Cassina

Furniture Design Icons Authored Collections Made in Italy

Cassina has shaped what "Italian design" means since 1927. Founded in Meda — the Brianza furniture district north of Milan — by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the house industrialized Italian furniture in the 1950s with Gio Ponti, then built two pillars that still define it: I Maestri, the licensed reissues of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand and Gerrit Rietveld, and the contemporary catalog of Magistretti, Bellini, Lissoni, Urquiola, Hayon and others. Patricia Urquiola has led art direction since 2015. Every piece is still made in Italy at Meda, where advanced upholstery sits next to fine carpentry. Via della Seta sources Cassina directly for residential and hospitality projects across the United States — handling specification, freight, customs and white-glove installation under one contract.

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Why specify Cassina for an interior project

Cassina is the design-heritage choice. No other Italian house holds this combination: the official, licensed reissues of twentieth-century masterworks — the LC2 and LC3 Grand Confort, the LC4 chaise longue, Rietveld's Utrecht and Red and Blue, Perriand's Refolo — produced to the original drawings under agreement with the rights holders, alongside a living contemporary collection. For a designer, that means a single account can supply both the authored classic that anchors a room and the contemporary upholstery that fills it, with documented provenance on the icons.

The contemporary side is just as deep. Vico Magistretti's Maralunga (1973) remains one of the best-selling sofas ever made; Mario Bellini's Cab, Piero Lissoni's Mex and Esosoft, and Urquiola's own work give a full modern seating program. Cassina builds to order with control over dimension, leather, fiber and finish, so a specification can move from a Maestri statement chair to a fully tailored living room without leaving the catalog. The carpentry heritage also means Cassina handles wood — frames, tables, storage — at a level most upholstery houses do not.

Via della Seta sources Cassina directly. We work from the spec — model, configuration, dimensions, leather or fabric, base and wood finish — confirm it against current production, manage ocean or air freight, US customs clearance and white-glove delivery to site, and consolidate the Cassina package with the rest of your specification (lighting, kitchens, outdoor, smart home) under one contract and one timeline.

Best Cassina collections by use case

Design statements

I Maestri reissues

The licensed twentieth-century icons — LC2/LC3 Grand Confort, LC4 chaise longue, Rietveld Utrecht and Red and Blue, Perriand pieces — produced to the original drawings with documented provenance.

Living rooms

Contemporary sofas & seating

Maralunga, Mex, Esosoft, 8 and the rest of the contemporary upholstery program — built to order in leather or fiber, modular where the room calls for it.

Dining & studies

Tables, chairs & storage

Cab, Superleggera and contemporary dining alongside the carpentry-led tables and storage that set Cassina apart from pure upholstery houses.

Hospitality & contract

Icons and contemporary seating

Specified across luxury hotels, member clubs and residences where a recognized design piece carries the interior. Contract leather and COM programs available.

Collections

Grand Confort

Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand's LC2 and LC3 — soft cushions held in a chrome-plated steel cage. One of the most recognized chairs of the twentieth century, reissued to the original drawings.

Utrecht

Gerrit Rietveld's 1935 armchair — upright, padded, with its unmistakable seamed back and angular arms. Shown here in a bold botanical print; a cornerstone of the I Maestri collection.

Cornaro

Carlo Scarpa's modular sofa — soft seating wrapped by an exposed timber frame that turns the corner. Architectural and warm at once, here in powder blue.

Mex

Piero Lissoni's low, quietly tailored modular sofa — slim feet, soft cushions and a calm contemporary line that anchors an open living room without crowding it.

Lead times & project planning

Standard lead time

12–16 weeks ex-Meda for cataloged leathers and fabrics; the house builds to order

COM & custom

16–20 weeks for Customer's Own Material, special wood finishes and contract-volume orders

Pricing tier

High-end. I Maestri icons and contemporary sofas start in the upper four figures; full living-room programs scale into the five figures depending on model, leather and configuration.

Trade pricing

Available to verified designers, architects and hospitality buyers. Send your spec — model, configuration, dimensions, leather or fiber — for a project-specific quote.

Cassina vs Minotti, Poliform, Molteni&C

	Cassina	Minotti	Poliform	Molteni&C
Origin	Italy (Meda, 1927)	Italy (Meda, 1948)	Italy (Inverigo, 1970)	Italy (Giussano, 1934)
Hero category	Design icons + contemporary seating	Upholstered seating systems	Living systems, wardrobes, sofas	Sofas, storage, total interiors
Art direction	Patricia Urquiola (since 2015)	Rodolfo Dordoni (since 1998)	Jean-Marie Massaud, Van Duysen	Vincent Van Duysen
Aesthetic	Authored, heritage + contemporary	Architectural, tailored, restrained	Architectural systems, total-look	Quiet, architectural, warm
Best for	Statement icons + design provenance	Composed living systems, indoor-outdoor	Whole-house systems and storage	Coordinated whole-house interiors

Care & maintenance

Upholstery fabrics

Cassina covers range from removable to fixed depending on model. Vacuum regularly, rotate seat cushions to even out wear, and treat spills promptly. Confirm the cleaning code and whether covers are removable per model at order.

Leather

Aniline and semi-aniline leathers develop a patina over time. Keep out of sustained direct sunlight to limit fade, dust with a soft dry cloth, and condition occasionally with a leather-appropriate product. Avoid solvent cleaners.

Wood, frames & chrome

Carpentry frames and tables are finished for decades of use; dust with a soft dry cloth and use a wood-appropriate product on oiled or lacquered surfaces. Chrome cage frames on the I Maestri pieces wipe clean with a soft dry cloth — avoid abrasives that mark the plating.

Are Cassina's Le Corbusier and Rietveld pieces authentic reissues?

Yes. Cassina holds the licenses to produce the I Maestri collection — Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand (LC series) and Gerrit Rietveld, among others — to the original drawings, under agreement with the rights holders. These are the official, authorized editions with documented provenance, not generic reproductions.

Can I buy Cassina in the United States through Via della Seta?

Yes. Via della Seta sources Cassina directly for residential and hospitality projects across the United States — including luxury residences in California, Florida, New York and Texas, residential towers and hospitality interiors nationwide. We handle specification, factory order, ocean or air freight, US customs clearance and white-glove delivery to site.

What is the difference between I Maestri and I Contemporanei?

I Maestri is Cassina's collection of licensed twentieth-century masterworks — Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, Perriand, Rietveld and others — produced to the original drawings. I Contemporanei is the contemporary collection by living designers such as Vico Magistretti, Mario Bellini, Piero Lissoni and Patricia Urquiola. A single Cassina specification can draw from both.

Can I specify my own fabric (COM) on a Cassina sofa?

Yes on most contemporary upholstered pieces, alongside Cassina's extensive in-house leather and fiber program. COM, special wood finishes and custom dimensions typically run 16–20 weeks rather than the standard 12–16. The I Maestri icons are produced to defined specifications; we confirm the available cover and finish options per model.

Who is the art director of Cassina?

Patricia Urquiola has been Cassina's art director since 2015, coordinating the contemporary collection and the staging of the catalog. The house also works with a roster of international designers, and stewards the I Maestri archive of Le Corbusier, Perriand, Rietveld and others.

Does Cassina make more than sofas?

Yes. Cassina's carpentry heritage means it produces tables, chairs, storage and case goods at a level most upholstery houses do not — from Bellini's Cab and Ponti's Superleggera chairs to contemporary dining tables and storage systems. A Cassina specification can furnish a full interior, not only the seating.

How does Cassina compare to Minotti, Poliform and Molteni&C?

Minotti is the architectural seating-system choice, tailored and coordinated under one art direction with a matching outdoor line. Poliform is the whole-house systems brand — wardrobes, kitchens and living programs. Molteni&C is the coordinated total-interior house. Cassina is the design-heritage choice: the licensed twentieth-century icons plus a deep contemporary collection, with carpentry strength across wood. We specify across all four where the brief calls for it.

What are typical Cassina lead times for projects in the US?

Standard pieces in cataloged leathers and fabrics ship 12–16 weeks ex-Meda. COM textiles, special wood finishes or contract-volume orders run 16–20 weeks. For projects with a fixed install date we recommend confirming the spec at least 5 months out so production, freight and US customs clearance fit comfortably inside the schedule.

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