Why this Italian man thinks you must experience leather furniture in person

What comes to your mind when you hear the words "leather furniture"? At Baxter's display in Space Furniture, it takes different forms, ranging from an oversized Chesterfield sofa to a shaggy stool in Mongolian lamb leather and a graphic armchair that hardly looks like it's upholstered in leather.

Founded in 1990, Italian-owned and -made Baxter has pushed the boundaries of leather furniture, bringing it to the 21st century with zest and style. We hear more from CEO Paolo Bestetti. 

What prompted ?

This job is part of my family’s DNA. My brother has an architecture studio, my father had furniture shops in Milan and my uncle Luigi owns furniture brand Living Divani. I have him to thank for encouraging me and getting me involved in creating a collection that focuses on leather.

Throughout the process, I learned about leather craftsmanship techniques taken from traditional shoe cobblers and ancient leather tanning methods. I fell in love with this and it led to this adventure of creating a brand.

In doing so, I faced two main challenges: producing the collection and then changing my role and starting a company from scratch. Learning the art of the business has been easier for me as I was already part of a great group that already had all the skills needed for my training.

You mentioned wanting to establish a sort of club among customers. Can you elaborate on that?

Relationships between people have always been fundamental to our company. Human interaction, as well as work-sharing, are the key aspects.

The idea of the club aligns with this as it brings together people with common interests, the ability to reinterpret design and an inclination to what is beautiful.

People with different skills should be united over the love for a certain kind of job by having the chance to meet and exchange information, even in an informal, playful way. It is a catalyst of collective growth that makes belonging to this club something exciting.

Working with leather as the primary material; Were there any challenges?

The main one was the preconceived notion that leather is not versatile. Of the products in the market, 95 per cent are indeed like this because the leather is made on an industrial scale; it’s impersonal.

Leather can have millions of unique shades and different levels of softness as well as scents when manufactured with natural methods.

Leather is also a technical material and there is a deep connection between the design of the furniture and the leather finish.

Another challenge is not to churn out products just for the sake of doing so but to focus on the union between design and materiality. People working with Baxter must have this understanding.

Why is it important?

One of the aspects that cannot be expressed in images or text is the quality of the material. The colour may have a depth that's usually completely flattened in pictures.

A direct tactile experience allows people to feel an item's comfort - a sensation that is impossible to convey via text.

Last but not least, direct experience shows the material's transformation over time and with use. Natural materials like leather do not deteriorate; they gain patina and characters.

Fill us in on your long time collaboration with Paola Navone.

She was responsible for ushering in an era of contemporary design at Baxter. Before meeting Paola, ours was a company with more classic taste. I’ve always wanted to go contemporary. I think it is more attuned to my philosophy.

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Also, I’ve always admired Paola for the rigorous R&D behind her works and her sensibilities regarding shapes, colours and materials. She’s also constantly in tune with the new trends.

We had a funny meeting. I called her and asked her to come work for us.

When Paola saw the company, she said: “As of now, I cannot work for this company.” So we started by collaborating on a capsule collection that took three challenging years.

It was a completely new world for the company, but we believed in it, and we persevered. That has taken us in a very successful new direction.

What are the three most important qualities we need to note about Baxter?

Firstly, Baxter products have this certain sensuality and comfort, which is a unique and intimate experience you can only get from upholstered products.

Secondly, with Baxter, you’re in it for the long term. Our products are timeless, evergreen and designed to develop patina over time.

Thirdly, we also work hard to combine colours and materials, including resins, marbles, woods, and metals. This ability to mix different materials unconventionally is an added value and, because of this, our collection encompasses a complete lifestyle.

What are three of your favourite Baxter products?

These correspond to three time periods. The first is the Alfred Sofa by Marco Milisich. It was the first item that we gave a deliberate lived-in character to that has a little vintage touch.

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The second is the Budapest Sofa by Paola Navone – the first to take us from a classic world and into a contemporary one. Today, it is our bestseller.

The third is a tie between the Chester Moon Sofa by Paola Navone and the Tactile by Vincenzo de Cotiis. Chester Moon was born by chance and has become an iconic piece for Baxter.

Tactile exists somewhere between art and design. Its concept is more sophisticated and caters to more niche consumers.

In Singapore, Baxter is available at Space Furniture.

This article was first published in Home & Decor.