A thousand and one little labelled drawers containing over seven hundred final designs achieved during twenty-five years’ work. The architect Luigi Mascheroni, founder of Decoma Design, opens his Brianza-based studio to us. Standing behind him is this ‘collection of inventions’: each container is a chapter in design, revealing expertise and precision in industrial processes and product engineering, particularly in the furnishings and mechanics sectors. We’re in the ‘right’ place for exploring the microcosm of innovation, which in this case means pondering the ties between the design of a new hardware part and the modular furniture industry. “In my twenty-five years’ experience in the field, I’ve seen many items ring in change in the design world,” explains Mascheroni. “The various sectors show different ‘inventions’, such as adjustable feet (1969) and new wall unit brackets in fitted kitchens: these devices revolutionised functionality, design and manufacturing in this context. The sector saw floor-standing units evolve into raised volumes – also bringing hygiene benefits – conceived and designed as both single and series elements. New support brackets transformed the shape of wall-mounted cupboards, which were freed by these devices to become independent units.”

Read the full content on Ottagono, Decembere 2011| January 2012