From a small detail to a grandiose project.
The story with Hotel Belvedere has been one of the longest and most complex of my career, but also one of the most rewarding. It all started with a somewhat peculiar request: a colleague of a friend asked us if we would also do upholstery for seats. After receiving some photos, I explained to him that it often does not pay to reupholster seats, as the cost of reupholstering often exceeds that of new products.
During one of my visits for catalogue distribution, I happened to be at the Hotel Belvedere. To my surprise, I recognised the chairs from the photos that had been sent to me. At that moment, I realised that the owner, Mr Marcello Soffiati, was the initial contact. After a brief conversation, we arranged an appointment to discuss the refurbishment of the chairs and to propose new items.
Subsequent visits were numerous: chair samples, fabrics, and complex evaluations on how to realise the project in every detail. In the end, Marcello and his family revealed to me that they had purchased an adjacent hotel and wanted to redo the entire restaurant room by integrating part of the new structure! The project was in the expert hands of the De Florian furniture studio, but Marcello insisted on designing the chairs with us.
After multiple meetings and simulations, the choice fell on the Jefferson and Pepper models. The Jefferson chairs have a slightly shorter seat to fit into smaller spaces and a straighter inclined backrest to maximise available space. The Pepper model, similar to the Jefferson but with a rounder, higher backrest, was chosen for round and oval tables.
Ultimate satisfaction is the greatest reward we can receive.
The Jefferson chairs and armchairs were made in beige-brownish grey faux leather for the seat, while the backrest is in forest green velvet. The Pepper chairs retained the same seat, with a quilted yellow velvet backrest.
For the newly acquired hotel space, the Jesolo armchairs and Cloud armchairs, with matching stools. Choosing the colours was a long and complex process, with De Florian having the final say, but also involving me in sending samples and fabrics.
The Jesolo chairs have a brown velvet back, while the Cloud stools are in burgundy velvet. The legs of all the chairs are black, for an elegant and uniform finish.
The benches, which were already there, were upright and uncomfortable, so we provided about fifty cushions to make the guests' experience more comfortable. Marcello and his team were very happy with the end result and appreciated our dedication to the whole project.
It was a long journey, but seeing the satisfaction in their eyes is the greatest reward our company can receive. I will tell them at length how much I appreciated their hospitality and genuine generosity, but that is another story.
