In this new edition of Frezza Partner Insights we move to Piedmont, more precisely to the Province of Cuneo. This episode’s guest is Paola Mellano, owner of Lineaufficio, our partner in Saluzzo.
The company has been operating in the sector for more than 50 years (it was founded in 1970), offering a wide range of office products, ranging from furniture to flooring and false ceilings. Their service follows the client every step of the way through consultancy, design, quotation, supply, coordination and installation.
Lineaufficio’s philosophy is very clear: you have to know how to choose and combine. For them it’s extremely important to find the right synergy between comfort, design, hospitality and technology practicality, while always adding a personal touch and creating projects where aesthetic beauty is the plus factor.
With Paola Mellano we talked about the new trends in the office furniture sector, trying to identify what large companies have in common and what instead differentiates them from small and medium-sized companies in terms of space revolution.
1) Large companies, such as multinationals, are adapting their office layouts to meet new work requirements, such as Agile Working. In your experience, is this phenomenon also occurring in provincial SMEs?
Small and medium-sized enterprises are certainly ‘inspired’ by the leading models of the large companies in their sector, especially when they start to spread so widely and rapidly.
It’s clear, however, that it’s always necessary to come to terms with smaller spaces and different, smaller budgets. Nevertheless, the approach to a more agile configuration has certainly taken place. If I had to summarise it briefly, however, I think it’s clear that we are still in an ‘Agile Wannabe’ situation at the moment.
2) Has demand changed in the area where Lineaufficio operates? If so, what are the trends that have emerged in the last period?
There have been some changes, as mentioned in the previous question.
First of all, ‘non-work’ spaces such as corridors and closed areas, have disappeared. In their place, hybrid areas have appeared, which take the form of real touch&go working environments.
In the new corporate design layouts there is less hierarchical division between workstations: operative desks are in close contact with the more executive spots, in a mixture that makes environments more democratic.
For more formal meetings, on the other hand, closed spaces are still preferred, and are created to achieve high acoustic comfort performance.
3) Lineaufficio has been working with Frezza for several years. What are the key elements of this partnership?
The answer lies in the seriousness of both players in the field and the two-way relationship between the people, which are factors that have never changed over time.
We would like to thank Paola Mellano for sharing her views with us and for her valuable collaboration over the years.
To understand the market, our partners are very important: each area in which we operate has its own peculiarities, which make it different and at the same time in line with the rest of world. Our role is to recognise them, interpret them and give them a voice, through design.
