The Shape of Things

Living Divani CEO Carola Bestetti tells us more about the essence of the brand and its vaunted collaborations with designers from around the world

- Luo Jingmei

Over 50 years ago, Living Divani founders Luigi Bestetti and Renata Pozzoli took over a small upholstery workshop in Italy. Today, that modest facility has become a leading manufacturer reputed for its elegant furniture, with pieces sold worldwide. Space Furniture currently carries the brand in Singapore, displayed in The Architects’ Apartment, a residential-inspired setting within the showroom that features many of the firm’s iconic creations.

The co-founders’ elder daughter Carola Bestetti now helms the company from Como, Italy. Among other tasks, the gregarious CEO was responsible for diversifying the brand’s collaborators to include international designers such as Junya Ishigami and David Lopez Quincoces as well as Singaporean designers such as Nathan Yong and Studio Juju. She lets us in on her journey with Living Divani.

How did your parents start and run the business?

They founded the firm in 1969, way before my sister and I were born. The company is their “first kid” and the one that never complains, so it’s easier to manage (compared to raising children)! My mother concentrated on developing the commercial side while my father focused on the production and products, so they complement each other.