Acerbis
With more than 150 years of expertise, Acerbis stands as a connoisseur’s benchmark of Italian design. The brand’s perpetual search for modernity has produced some of the industry’s most enduring and iconic furniture creations.
Technology and innovation have been the two linchpins of the company’s philosophy; in its products, the visual and the tactile live side by side in the perfect combination of function and beauty. Acerbis prides itself on its ability to predict consumers’ unspoken needs and bring about transformations in how people live by placing advanced manufacturing techniques and materials at the forefront of its designs.
Over the years, Acerbis has led the charge in modern indoor furnishings, particularly with its reimagining of credenzas, cabinets, and storage pieces with specialized closing mechanisms, hinges, and other custom hardware. The patents for Acerbis systems, such as the Dual Flap and slide-and-pivot doors, embody ideas that go beyond tradition and make movement itself the object of design. Many of Acerbis’ pieces have been exhibited at the world’s most prestigious museums, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Acerbis is also one of only a few select Italian furniture companies to present at the first Salone del Mobile in 1965 and every edition since.
Today, the Acerbis mission continues with recently appointed creative directors Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces, who incited a reawakening of the brand’s archives, looking back on some of the most daring creations and reinterpreting them for the present day. This aptly named Remasters Collection embraces the company’s visionary heritage with an invigorated emphasis on its signature lacquers, increased strength of materials, potent new proportions, and sophisticated colors inspired by vintage racing cars. The collection includes signature pieces such as the Sheraton Sideboard (1977), a collaboration between Lodovico Acerbis and Giotto Stoppino; the Serenissimo Table (1985) by Lella and Massimo Vignelli and David Law; and the Storet Chest (1994) by Nanda Vigo.
History
Acerbis was founded in 1870 by Benvenuto Acerbis, a skilled woodworker who opened his carpenter’s workshop in Albino, Valle Seriana, Bergamo, part of the furniture-making hub of Lombardy that transformed Milan into the world’s design capital. The company is now in its fourth generation, with Enrico Acerbis as the brand’s ambassador.
From the beginning, Benvenuto’s philosophy was to merge technology, artisan skills, and a profound knowledge of materials to create custom furniture designs. In 1907, Acerbis became one of the first companies in Bergamo to use electrical machinery.
In 1963, the company moved to Seriate, Italy, and Lodovico Acerbis, Benvenuto’s grandson, took over its leadership. He created the trademark Acerbis International, taking the company’s artisan inheritance and reinterpreting it into new collections. During this time, Acerbis began introducing cutting-edge industrial production methods and collaborations with some of Italy’s most trailblazing designers, including Giotto Stoppino, Massimo and Lella Vignelli, Vico Magistretti, Nanda Vigo, and Gianfranco Frattini. Lodovico led the company until 2013, when his son, Enrico, took over management.
In 2019, Acerbis was acquired by MDF Italia, joining two powerful Italian furnishing companies. Interconnected in their offerings, the two brands could now explore new markets and reinforce their sales vitality across the globe. Acerbis and MDF Italia support each other as complementary pillars of Italian design, growing together while maintaining their diverse positioning, target audiences, and distinctive identities.
Materials
From the very beginning, Acerbis has been dedicated to applying the most advanced technologies and innovative materials to its designs. Its products go beyond the concept of a finish as an “accessory” and instead make it a focal point. Hand-brushed metals, polyester lacquers, encaustic paint, and hand-applied leaf gilding are just a few of the exclusive treatments that have secured the brand’s place in design history.
In particular, Acerbis is celebrated for establishing a new touchstone in high-quality lacquers with previously unseen levels of gloss and durability. It even invented its own patented Caoxol lacquer finish. Today, its matte and glossy polyester lacquering has a superior quality of shine and depth of color; it is hardwearing, resistant to yellowing, and available in various shades. The company also thoughtfully chooses traditional woods and treats them with special processes such as thermo-treatment to enhance and exalt their natural beauty and wood grains.
Designers
From the 1960s to the end of the 20th century, Lodovico Acerbis collaborated with some of Italy’s top forward-thinking designers. This tradition continues to this day, and its current collections feature pieces by:
- Giotto Stoppino (Jot, Menhir, and Sheraton)
- Husband-and-wife duo Massimo and Lella Vignelli (Creso), who partnered with designer David Law on the Serenissimo Table
- Gianfranco Frattini (Gong and Maestro)
- Nanda Vigo (Storet)
- Vico Magistretti (Florian and Spiros)
- Roberto Monsani (Life)
- Giacomo Moor (Alterego and Outline)
- Massimo Mariani (Moodboard)
- Massimo Castagna (Grand Buffet, Maxwell, and N.C.)
- Marco Acerbis (Superego and Pond)
- Brothers Gabriele and Oscar Buratti (Steel, Judd, Axis, and Litt)
“Acerbis has created timeless and, at the same time, very avant-garde products that interpret and anticipate the changes, functions, interests, and ways of living in a contemporary home.”