Clei shares an affinity with the American market. The company anticipated a social trend, with interesting implications in terms of home habitat design, which is very strong today. More and more people in big cities live alone, population density is high and available space is decreasing. Since the establishment of the brand fifty years ago, Clei’s answer to this trend has been transformable, ultra-functional furniture, which is able to multiply spaces. An innovative interior design approach that is highly appreciated overseas, to the extent that the company has created a large, widespread network of distributors and retailers: from New York to Miami, San Francisco to Las Vegas, a new opening coming soon in Washington, along with outlets in Chicago, Denver and Portland, not to mention Canada, where the brand has captivated the cities of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. «We offer solutions to increasingly evident needs, especially in a region like North America, which is particularly dynamic and represents 20% of our annual turnover – says Luca Colombo, the company’s Sales Manager – The concept of our products is highly appreciated over there: we offer very varied types of products focused on a lifestyle that requires extra space in the home, as well as a broad range of prices. This trend will also emerge in Italy; indeed, current Istat data reveals that 47% of residents in Milan live alone: this data is certainly significant for us, indicating a changing relationship with the home and therefore with décor». Due to this design philosophy, Clei was chosen as a partner for Carmel Place New York: a project, also known as My Micro NY, involving micro housing units architecturally constructed through modular buildings, designed by the nARCHITECTS firm. «We came into contact with the firm at the Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers exhibition held in 2013 in the Big Apple, where we took part thanks to our local partner Resource Furniture. The exhibition was intended to present a picture of new ways of living in the metropolis – explains Colombo – nARCHITECTS won the competition held at the same time as the exhibition by then mayor Bloomberg, with the Carmel Place project, and then chose our products for furnishing these apartments». The Penelope Sofa system is the star of the interior, along with a series of products from the Living System collection with custom finishes.
