Jera
$ 14,513
Two planes crossing: the origin of Cartesiano, told by Ferruccio Laviani
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Trade terms for professionals and design studios
Most desks are described by their features. This one was described by its geometry, by the architect who drew it. «Using a mathematical language we could say that the origin of Cartesiano is given by two intersecting tops», says Ferruccio Laviani — and the word origin does double duty, meaning both where the object came from and the point where two axes meet. Look at the desk and the sentence becomes literal: planes cross, and the crossing defines the top and the base.
What follows that idea is a full executive programme rather than a single piece. Tops of 220, 240 and 260 cm at 110 deep; veneered surfaces or panels covered in saddle leather or leather; a front element available in New Saint Laurent marble; pedestals, return cabinets and storage from 78 to 215 cm. La Mercanti brings the collection to American offices for clients who would rather explain their desk in one sentence than in a brochure.
Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.
Collection: Cartesiano
Manufacturer: i4Mariani
Design: Ferruccio Laviani, 2019
Type: executive desk and office storage system
Tops and legs: veneered particleboard panels, or melamine panels covered in saddle leather or leather
Front element: wood, saddle leather, leather or New Saint Laurent marble; other marbles on request
Desk sizes: 86.6 · 94.5 · 102.4 in, depth 43.3 in, height 28.5 in
Writing pad: 47.2 × 23.6 in in saddle leather
Electrification: one openable box — 2 universal sockets, 1 Schuko, 2 USB (A+C), 1 audio 3,5, 1 HDMI, 2 RJ45
Saddle leather and leather: stitching on the saddle leather version only
Standard veneers: Macassar ebony, veined black walnut grey stained
Pedestal and return cabinet: veneered or leather covered, feet always veneered
Cabinets: black melamine frame, black lacquered plywood drawers
Handles: saddle leather, leather or titanium colour painted
Modesty panels: 53.9 · 61.8 · 69.7 in
Storage heights: 30.7 · 38.2 · 77.2 · 84.6 in; widths 67.3 · 89.4 · 111.4 in
Low tables: 23.6 × 23.6 and 47.2 × 23.6 in, height 17.7 in
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.
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Cartesiano
Executive Desks
FAQ
What does Laviani mean when he calls two planes the origin of the desk?
He is using the word in its mathematical sense. The designer describes the origin of Cartesiano as two intersecting tops, and on the finished piece those crossing planes are what defines the desk top and the base that carries it. The name and the construction describe the same idea, which is unusual enough to be worth saying out loud in a presentation.
Is the marble front element structural or decorative?
The manufacturer lists the front element as available in New Saint Laurent marble, with other marbles on request, as an alternative to wood or leather on the same component. The specification treats it as one of the material options for that element rather than as an added panel.
How tall is the working surface?
The desk stands at 72,5 cm, with tops 110 cm deep. It is worth checking that figure against the executive chair already chosen, because a seat specified for a different desk height is the quickest way to make an otherwise excellent office uncomfortable.
Can this be specified for a multi-room programme rather than one office?
Yes. Beyond the desk, the collection includes pedestals, return cabinets, sideboards, low tables and cabinets at four heights and three widths, in the same finish family. That is what makes it repeatable across a floor of executive offices without redrawing each room.
Which connections are built into the desk?
Two universal sockets, one Schuko, two USB in A and C, an audio 3,5, an HDMI and two RJ45, gathered in a single box with an openable flap. Video and wired network are both handled by the standard fitting.
How to present Cartesiano to an executive client
Five steps for taking an executive client from first impression to a confirmed specification, using the geometry of the piece as the argument.
Open with the designer's own sentence
Two intersecting planes, defining top and base. Clients remember an idea far longer than a feature list, and this one is short enough to be repeated by the client to someone else after the meeting.
Put the material choice on the table, literally
Saddle leather with stitching, plain leather without, veneer or marble. Lay the samples out and let the client handle them; the distinction between the two leathers becomes obvious in a second and impossible to unsee.
Size the desk to the room and the chair
Three lengths, one depth, one height of 72,5 cm. Confirm the seating before the desk, so the ergonomics of the finished office are decided rather than inherited.
Extend the specification to the wall
Add pedestals, a sideboard and cabinets at 78, 97, 196 or 215 cm. An executive office reads as complete when the storage belongs to the same family as the desk, and this is the moment to decide how much of the wall it occupies.
Close on the details nobody photographs
Handles, writing pad, modesty panel, connectivity. La Mercanti checks these last with the client, because they carry the daily experience of the office long after the first impression has faded.
