A modern bookcase for an exclusive interior – Mascheroni

Authentic woodworking sculptures, the Grand Master shelf designed with a high level of emotional expression. The cabinet features a construction finished with Canaletto walnut wood in marquetry. Each handcrafted Italian product by Mascheroni is marked with a plaque engraved with the brand name “Mascheroni srl Made in Italy,” confirming its authenticity.

Founded approximately 40 years ago in Cabiate, a town near Milan, in the heart of the Brianza manufacturing district where its headquarters are located, MASCHERONI has not rested on its laurels; it began designing and producing special products and complete sets of prestigious furniture for demanding clients seeking top-tier products, initially in Europe and later worldwide. Mascheroni now operates in over eighty countries.

Today, MASCHERONI is one of the few brands that manages and controls the entire production cycle, ensuring excellent quality at every stage—from raw material selection, through manufacturing, to custom services. Everything is based on teamwork, as well as the skills and quality of individual artisans. Most elements of each product are handcrafted and produced using state-of-the-art machinery. However, everything is then assembled entirely by hand, and it is no coincidence that one of the company's main goals is to ensure continuity by maintaining a high level of employee training and further development. Therefore, each senior master craftsman is paired with a junior artisan to complete their specialization and also become a master.

Seeking excellence and continuous innovation are fundamental principles that characterize Mascheroni products, making the company recognized worldwide.

Extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the materials used, production methods, and problem-solving solutions inherent to the products, combined with ongoing investments in research and development, ensure that products are durable and retain their value over time. Quality controls are meticulously conducted throughout the entire production cycle, and materials are thoroughly examined to ensure quality compliance at each stage. The final product is carefully tested to ensure proper functionality and thoroughly analyzed to confirm it meets the aesthetic expectations set in the original design.

What quality leather does Mascheroni use?

The leathers typically used in our sector are about 1.1 - 1.2 mm thick, as they are cheaper and easier to process. These more common leathers are not part of Mascheroni’s sample range. The thinnest leathers the brand works with are about 1.4 mm, which is the starting point. Therefore, all prices listed are for products made with leather of this thickness. The company also offers various categories of leather, all significantly thicker and thus more challenging to process, but providing greater durability for the final product. What makes their leather so difficult to work with, besides being two or even three times thicker than standard leathers, are the physical characteristics of the leather: for example, “vegetable-tanned leather” is truly difficult to bend.

NATURAL LEATHERS by Mascheroni

These leathers are tanned to preserve all their natural features and the inherent beauty of the leather itself, including signs of animal life such as small insect bites, wrinkles, and various grain patterns. All these marks indicate that the product is genuinely natural and should be regarded as qualities of the product’s craftsmanship. Mascheroni’s task is to ensure the best possible cutting of the leather so that these “marks” do not appear on visible parts of the products. European cattle leather, mainly, with a thickness of 1.4 to 1.5 mm, is chrome-tanned, aniline-dyed in drums, with a natural, full grain. It has a soft, warm, and exceptionally beautiful appearance. European cattle leather, mainly, with a thickness of 1.6 to 1.8 mm, is chrome-tanned, aniline-dyed in drums, with full grain. It features a semi-transparent, almost smooth surface with aniline effect, “hard” and sturdy.

PELLE 3M / A

Full-grain European bovine leather, 2.2 mm thick, tanned with chrome salts, aniline-dyed in a drum, natural grain, full. Feels like silk. A magnificent and delicate material with unparalleled beauty. Small imperfections guarantee that the leathers are natural.

PELLE 3M

Full-grain European bovine leather, 3–4 mm thick, tanned with chrome salts, aniline-dyed in a drum, natural grain, full. Nearly 4mm thick ensures long-lasting durability. The surface features extraordinary natural markings of the animal’s life. Full-grain. Strong and warm.

Vegetable-tanned leather

Full-grain European bovine leather, 2.2 mm thick, vegetable-tanned, full. Semi-transparent smooth surface, strong and warm. An excellent material, incredibly beautiful. Available only as half hides. Vegetable tanning uses an old recipe that combines traditional processes with all currently available technologies. This process is carried out by tanners who pass down their careful and passionate craft from generation to generation, transforming raw hides into leather without harming the environment in any way. The process relies on natural tannins extracted from trees, utilizing modern technology and a lengthy processing time. Indeed, the transformation of raw hide into leather—unique and one-of-a-kind in the world—takes nearly 40 days. Vegetable-tanned leathers bear the marks of our lives. They age but do not deteriorate. It is the changes and personal use over time that attest to the product’s naturalness.

Over time, the tannins’ colors give the leather warm hues, which tend to become more pronounced on the surface of each item during use. Therefore, products become unique, personal, and one-of-a-kind for each user. The product tends to evolve depending on how it is used, revealing its best side. Choosing a product made from this leather means owning a luxurious, one-of-a-kind item.

The use of tannins results in products of extremely high quality: soft and smooth leathers, marked by full and shiny dyes, finished in all possible ways, suitable for any application. These products also boast impressive mechanical durability, are fully sustainable, and have resistance to water and temperature—parameters often considered limitations for natural products.

The result is an item that surpasses in every aspect, combining excellent technical properties with the craftsmanship of materials rooted in timeless aesthetics. It features warm colors and a unique design, designed to last and improve over time—an item that can be safely recycled at the end of its lifecycle.

Wood

The Mascheroni wood collection includes over 10 different species from the “Mascheroni Wood Color System” catalog. The company strives to select only the best parts of the wood. The main structures of sofas and armchairs are mostly made from solid wood. In furniture production, solid wood is used only partially. This varies depending on the product, shape, and the desired aesthetic effect, which may require matching solid wood, plywood, shaped plywood, wooden slats, roots, and other enhanced materials.

Evidence of Mascheroni’s product quality and material excellence is also reflected in the weight of the final product. On average, the finished item weighs 50% more than a standard product. Knowledge of wood has led the company to explore diverse possibilities for creating new and increasingly exclusive collections. The final product is the result of the artisans’ wisdom and innovation.

This demonstrates the desire and care to meet the demands of Mascheroni’s highly discerning clients—people seeking custom-made, high-craftsmanship products. It is undoubtedly a very challenging field but one that allows the company to showcase its potential and brings great satisfaction.

Italian art and cultural heritage have always been at the heart of the brand's pride and identity. Throughout its history, Mascheroni has funded the restoration of some of Canova's artworks, organized art awards, supported historic sites such as Libreria Bocca (the oldest bookstore in Italy), and continuously finances important associations like FAI (Italian Trust Fund), which protects, restores, and opens historic sites and buildings across Italy to the public. Manufacturer information