The Art Of

Italian Woodworking

“Made in Italy.” What is the mystique, the undeniable allure of this label for so many

people? After all, many countries have fine artisans that can produce beautiful, high-quality items. Yet, it always seems that the most famous, fashionable and sought-after brands of clothing, shoes, leather, watches, automobiles and beyond originate in this boot-shaped Mediterranean nation. It is perhaps in the production of fine, handmade furniture, though, that Italian artistry and craftsmanship stands out the most.

In order to gain some insight into the world of Italian furniture, Zman stopped into one of the most versatile suppliers in the tri-state area, Accentuations By Design of Boro Park, and had a chat with the owners, Yoely Brach and his mother Mrs. Brach. Due

to their business relationship with so many different factories in Italy, as well as their frequent trips there, they were ideal candi-dates to give us a window into that world.

First we discussed the historical background to Italy’s furniture-making traditions. The roots of Italy’s association with fine arts and craftsmanship lie in the Italian Renaissance. Six hundred years ago, Italy lay at the confluence of world trade and culture. Thanks to the immense amount of trade controlled by the Venetian Republic, along with the two other major “Maritime Republics” of Italy—Genoa and Pisa—huge amounts of exotic foods, artwork, sculptures, crafts and jewels were brought to the region. At the same time, there was a flowering of education, philosophy and science. Italian builders incorporated the most appealing

designs from Byzantine, Islamic, Gothic and ancient Roman architecture into their grand structures.

Italy soon became a hub of master artists and craftsmen who had access to the finest raw materials from around the world. The finished products were sold to wealthy consumers throughout Europe. It was during this time that the ancient tradi-tion of handmade Italian furniture began. Master woodworkers spent years perfecting techniques for shaping and finishing the wood. Artisans carved intricate patterns and design into the chairs, tables, armoires, mirrors and other products. They fused the finest woods with elaborate iron, brass and copper components and luxurious leather and cloth upholstery. Then they incorporated rare and valuable materials

into the pieces, like gold leaf, silver, mother-of-pearl, Venetian glass and jewels.

The popularity of Italian furniture has only grown over the centuries. Just as Germany is renowned for the unmatched quality of its pianos, Scotland for its whisky and Amsterdam (Netherlands) for its diamonds, Italy has maintained its reputa-tion as the final word in quality furniture. That’s because producing authentic furni-ture is considered an art form in Italy. You don’t get to be a master craftsman by accident. It takes determination, hard work, attention to your craft, and lots of practice. In Italy, these values pervade the culture. The trade secrets that distinguish Italian techniques have been passed down from master to apprentice for centuries.

The Brachs described the small,

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family-owned furniture shops and factories dotting the Italian countryside even today, carrying on the tradition of generations. Although there are some very old work-shops, as well as newer ones, it is safe to say that most of the companies making fine furniture in Italy today have been in exis-tence since at least the early 1900s.

Today their clientele is not limited to Europe. From the Americas to Africa to the Far East, consumers of high-quality, durable solid-wood furniture vie to obtain the best products at the best prices.

Italian: Is It Really Different?We began the next part of our interview

with a blunt but important question: What’s the “big deal” about Italian furniture? How much of it is hype, and what really sets it apart? Mrs. Brach, a woman who is very passionate about interior design and furnishings, explained that in so many fields—jewelry, silver, metalwork—Italy has the finest artisans in the world. It’s the same with furniture. “Even though France is also known for its artistic qualities, their prima-ry focus is on the design aspect. They didn’t develop their ‘hand resources.’ Italians have developed their hand resources—what they can make with their hands—beyond what anybody else in the world, I believe, can make. No one has their fine-tuning. Egypt and Mexico also produce a lot of furniture, but it doesn’t come near Italian quality.”

Yoely Brach told us that Accentuations By Design was started by his mother 30 years ago, and from the beginning it was the Italian commitment to quality that defined her own approach. She entered the furniture import business as a result of her own personal experience. When she was shopping for furnishings for her own home, she was simply not satisfied with the qual-ity and styles that were available to her in the New York market. She decided to make the trip to Italy herself. Not only did she find the furniture she was looking for, but she realized that by importing these items herself she would be able to offer a selection

and quality to local consumers that had not been available previously.

China is the number one competitor when it comes to furniture production. Naturally, we were interested in comparing and contrasting the Chinese products that are now on the market. The Brachs were not disdainful or dismissive of the quality of furniture produced in China, but they did patiently explain what the differences are. It turns out that the difference is not in the wood itself.

“It’s really the craftsmanship and the quality of the artisans that makes the differ-ence,” Mrs. Brach explained. “Higher end Italian furniture is very hard to reproduce, although it is possible. Usually, a Chinese copy of an Italian design is, to a degree, of lesser quality.”

We asked her to elaborate further. “A lot of it has to do with the components. You see this bronze-work?” she asked, point-ing out an example. “You can’t find that in China—or anywhere in the world. If they do make it, it’s of an inferior metal. Now, if you mass-produce furniture in China and you ship the actual wood to one of the better factories there, there’s a good chance they can get that part pretty close. Once it comes to metal or leather components, or certain types of intricate carvings, it’s not going to happen.

“Some things from China are fine. If you want a certain look at a certain price, some-times you have no choice. But if you want to get the most for your money, I always recommend Italian.”

Mrs. Brach told us about a woman who wanted help sprucing up her Italian dining room set. Accentuations had sold her the set 20 years before. The woman, now a bubby, had the furniture in a very small space in a Williamsburg apartment. Mrs. Brach was stunned when she walked in. “It looked as if I had delivered it the day before! Of course, the upholstery was worn after all that time, so I suggested that she reupholster the chairs.” She pointed out that between Shab-bos, Yom Tov, and all the kids and grandkids, no one gets as much use out of dining room

furniture as large Jewish families… but this furniture lasts.

The Brachs have visited countless factories in Italy, as well as in China. Typi-cally, they described, the Italian factories are smaller. There are one or two people doing work by hand, whereas in China there could be 20 people working on a certain piece of furniture. Naturally the sole carpenter, who considers himself an artist in his field, takes pride in his work. Typically the woodworker either owns the factory, or is the father, uncle or son of the owner. The family has been in the business for generations. Therefore he is closely invested in the quality and reputa-tion of the company’s products.

Yoely Brach pointed out that while there are factories all over Italy, different regions of the country specialize in different kinds of furniture, and this specialization contributes to the precision and quality of those pieces.

Coming off our visit to Venice, Zman was interested to know if the Brachs had seen much Venetian glass in Italian furniture design.

“We’ve definitely seen it, and it can be inserted into the pieces. I saw a breakfront with glass from Murano inserted and it was really beautiful,” answered Mrs. Brach, refer-ring to the island in Venice famous for its glasswork factories. “There are factories on Murano that actually produce furniture with Venetian glass in it. When we visited Murano I was interested to see that they are actu-ally selling furniture on the island itself for more than our store prices when we import it to New York. That gives you an idea of the markup they put on it for the tourists!”

Besides for its beauty and qual-ity, another advantage of Italian furniture is customization. When furniture is ordered from a factory in Italy, the factory doesn’t have it sitting in a warehouse waiting to be shipped. They only start preparing the wood, shopping and drying it, when the order comes in. Thus anything can be made to a custom size, height or color. Mrs. Brach used the example of a 48-inch headboard, a very popular size in the Jewish community that is not available pre-made.

Raw, premium hardwood and softwood trees are felled and cut to a uniform length for further processing. They are then run through a debarker which peels off the bark and grinds it for use in mulching and other applications.

Wood is sorted into piles and stored in preparation for being turned into lumber.

Each log is carefully measured and evaluated for the wood it can produce. It is then placed on specialized machinery which is calibrated to the correct measurements. The machine will saw it lengthwise into various sizes and shapes of lumber boards. Often the mill worker will slice open the log, evaluate it for imperfections and based on its features he will decide how to further cut it.

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do a special favor for a customer and ship it by air, that alone would end up costing more than the entire order.

When it comes to furniture, which is not only an investment of money but something that will define the look of your home, there is no doubt that customer service is important. Today, every business advertises great customer service, because that’s what marketers tell them people want to hear. We asked Yoely for his advice about what people should look for and what really makes the difference when it comes to service.

Customer service has a lot of different meanings, but one of the most important things is being honest with the customer. Don’t blame the customer when it’s really our problem.

Wood is a natural product. It’s alive. It has to breathe. Depending on the temperature and humidity, it can change shape or even crack. Sometimes people complain that they got “old furniture.” It’s not old. They don’t understand that the wood changes with the weather, just like your skin can peel when the winter comes. It’s not like plastic. On the other hand, this is the area where a dealer can be deceiving.

For example, the finishing on a table didn’t set properly. The first thing a store could tell you is that the sun is shining on it, or you’re using the wrong chemicals to clean it. Some-times that could be a legitimate cause—but most times the issue is something that has to do with the factory.

The problem is that most factories do not take responsibility, because there is a climate change between Italy and the US, and the wood will expand and sometimes an item will crack. It’s not that the furniture is junk; it’s that the climate change causes the wood to change.

Since the factory doesn’t take responsibil-ity, the store has to. Real customer service means to call back every customer, take apart the problem and honestly determine whose problem it is. Prompt attention to customers is very important. Here at Accentuations we have two employees whose sole job is customer

The perfect furniture doesn’t always have to be custom-made, though. Accen-tuations By Design maintains the largest furniture warehouse in Brooklyn so that if customers wish to come in and furnish an entire room—or home—at once, they will have access to a huge in-stock inventory. Once the order is complete, Accentuations will be able to deliver everything right away from their warehouse.

Mrs. Brach tries to maximize flexibility for her clients when choosing their home décor. She wants them to be able to furnish a complete room in the exact style they want without having to run all over town. That’s why she considers Accentuations By Design a “design center” rather than just a furniture store. She maintains a selection of fabrics from all over the world, as well as window treatments, wallpaper and accent pieces. She especially likes when she can help the customer find many different pieces that work together in a space, without all being copies of the same design.

“We go to every trade show and we maintain catalogues from all the Italian factories with their whole lines, so we really know everything that’s out there and we can cater to any taste,” she said. “I think that really sets us apart.”

The Brachs also pointed out that their store is for everyone. “You don’t have to come in and buy a dining room table for $20,000 or more; we also have beautiful ones on display for $2,000. We try to keep the broadest selection possible so everyone walks out happy.”

From Italy to Your Dining RoomOne thing we were very interested in

discussing with Yoely was the challenge of physically bringing the furniture to the US. We’ve all heard stories about people who ordered their dining room furniture and waited months, or even a year to receive it. Is that an issue of poor customer service? Yoely explained that it’s a lot more compli-cated than that:

Some people make a big mistake in their expectations for furniture delivery. Furniture is not like a bottle of milk, where there’s a routine and the cow gives milk every day, so the next morning you know you’re going to have a bottle of milk. When a factory makes an order for a customer, they start processing the wood to build that particular order. If everything goes well, great, but if there comes a month of rainy weather, for example, they cannot do finishing, which requires dry air.

Then the product must be shipped by boat, after which it goes through US customs. That whole process often takes up to a month. Sometimes, though, it gets held up in customs. It could arrive on Monday and for whatever reason they will only release it the next Monday. If a container gets pulled in for inspection, it could take a month or more. It’s not under anyone’s control and no one who imports furniture is exempt from this problem.

What ends up happening is the factory promised three months, the store promised four months to account for shipping by boat—but it ends up being eight or nine months before delivery. No one lied: not the store, and not the factory. It just didn’t go as planned. Timing is based on a history of timing, but it doesn’t mean that that particular thing will come at that time. Even if a store wanted to

Some logs are turned into veneer – thin sheets of authentic wood that are sliced off the log and used to provide a beautiful wooden coating for lower-density boards that are made from compressed wood fibers. This photo shows one technique for creating veneer, where the log is spun as a machine slices off layer by layer, peeling it into a very long sheet of uniform thickness.

Once the logs are cut into boards, they are still considered “green.” Before they become furniture or other finished products, they must be properly dried. This can either be done naturally, by separating the boards to let air flow all around them for months, sometimes more than a year (called seasoning). Or, the wood is put into a drying kiln, which is like a huge oven or sauna that will dry it out quickly and ready it for immediate use.

When the wood is finally ready, Italian craftsmen carefully chisel and shape it with hand tools, preparing various components to be used in fine furniture. Visible are also various traditional hand tools, including a wood jack plane, hand drill and awl.

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furniture is also distinguished by the Italian penchant for design and style. Italy’s design-ers take pride in setting world trends in style, and over time—and especially in the 20th century—they began focusing more and more attention on furniture design.

Classic furniture produced in the traditional Renaissance Italian style has an undying appeal. Contemporary Italian furniture has much more to offer, though, in terms of modern and innovative designs.

Italian furniture today is constructed from a wide range of materials. The traditional and always-popular wood of the past is joined by modern materials such as steel, aluminum, plastics and resins. Designers have incorpo-rated these new materials to give free reign to their creativity, opening up an entirely new generation of furniture styles.

The Brachs, pioneers in their area for bringing a wide range of modern designs to their store, explained that consumers with different tastes looking to furnish a more modern or trendy space can still benefit from the same Italian quality and craftsmanship. Italian designers are able to fuse their passion for inventive new looks, incorporating striking or subtle colors, curves and angles, with their broad range of high quality materials and the traditional Italian obsession with the quality of manu-facture, producing furniture that is strong and sturdy.

We came away from our interview with the Brachs with a new appreciation of the superior construction of Italian furniture. We also learned that the main thing that makes contemporary Italian furniture—both modern and classical style—so popular is the elegance and beauty of its design. It is the designers’ focus on even the smallest details that make each piece a work of art in its own way—a functional work of art that gives pleasure and comfort and can last for generations.

service. We send service experts to the house to inspect the furniture, and we assume it’s our problem unless proven otherwise. Stores with bad customer service do just the opposite: it’s the customer’s fault unless proven otherwise. Sometimes we do find that it was customer negligence, like the kids were leaning back in the chairs, and that’s not something we have to take responsibility for—but most of the time we will take care of the problem.

Look Before You LeapMrs. Brach greatly emphasized the

importance of proper planning when it comes to furnishing your living space, which is a consideration when you want to purchase any type of furniture. Her passion is design. She is very competent in floor plan-ning and delights in finding unique pieces that work well together in a space and give it the desired character. From her experience she explained that it is very easy to make a mistake that will result in an awkward floor plan if you don’t carefully consider the space where the furniture will be placed, before you buy it.

She told a story to illustrate. Often, she will visit a customer’s home to help with choosing and placing the furniture properly. One customer showed her the room where he planned to place some furniture pieces

against a certain wall. Mrs. Brach looked up at the chandelier and noticed that if the dining room table were centered under it, the chairs around the table would come uncomfortably close to the wall, even before the extra furniture was added! She advised the customer to quickly ask the designer to change the location of the chandelier before the painting of the ceiling was finished, so that the table could be placed in a more suit-able location.

Designers are very good when it comes to paint, tiles, walls, paneling and colors. Not all designers are proficient in floor planning and placements, though, so sometimes when it comes to the lighting they do it according to whim. Sometimes you could pay a lot of money for beautiful big windows, only to find that they have to be partially blocked with furniture. So I am a big fan of a lot of pre-planning, focusing on placements when you build a house. The reason I enjoy making home visits is that I like to know that what I suggest is really going to work and it’s going to be comfortable for the client. I take a lot of pride in my work.

Then and NowOur last topic was modern vs. traditional

furniture. Apart from the materials and skill of the artisanal carpentry involved, Italian

Craftsman using a chisel to shape a piece of spinning wood into a circular shape.

Today’s Italian furniture carpenters carry a tradition stretching back many generations.

Mrs. Brach was invited by a friend to come to her home and help design this dining room according to her tastes. The chandelier, table, chairs and other furniture are representative of beautiful Italian craftsmanship and design. The large mirror, made of authentic Venetian glass, endows a spacious atmosphere to the room and in this photo reflects the Italian window treatments, couch and painting, also provided by Accentuations.

Zman visits one of the most versatile suppliers in the tri-state area, Accentuations By Design of Boro Park

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