Bonaldo: a story of vision, material and form Bonaldo is more than a furniture brand: it is an emblem of Made in Italy, creativity, progress and style, and the ability to reinterpret form and material in living spaces. From a small blacksmith's shop to an international business, the company has redefined the concept of contemporary living through a process of continuous growth, establishing a dialogue between research and design sensitivity. In its almost 90 years of history, Bonaldo has constantly interpreted design as a dynamic language in which tables, chairs, sofas, beds and accessories are not merely simple objects but parts of a larger visual and tactile story, in which design is interwoven with material to give shape to new visions of space. This philosophy has its fullest expression in the B/Style project, through collections capable of creating harmonious and coherent environments perfectly in tune with this vision. Bonaldo continues to look to the future with the same enthusiasm that marked its beginnings, confirming itself as a global point of reference. Its history, interlinked with that of our country together with international design in general, is clearly expressed in the numerous milestones that have marked each phase of its evolution. The origins: the 1930s and 1940s The Bonaldo story began in 1936 when Giovanni Vittorio Bonaldo founded a small workshop specializing in metalworking. It was an era of profound changes and skilled craftsmanship represented valuable and prized knowledge that was handed down from generation to generation through gestures and materials. This starting point was based on essential elements that were destined to endure over time, namely a genuine relationship with the raw materials and an unceasing quest for quality. The 1950s: the strength of matter With post-war Italy in full rebirth, Bonaldo evolved by introducing products that answered renewed housing needs. This decade saw Albino Bonaldo, the founder's son, introducing a broader perspective, transforming production and diversifying the range of products to include iron beds and metal meshes. The working of metal tubing, which was developed during this period, became a distinctive Bonaldo feature. This was not only a positive response to the market needs, but most of all an opportunity to explore new expressive and creative possibilities that represented the foundations for accumulating a wealth of technical and operational knowledge, something that was decisive for the company’s future success. The 1960s: towards an intuitive and dynamic design In the midst of the economic boom, Bonaldo perceived the changes in society and experimented with new design solutions. The folding bed base was born, a bed that revolutionized the concept of spatial flexibility, demonstrating how design can respond to concrete needs with visionary solutions. This simple intuition gave rise to a collection of transformable furniture, including sofa beds, bunk beds and folding chairs. These were no longer simple objects, but rather instruments for reconfiguring spaces, designed for fluid and constantly changing lifestyles. The 1970s: from craftsmanship to industry Metal became the dominant and expressive hallmark of the company's production, which underwent a decisive transition - from craftsmanship to industry. Thanks to the hard-won experience and the introduction of new machinery, Bonaldo expanded its skills, introducing increasingly sophisticated processes that allowed it to investigate new types of furniture, from bed bases to beds, tables and chairs, anticipating the concept of mass production without sacrificing formal research and executive quality. Against this backdrop of expansion, in 1971 Bonaldo made its debut at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, officially establishing its presence in the world of Italian design. It was a key moment that simultaneously defined the beginning of a journey towards the international scene. The 1980s: design as experience The 1980s marked a crucial moment for Bonaldo. With the birth of Bonaldo Spa in 1981, the brand redefined its approach to production, integrating technology and design sensitivity and introducing a new vision of transformable upholstered furniture. This was how the sofa bed changed from no longer being an emergency solution but rather a narrative element in its own right, capable of blending aesthetics and function in a single gesture. It was the starting point of a journey that would lead Bonaldo onto the international stage, with production increasingly oriented towards design that was capable of responding to the language of modernity. The 1990s: collaborations, cross-pollination and awards This decade marked the beginning of an era of global successes for Bonaldo. In 1996, the Più folding chair designed by Chiaramonte and Marin won the prestigious Young & Design Award. This innovative design product, dedicated to the concept of hospitality and practicality, stands out for the originality of its shape, reflecting Bonaldo's ability to combine functionality and creativity in unique solutions. This recognition marked the company's adoption of a brand new approach: the product is not just function, but the expression of an aesthetic language. It was precisely during these years that Bonaldo began its first collaborations with external designers, creating dialogues between its manufacturing experience and new creative visions, paving the way for a more fluid design approach that was open to cultural cross-pollination with a more cosmopolitan approach and attentive to global influences. The 2000s: the birth of design icons Bonaldo celebrated the new millennium with a strong innovative drive, introducing the “Design à porter” philosophy. This concept builds a bridge between design and the world of fashion, embracing its dynamics and expressive languages. From this moment on, the company began collaborations with some of the most influential international designers, giving life to creations destined to become timeless icons on the design panorama. The collaboration with Ron Arad led to the creation of the Ron-Aldodown armchair, winner of the IF Design Award 2003 and Karim Rashid's Poly chair, awarded the Good Design Award and the Red Dot Award, while Alain Gilles designed the Big Table, a bold project that immediately became a product recognized worldwide. Over the years, the Big Table has been produced in numerous versions, revealing itself not just as a simple table but as a dynamically balanced piece of architecture in which the metal structure can be broken down and recreated in an interplay of planes and perspectives, transforming an everyday object into an authentic sculpture. The 2010s: Celebrations and International Consolidation During the 2010s, Bonaldo consolidated its identity at an international level, combining expansion and design thinking. The company embraced a global vision, transforming its heritage into a driving force for innovation. Each creation became a manifesto of research and experimentation, with a powerful symbolic value. This phase marked a conscious metamorphosis, in which the brand strengthened its language without losing coherence with its essential character. In 2011, Bonaldo inaugurated its showroom in Padua, designed by architect Mauro Lipparini. A 6,000 m2 space which received the Good Design Award, it became not only the ideal stage for presenting Bonaldo collections, from the most recent innovations to those icons that have written the history of the brand, but also a multifunctional hub dedicated to presentations, workshops and meetings with professionals. As such, it is a space that reflects the company's international openness and the desire to create a direct dialogue with the public. In 2016, to celebrate the prestigious milestone of 80 years of activity, Bonaldo presented the Mass Table, designed by Alain Gilles. This celebratory product embodies the company's fundamental values ​​- creativity, innovation and craftsmanship - bringing the legacy of the past and projections towards the future together in a single piece. Bonaldo today: a global identity and a recognizable style Today Bonaldo is a point of reference in the world of design and capable of expressing a modern vision of living thanks to a unique combination of creativity, practicality and distinctive style. Its identity is reflected in the B/Style project, which defines a harmonious and coherent approach to furnishing through coordinated and interconnected collections such as Dining, Accessories & Lighting, Living and Night. Each collection interacts with the others, creating environments in which aesthetics and innovation merge to meet the needs of a modern international clientele. With a consolidated presence in 99 countries and over 825 points of sale, Bonaldo is expanding through a global network that includes 52 Bonaldo Flagship Stores, Bonaldo Spaces and Bonaldo Studio. The opening of stores in cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Doha, Turin, Dalian, Shanghai, Tashkent, Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Jakarta tell the story of a company capable of adapting to highly different cultural geographies without ever betraying its original character. Each space becomes a point of connection between design vision and the local context, expressing a coherent language that evolves without ever losing its identity. Collaborations with some of the most talented international designers including Ron Arad, Karim Rashid, Alain Gilles, Matteo Nunziati, Mauro Lipparini and Bartoli Design have given life to award-winning products, consolidating Bonaldo's role as an interpreter of a form of design that never stops evolving, from the Good Design Award to the Red Dot Award and from the Stylepark Selected to the Archiproducts Design Award. With almost 90 years of history, Bonaldo continues its path of innovation with the same visionary energy that has marked its evolution. It is a journey in which design and matter merge in a constantly evolving story, giving shape to spaces that are not merely simple containers, but places of connection, tactile experiences and emotional narratives.