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Riva 1920
Upholding a long held traditional in manufacturing exceptional furniture from natural wood, Riva 1920 is a family run Italian design house dedicated to ensuring these customs are upheld for years to come. For almost 90 years the Riva family, now in its fourth generation, has sculpted wood in its purest form to create furniture that reflects the beauty and strength of this most natural of resources. Today they use only SMART-WOOD certified timber from controlled conservation-protected sources, ensuring that every item is ethically manufactured.
Beautiful Modern Wooden Furniture
With the primary material of every product being created from pure uncoated wood, Riva 1920 furniture has an extremely unique style and feel. Maple, Oak, Cherry and Walnut are all regularly used in the composition of their designs; each of these have their own properties, unique look and colour, thus providing completely different characteristics to any other design within the range. Continuing with tradition, many of the products are still handmade with the same tools that would have been used by the founding members of the Riva family; upholding long-held customs with contemporary designs.
Unique Natural Furnishings
The one abiding factor that links each Riva 1920 piece is the superior craftsmanship that has gone into its manufacture. Too often designer furniture is produced from manmade produce, sometimes taken from a single mould. In the case of R1920, this is evidently not the case. Examples of simplistic bespoke approach to furniture design can be found throughout their range, much of which is featured exclusively here at Leigh Harmer.
Contemporarily Designed Handcrafted Products
Their contemporary range of furniture is designed by a broad spectrum of international talent; each designer adheres to the conventions laid down by the Riva regarding manufacture and materials, whilst creating something completely unique. This has made the Riva 1920 collection one of the most eclectic in terms of style, whilst also one of the more uniformed from other perspectives. Regardless of any similarities in woods used, each product has its own defining aesthetic, differentiating it from any other piece that you would find here or elsewhere.
Blending Tradition & Modernity
A good example of the simplicity and beauty of natural wood being used in a furniture piece can be found in Terry Dwans range for Riva 1920. The Pacific island inspired Fiji and Napa Stools, along with the Tahiti, Maui and Bora Bora Chairs are crafted from a single treated Cedar tree trunk. Even more complex pieces such as the Tucson Sideboard by The Creative Group or the hand crafted Cibic Cupboard from Aldo Cibic, maintain the simple elegance and display the versatility of working with a diverse range of woods; which include American Black Walnut for the Cibic Cupboard along with maple, cherry, oak, walnut and teak for the Tucson.
Supreme Quality Riva 1920 Furniture
For anyone looking for contemporary wooden furniture, Riva 1920 should be top of your list. Based on traditional manufacturing techniques and engrained family ethics, their range has been crafted by the finest technicians and designed by the cream of modern international talent. If you thought wood was banished to antiquity, think again! Riva 1920 have continually gone against the status quo by using only natural sustainable woods, without using plastic or applying coatings, to create beautiful furniture.







