- Words by Minotti London
‘The single most important step people can take to reduce their environmental impact is to consume fewer goods’, says Digby Summerhill, managing director of Minotti London, leaders in contemporary furniture design. This may seem counterintuitive as a sales pitch, but it reflects his confidence that a Minotti sofa — or any other Minotti product — is a lifetime investment, not a casual acquisition to be jettisoned and replaced.
This is, in part, a reflection of the quality and durability which is the company’s trademark. High-quality materials and a marriage between traditional craftsmanship and modern technology result in a finished product that is not only beautifully detailed and designed, but produced with a precision and skill that will stand the test of time. But it is also very much to do with aesthetics. While clearly contemporary, Minotti furniture is classic-modern rather than faddish, with a timeless elegance that has made the company a firm favourite with high-end residential and hospitality clients across the world.
That said, there is a clear commitment to making sure that each piece of Minotti furniture is manufactured with sustainability in mind. Founded in Italy in 1948, Minotti is — and has always been — 100 per cent ‘Made in Italy’. The company has now grown to a global brand with a presence in 63 countries, 34 flagship stores and over 300 qualified dealers around the world. But, unlike other furniture companies, who have parts manufactured all over the world before being shipped to the factory for assembly, all of its manufacturing is carried out in Italy, with materials — with the exception of cowhides, which come from Germany and are tanned in Venice — sourced from within a 20-mile radius of the factory. All wood used in Minotti products comes from sustainable sources — from 2020 every tree felled to produce a product sold by Minotti London will be replaced with two new trees.
The company’s commitment to the environment is reflected in the way it runs its business. The London showroom, which has established itself as the heart of the architectural and design community with an ongoing programme of events — including the How to Pitch It event featured on pages 18-28 of this issue of — has a policy of using small, local businesses for catering with a stipulation that no more than 20 per cent of food served can contain meat. The goal is to reduce this to zero this year. Coffee consumed on the premises is delivered in recycled packaging that can be recycled again; grinds are collected by First Mile Recycling and turned into biofuel by Bio-bean. All paper is recycled. All electricity comes from renewable sources. And all lights are LED. Energy consumption is measured using 24/7 smart meters to identify and address unnecessary use.
The company is committed to reviewing and improving the environmental impact and resource efficiency of its activities year on year. ‘We’re determined to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of everything we do’, says Digby Summerhill. ‘Our clients are highly sophisticated and very much aware of the environmental agenda. We want them to know that we share their values and are prepared to practise what we preach.’