LED-lit niches in the shiny lacquered Ar.tu bookshelves

Gloss beside matt. The tailoring of the Ar.tu desk

Archiutti

Perin & Topan

Desk with return and credenza
Ar.tu Most Requested Desk with return and credenza
£ 4,598

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Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Good tailoring has always mixed finishes — a matt cloth, a silk lapel. Ar.tu applies that rule to the classic executive desk: shiny and matt lacquer on the same composition, set against bleached or cooked oak, American walnut and leather.

A brushed metal insert runs across the desktop, joining and defining its areas, so the mix never turns casual. The volumes stay strict and geometric; the pairing of surfaces does the rest, at low volume.

Around the desk — a wooden return is available —, the collection dresses the whole room: meeting tables, low cupboards with a coloured niche, shiny lacquered bookshelves and matching drawer units. Working with La Mercanti, each Ar.tu is specified finish by finish before it goes to order.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Ar.tu, Archiutti executive range

Design: Perin & Topan

Desk: tops W 200 or 220 cm (78.7 or 86.6 in), depth 95 cm (37.4 in); cantilever top beside the panel side, supported right or left on a service unit (overall width 223–243 cm (87.8–95.7 in)), bridge version, side extension in veneer; wooden return available

Meeting tables: rectangular 240×140 cm (94.5×55.1 in), square 160×160 cm (63×63 in) (H 75 cm (29.5 in)), modular tops 320/400/480×140 cm (126/157.5/189×55.1 in); whole-veneer or veneer-and-leather top, central top-access

Storage: low cupboards with contrasting lacquered niche, bookshelves with LED-lit niches, drawer unit 41×55×59 cm (16.1×21.7×23.2 in); service units lockable with a satin metal key

Finishes: shiny and matt lacquer; bleached oak, cooked oak, American walnut; leather; brushed metal insert

Provisions: top-access on desks, panel side and meeting tables for multimedia connections; modesty panel available

La Mercanti Srl — trusted supplier for design and contract projects since 1997.
San Benedetto del Tronto (AP), Italy · +39 0735 753833 · info@lamercanti.com
Supply, quotations, specifications and project support across the UK and worldwide.

Documents and Catalogues

Artu Catalogue

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£ 170

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FAQ

Can shiny and matt lacquer really sit on the same desk?
That is the collection's founding move: the two lacquers are paired deliberately, with wood and leather completing the mix, so the contrast reads as a choice rather than an accident.
What is cooked oak?
It is the darker, warmer oak finish in the Archiutti palette, published alongside bleached oak and American walnut. Judge the tone on physical samples in your own light: their cost is fully credited on order confirmation.
What does the metal insert on the desktop do?
It joins and defines the areas of the top. The brushed finish makes it a visible line rather than a hidden joint, and it is the collection's most recognisable signature.
How large can the meeting tables go?
From the 160×160 cm square to a 240×140 cm rectangle, up to modular tops of 320, 400 and 480 cm — with whole-veneer or veneer-and-leather surfaces and a central top-access.
Who are Perin & Topan?
Gianantonio Perin and Giorgio Topan, the duo credited by Archiutti for Ar.tu's product design. On this collection their signature is the strict geometry of the tops and the discipline of the finishes.

How to pair Ar.tu finishes like a tailor

Five steps to build a contrast that reads as intent, not accident.

Start from the cloth
Choose the wood first — bleached oak, cooked oak or American walnut. Everything else is cut around it.
Place the shine
Give gloss one role only: a storage front, a niche, a single surface. Matt carries the rest.
Let the metal draw the line
The brushed insert already divides the top; align leather and veneer to the areas it defines.
Order the swatches
Ask La Mercanti for the finish samples you shortlisted — their cost is fully credited when the order is confirmed.
Put the dates in writing
Once the composition is closed, delivery terms are confirmed in writing together with the order.

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