LEMA – Booken freestanding bookcase

The eclectic Raw Edges duo brings a fresh new take to the concept of the bookcase, a product that has always been a key part of the Lema ethos. Yael and Shay have kept books at the heart of this design, transforming them from simple objects into materials.  

The key element of the design is the frame, supported by geometric legs. Leaned to the frame, like bookmarks, are a number of wooden slats, which the books themselves are then hung on, transforming the bookcase from a vertical to a horizontal piece. Booken is also available as a shelf that can be mounted to the wall.

Raw Edges

Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay were born in Tel Aviv and studied at the Jerusalem Bezalel Art & Design Academy, before moving to London. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2006 they founded Raw Edges Design Studio. They have collaborated with brands such as Cappellini, Established & Sons, Moroso, Kvadrat, Stella McCartney, Arco, Golran and Moustache. They have pieces in the permanent collection at MoMa in New York as well as other leading museums around the world. Raw Edges also produces limited edition pieces and installations at their London studio. They have received important awards such as the British Council Talented Award, the iF Gold Award, the Dutch Design Award, the Wallpaper* Design Award 2009, the Elle Decoration International Design Award, the Designer of the Future Award 2009 from Design Miami/Basel and the Best Design Award 2012 from Architekture und Wohnen.

LEMA

Pioneers in Italy in integrated furniture systems

In the early ’70s, Lema was the first Italian company to design and produce integrated furniture systems, managing the entire production cycle internally, from the search for raw materials, to processing, right up to the finished product. An industrial reality with roots dating back to the 1930s, when Angelo Meroni opened a craft workshop in Arosio, specializing in the production of classic furniture. The group's initial development would pass through several collaborations with the Milanese artistic context, thanks to partnerships with various designers and architects including one with Angelo Mangiarotti, one of the most relevant designers and urban planners not only in Italy, but also with regard to the United States.

Today, the Italian company boasts in the heart of Brianza, a covered industrial production plant of 55,000 square metres, divided between the two plants, one in Alzate Brianza (CO) and one in Giussano (MB), designed by Arch. Angelo Mangiarotti with over 250 employees, and a network of approximately 1,000 resellers distributed in 65 countries around the world.

In 2004 the Lema Contract , the division specialising in large scale projects, was launched. From multi-apartment complexes to retail via hotels and corporate spaces, Lema offers custom-made solutions for the most prestigious projects in the world.

For over thirty years LEMA has been providing hospitality solutions to the UK, which has always been a key market. For this reason, LEMA UK Ltd was established in 2012, an offshoot of LEMA Spa, which has helped us forge a reputation of excellent service for both home and contract divisions. In 2015 the Flagship Store was inaugurated in the heart of Chelsea on the King’s Road, serving as a window into the world of LEMA. Today, LEMA is one of the major Made in Italy players in contract, hospitality and retail where it has built a reputation for quality, efficiency and innovative solutions.

In 2022, LEMA inaugurated a brand new spacious corporate office in Sydney Street, a few steps away from the Flagship Store, further increasing its presence in this important market.