By Silvana Longo
On a trip to Italy, driving north somewhere between Tuscany and Liguria, Pooya Sayyadi stumbled upon a small town called Atriani. For some reason, the name lingered on his mind long after the Italian holiday. It resurfaced when thinking about what to call their latest made-to-order furniture business venture. “We are inspired by Italian design and high-quality furniture, and the name just stuck,” says Sayyadi, the CEO of the recently opened Atriani Interiors showroom in Designers Walk on Avenue Road. “We should’ve done this from the beginning,” Sayyadi says of the company’s niche — offering artisanal-level craftsmanship and superior quality materials for their custom furniture collections. They are already seasoned veterans in the high-end design-build industry — their family run, full-service construction company, Elviano, made its Toronto debut in 2006. Seventeen years later, Elviano has a well-earned reputation synonymous with creating sumptuous spaces. Over the years, though, one of the pain points Sayyadi cites is sourcing custom-furniture pieces for their residential clients, which in Canada always meant long lead times and, oftentimes, clients not really getting what they envisioned.
That all changed this past January, with the opening of an Atriani workshop in Toronto’s east end, dedicated to making tailor-made furniture not just for their Elviano clients, but for all design enthusiasts looking for local, expertly handcrafted contemporary furniture. As long-time homebuilders and renovators, Sayyadi says the finishing touches are always what really show off the home. “It’s such an enjoyable process to be able to design furniture and see it come to life. By having our very own crew and workshop, we have broken all previous barriers making the whole process smoother and more practical.” With clients that span the globe, Atriani opened a second workshop in Brazil, where the company is currently building four homes. “About 80 percent of our furniture collection is made in Toronto, while 20 percent is produced in Brazil.”
The design aesthetic Atriani gravitates toward is minimal, modern and contemporary, although they will create traditional furniture on special order. Whatever style they conceptualize, there is always attention dedicated to sourcing superior fabrics. “Our greatest strength is the high-quality fabric we choose,” he says, adding these fabrics often come from Europe and are tested rigorously for durability and performance. For example, striking the perfect balance between foam density and fi rmness, an Atriani custom chair or sofa will stand the test of time. Another key strength is their customization ability with the added advantage of shorter lead times. “We can customize to the taste of the client at a much more accessible price point,” says Sayyadi. If choosing furniture from their many collections, it will take six to eight weeks. If there’s a custom change to the structure, it could take 12 to 18 weeks.
To further enhance the experience of their clientele, the Atriani showroom will also feature an innovative new coffee shop. Be prepared to be encapsulated in the aromatic world of coffee when you enter the French solarium-style Cafe x Bica. Wanting to share a welcoming and immersive coffee experience with clients, upon arrival at the Atriani Interiors showroom (visits are by-appointment only), you are treated to a step-by-step demonstration and education on any (or all) of the 10 coffee brands they carry, carefully selected from all over the world. On-site designers will then whisk you away from this extraordinary coffee haven through a James Bond-like secret door to the bespoke Atriani showroom, where you can preview collections of furniture, have access to fabrics and finishes, then visualize them perfectly in your space, thanks to augmented technology in a virtual reality room. Once you have visualized and selected your custom pieces, you finalize your order at the bar. “This way, while we deal with your order, you can enjoy a beverage of your choice.”
This latest dive into custom furniture has truly filled a gap in the industry. Launching Atriani Interiors is like the fi nal frontier — they’re becoming a one stop shop for all things custom. “Having a furniture company has now equipped us to offer clients the full package.”