Great Bedfellows

Before Italian bed company Bolzan Letti was founded in 1995 in the north-eastern province of Treviso, Elisabetta Bolzan and her mother, Emilia, a seamstress for some of the area’s most important families, were already making bespoke orthopaedic wooden bed bases. The mother gradually took a back seat and Bolzan’s brother, Piercarlo, stepped in. The process, though far more mechanized today, still retains a lot of handcrafted finishing.

‘We have about 80 different beds but the client can choose endless variations and combinations,’ says Bolzan. ‘They can select a thinner or a larger base, a higher or a lower leg height, a divan bed that comes in its own container unit (sometimes with drawers for storage). We make everything from single beds to Super King size beds and beyond.’

In fact, Bolzan Letti’s range runs the gamut from beds to upholstered furniture in classic and contemporary styles; all have an upholstered component, given that this is what the company specialises in. The colour palette goes from natural and earthy tones (including beiges and whites), through electric oranges and reds, blues and purples, all the way to browns and blacks; the textiles range from cotton, satin and linen to velvet, chenille, boiled wool and cashmere. All the bed covers (except for the leather ones) are removable and can be washed, and the entire manufacturing cycle takes place in Italy. The materials, too, are mostly sourced in Italy says Bolzan, though some of the fabrics and textiles come from France and Ireland.

This summer, the company launched the Care Collection, a zeitgeisty offering that fits with the current trend for flexibility. Care enables the customer to wrap or ‘dress’ the same bed frame and headboard with one of seven different covers and designs that range from large stripes to single rich hues or textiles featuring large embroidered appliqué petals. ‘You can have a minimalist design for the winter, for example, and choose a much more vibrant pattern for the summer,’ says Bolzan. ‘It’s like having two beds for the price of one.’

What’s more, you can use the same fabric to wrap other furniture elements (such as bedside tables and seating) so that there are accents across the bedroom. Watching the company’s catchy speeded-up video online gives you an idea of just how versatile Care is, but in fact the company has always offered customers the possibility of combining different bed components according to taste.

This move towards ever-greater flexibility at Bolzan Letti mirrors one of the greatest shifts in attitudes and tastes since the company launched exactly 20 years ago says Bolzan. ‘People want to be able to customise and personalise their beds. That can mean anything from choosing a certain headboard or base to picking the colour or design of the bed legs,’ she says. ‘Sometimes it’s even details like what sort of threads we use or a particular embroidery element or finish.’ The overall trend, she says, is definitely towards more clean and minimal lines and ‘a raised bed with a thin and subtle base, both for ease-of-cleaning and for the visual aesthetics of it.’

Recognising the importance of technology and marketing has always been a given says Bolzan, and the company has long invested in magazine advertising, good lifestyle photography and, more recently, videos. The website offers the possibility to download most of the items in 3D format and recently Bolzan Letti embarked on a collaboration with British tech firm Sayduck that allows customers to download a free app and see their chosen product in augmented reality in their own bedroom or another setting.

Bolzan Letti doesn’t only make beds however, also applying its long-standing upholstery expertise and experience to sofas and poufs, and numerous ‘contract projects’ such as hotels and residential projects. Over the years it has also created furniture for various fashion boutiques and seating for the waiting areas of international airports.

Environmental issues are also on the agenda says Bolzan. The company has always used certified wood for the bed frames and recycled rubber in their upholstery. ‘At the moment, we are developing a highly recyclable material that we will start using in our production,’ she reveals, though she won’t say more for the moment other than the material in question is not ‘a wood’.

Sales are brisk and divided equally at around 50% within the Italian market and 50% elsewhere. ‘Russia is probably our next biggest market, followed by the US, Mexico, India, China and Europe, especially Switzerland,’ says Bolzan. To satisfy the needs of its many dealers, the company is opening a new 600 sqm showroom in early October that is just a few steps from its main HQ in Francenigo di Gaiarine (in turn about 35 km from Treviso). ‘We felt the need for a space in which our local and international clients can see the products in a styled setting and touch and feel them too,’ she says

Inspiration for the designs is Bolzan’s remit, while her brother looks after all the technical aspects of production. ‘Inspiration can come from all sides,’ she says, ‘but often I am also inspired by what’s happening in the world of fashion.’