villa by the sea, on a lake or in the mountains, luxury furniture follows its own rules: fabrics that resist sun and humidity, materials that tolerate sand and salt, furniture that does not suffer from long periods of closure. For those who own several houses a common language is advisable, with variations linked to the climate and landscape of each place.
Bespoke work in luxury furniture
The joiner remains a key figure in luxury furniture. Bookcases, panelling, wardrobes, bathroom furniture, flush doors and bespoke kitchens are designed in the studio and made in the workshop with the same woods as the floors. It is bespoke work that makes the difference between a furnished house and a designed house.
The most successful luxury furniture is the kind you do not notice at first but enjoy living with every day: comfortable seats, tables at the right height, light where it is needed, materials pleasant to the touch. It is the difference between a house that is photographed and a house that is lived in.
The Villa Edit
The Villa Edit
The most common mistakes
Buying famous pieces without a furnished plan. Choosing sofas that are too small for very large rooms. Forgetting rugs, with rooms that echo as a result. Using too many materials and colours. Ordering late, with the house finished and empty for months. Not checking the dimensions of doors and stairs for delivery.
The Villa Edit
The Villa Edit
Caring for furniture
Leathers and fabrics need different care: leathers are nourished periodically, removable fabrics are washed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, oiled woods are touched up. Rugs are cleaned by specialist workshops. In the villa’s file we collect the models, fabrics and instructions for every piece, so an identical replacement can be ordered even years later.
How it fits with the rest of the house
Luxury furniture works with the natural stone and the wood of the floors, with light, with the bespoke kitchens and bathrooms, with the works and objects of the collection. A well-furnished villa has few materials, repeated consistently from the kitchen to the bedroom.
Frequently asked questions about luxury furniture
Is it worth buying all the furniture from the same brand?
Usually not: a house with a single brand looks like a catalogue. A consistent selection of several brands and bespoke pieces, tied together by materials and colours, works better.
When should the furniture be chosen?
During the design, together with services and lighting: sockets, light points and dimensions depend on the furniture.
How long does it take to furnish a villa?
It depends on the production times of the individual brands; this is why orders are planned on the construction schedule.
Bespoke or collection furniture?
Both: collections for sofas, seating and lamps; bespoke for kitchens, wardrobes, bookcases and bathrooms.
How do you choose sofa fabrics?
According to who uses the house: hard-wearing performance fabrics with children and pets, linen, wool and leather for those seeking natural materials. Direct sun fades many fabrics: this must be considered in the choice.
Furnishing the villa with the studio
The studio of Federico Cappellina designs luxury furniture together with the architecture: furnished plans, materials boards, bespoke furniture and the selection of collection pieces.
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Planning a villa?
The studio coordinates architecture, materials, building services and furniture in a single project.
Discover the whole UHNW lifestyle
Furniture is the ninth of the twelve systems of The Villa Edit.