Guido Zichele is an example of a tradition that started with Matteo Zichele, (1790-1830),
who lived in Venice, and was a carpenter. The Zicheles specialized in the restoration of authentic antiques and young Guido went
through all the matching of woods and veneers, carvings and moldings,so that no trace of repair was visible. The craftsmen at Zichele live with and around antiques in the house an
d territory, enabling them to have an intimate understanding of the finest proportions, construction and finishes available in the world. Much of what Zichele makes is reproduction of antiques, and this first hand knowledge is the “unknown quotient” which imbues each piece of furniture with authenticity. Because of the many years in the business, Zichele procures the finest woods and veneers from the best sources available in Europe, and then has experts with years of experience cut and match the veneers as only true artisans are able to do. Though modern technology is used in some steps in order to keep the furniture affordable, each piece of Zichele furniture is truly hand executed, hand assembled, and then finished with many more steps (each also done by hand) than are used by most commercial furniture companies. Marbles, stones, mirror and glass are locally obtained and fitted to precise measurements, and hardware, from drawer and door pulls to hinges to shelf pins, is designed for each style of furniture, and obtained from local artisans, who again come from families with almost centuries of experience. Hand printed Venetian wallpapers are selected for appropriate style, and are used to hand-lone each drawer. Zichele furniture is built to last, from original dovetail drawers to heavy solid wood framed doors, never abdicating an extensive number of hand-operations, expecially the art of individually antiquating each piece of furniture. Just to touch a piece of Zichele gives the true sense of a luxurious product.
