A unique, small leather chair for special places – Mascheroni

A small armless chair with a frame made of die-cast aluminum and cuoio upholstery. The construction is extremely durable yet lightweight. Available versions include: fixed, swivel, and height-adjustable. This range of chairs also features the MI.EXPO.15 and MI.EXPO.15 S2 models (without slightly larger armrests). Each handcrafted Italian product by Mascheroni is marked with a plaque engraved with the brand name “Mascheroni srl Made in Italy,” confirming its authenticity.

The Italian brand MASCHERONI was founded approximately 40 years ago in Cabiate, a town near Milan, in the heart of the Brianza manufacturing district, where its headquarters are located. The company did not rest on its laurels; it began designing and producing special products and complete sets of luxury furniture for demanding clients seeking top-tier items, initially in Europe and later worldwide. Mascheroni now operates in over eighty countries.

Today, MASCHERONI is one of the few companies that oversee and control 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 craftsmanship of individual artisans. Most components of each product are handmade and produced using the latest machinery. However, everything is then assembled entirely by hand, and one of the brand’s main goals is to ensure continuity by maintaining high levels 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 perfection and continuous innovation are the foundations that characterize Mascheroni products, making the brand recognized worldwide.

Extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the materials used, manufacturing 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 carried out throughout the entire production cycle, and materials are thoroughly tested to ensure quality compliance at each stage. The final product is carefully tested to confirm proper functionality and thoroughly analyzed to ensure it meets the aesthetic standards of the original design.

What types of leather does Mascheroni use

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

NATURAL LEATHER of Mascheroni

These leathers are tanned to preserve all natural features and the inherent beauty of the leather, including signs of animal life such as small insect bites, wrinkles, and grain variations. All these marks indicate that the product is genuinely natural and should be regarded as quality features. 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. Bovine leathers, mainly European, with thicknesses from 1.4 to 1.5 mm, are chrome-tanned, aniline-dyed in drums, with a natural, full grain. They have a soft, warm, and exceptionally beautiful appearance. European bovine leathers, with thicknesses from 1.6 to 1.8 mm, are also chrome-tanned, aniline-dyed in drums, with full grain. They feature a semi-transparent, nearly smooth surface with aniline effect, making them “hard” and sturdy.

PELLE 3M / A

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

PELLE 3M

European bovine leathers, thickness 3 - 4 mm, chrome-tanned, drum-dyed with aniline dyes, natural grain, full. Nearly 4mm thick ensures long-lasting durability. The surface features extraordinary natural traces of the animal's life. Full-grain. Strong and warm.

Vegetable-tanned leather

European bovine leathers, thickness 2.2 mm, vegetable-tanned, full. Semi-transparent smooth surface, strong and warm. An excellent and incredibly beautiful material. Available only as halves. 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 craft from generation to generation with care and passion, transforming raw hides into leather without harming the environment in any way. The process relies on natural tannins extracted from trees, utilizing new technology and a long processing time. Indeed, the transformation of raw hide into leather, unique in the world and one-of-a-kind, takes nearly 40 days. Vegetable-tanned leathers bear traces of our lives. They age but do not rot. It is these 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 stand out on the surface of each element 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 an exclusive and one-of-a-kind item.

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

The result is an item that excels in every aspect, combining excellent technical properties with the craftsmanship of materials from bygone eras, featuring warm colors and unique design—an enduring product that improves over time and can be safely disposed of at the end of its lifecycle.

Wood

The Mascheroni wood collection includes over 10 different wood 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 of solid wood. In contrast, 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 final product weighs 50% more than a standard one. Knowledge of wood has led the company to explore various possibilities to create new and increasingly exclusive collections. The final product is the result of the artisans' wisdom and innovation.

This reflects a desire and meticulous care to meet the demands of Mascheroni’s very discerning clients—people seeking custom-made, high-quality handcrafted 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