Uno designer desk by Karim Rashid for Della Rovere

Polyurethane, wood and chrome in one desk: how Uno is built

Della Rovere

Karim Rashid

Desk with integrated pedestal
Uno An icon of Italian design Desk with integrated pedestal
$ 18,450

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Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Most designer desks are one material pretending to be luxurious. Uno is three materials each doing what it is good at: a moulded shell in high-density polyurethane for the continuous curved form, a melamine-faced wood box edged in ABS for the storage that takes daily abuse, and chromed iron for the tripod that holds that box off the floor.

Nothing is disguised as something else, which is unusual at this level and is precisely what the Chicago Athenaeum recognised with a GOOD DESIGN Award in 2008. The desk measures 220 by 103 centimetres at 75 high, lacquered gloss or embossed matt in nine shades, from Cloud white. Designed by Karim Rashid. La Mercanti brings it to American executive floors as a piece that reads honestly in a materials schedule.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Uno, designer executive desk
Manufacturer: Della Rovere
Design: Karim Rashid, 2008
Materials: moulded high-density polyurethane shell · melamine-faced wood agglomerate box, ABS edged · chromed iron tripod
Size: W 86.6 × D 40.6 × H 29.5 in
Box colours: dark oak · walnut 2 · white
Lacquering: gloss or embossed matt
Catalogue colours: Cloud white · Shy pink · Purple inspiration · Stormy black · Fresh & green · Orange blossom
Metallics: Golden morning · Water reflect · Liberation blue
Sample codes: 01 U · 02 U · 03 U · 04 U · 05 U
Top option: top with customisable image
Custom colour: on request, quoting a RAL or NCS reference
Award: GOOD DESIGN Award 2008, Furniture category, Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design
Twin project: Zero, same designer and same year
Declared settings: office, home, hospitality, retail, galleries

La Mercanti USA Llc — your partner for Italian design and contract supply.
Los Angeles, CA, USA · +1 855 335 8079 · info@lamercanti.us
Supply, quotes, specifications and project support across the United States and North America.

Documents and Catalogs

Della Rovere Executive Office Catalogue Della Rovere Office Desks Catalogue Della Rovere Office Partition Walls Catalogue Uno Catalogue I Rovereschi Catalogue Zero & Uno Assembly Instructions

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FAQ

What exactly is the desk made of?
Three materials: a moulded shell in high-density polyurethane, a box in melamine-faced wood agglomerate edged with ABS, and a tripod in chromed iron. Each part is named separately on the datasheet.
Why not use one material throughout?
Because the three parts do different work. A moulded polymer holds a continuous curve, a faced wood panel takes daily contact inside the storage, and metal carries load in a small section.
Is polyurethane appropriate for an executive desk?
It is the material that makes the form possible: high density, moulded, self-supporting, then lacquered gloss or embossed matt. The GOOD DESIGN Award 2008 was given to this desk as built.
Does the ABS edging show?
It is the edge treatment of the box, applied where a panel is most exposed to knocks. Naming it is a sign the manufacturer is describing construction rather than marketing a look.
What are the finish options?
Nine catalogue shades for the shell, three finishes for the box, gloss or embossed matt lacquer, plus custom colours on request by RAL or NCS reference.

How to write a materials schedule for a moulded desk

Five steps that keep the description accurate for a piece made of three things.

List the three parts separately
Shell, box, tripod. Each has its own material and its own finish.
Use the manufacturer's terms
High-density polyurethane, melamine-faced wood agglomerate, ABS edging, chromed iron.
Record the award correctly
GOOD DESIGN Award 2008, Furniture category, Chicago Athenaeum, for this desk.
Note both colour ranges
Nine shell shades and three box finishes are chosen independently.
Attach the datasheet
The schedule should be verifiable. La Mercanti supplies the manufacturer's documentation with the quotation.

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