About us

Our Story, Our Family

We are a young company with a long history.

Our first Contardi branded product dates back to 2006, thereafter the company began to constantly grow year after year, and the expansion has consolidated in the last six years. Contardi is now a well-established company headquartered in the Brianza district - the beating heart of the "Made in Italy" manufacturing.
Before then, Contardi had a 30-year history of successful collaborations, providing its lighting expertise to some of the most iconic companies on the Italian design scene.

It all started from the creative genius of Michele Carcano, who had a real passion for prototypes and worked for Stilnovo – one of the first companies to build a reputation as a lighting designer.
Fast-forward to today, and Michele Carcano’s heirs – Achille and Paola Carcano – have taken the reins of the company, supported by a very close-knit team, more similar to an extended family working together, with some of its members having been part of it since its inception.

Contardi is now synonymous with service, quality and flexibility, having become a reliable reference point for architects, interior decorators and lighting consultants who are in search of original and well-designed decorative and functional lighting as well as an unparalleled expertise and service.

“While dad was giving a shape to light, I was learning how to shape a company”

Achille Carcano, Owner

Tailoring and avant-garde technology

Internationally renowned as the “Couturier of Contemporary Lighting”, we have earned this reputation over the years for our skilful sartorial approach, for the variety of materials used, as well as the elegance of the finishes combined with the most innovative LED technology, all designed to ensure that the quality of the lighting responds to contemporary requirements.

Eclecticism

Eclecticism is our strength and what distinguishes us from the rest.
Style variety does not mean a lack of identity though. On the contrary, it means a capacity to interpret different styles and to adapt to different settings. An eclectic offering actually has more to do with providing a sense of cohesiveness, like a single conceptual thread tying our own design to the design philosophy of the architect, and that of the client.

A trailblazer

We team up with international designers who have been able to interpret and anticipate global trends in both the residential and the hospitality sectors and, most importantly of all, to understand the evolution in living in general with a design that expresses the pleasure of elegance along with a specific function.

“Diversity is not just a distinguishing characteristic of our products. It is the DNA of our company”

Massimo Brigandì, General Manager

Timeless Design Created in Italy

We are proudly 100% Made in Italy. The vitality of our country with its unique culture and strong passion clearly comes through in the collection. Our designs are immediately recognizable, yet timeless, making them always contemporary, regardless of the passing trends.

Style meets substance

Who says that decorative lighting does not illuminate? Not Contardi. Our aim today is to create products which are aesthetically pleasing and functional at the same time. Fundamental to this is defining the “intended use” of a luminaire and determining the main function the lamp has been conceived for.

A clear example of this blend is our outdoor collection, which has been receiving a growing amount of attention over recent years. We at Contardi interpret the outdoor collection as a way to bring the interior design to the open-air. The idea is to keep the same decorative and qualitative characteristics of the indoor products without forgetting the pragmatic aspect, specifically the intended use. The use of high-quality decorative materials and fabrics is successfully combined with finishes and regulations required for the highest standards, such as the IP65 and the "Marine Grade".

Our green heart

Our commitment to an increasingly sustainable business has emerged over the course of the last few years and, after obtaining some great achievements, we are now ready for a new challenge to further reduce our environmental impact with a clear set of targets, which constitute our Pole Star in terms of sustainability.

Sustainability Policy

“We do not create lights with design around. It is interior design with a light shining inside”

Massimiliano Raggi, Art Director
Top heartdownloadmagnifiercross