Meet Barbara and Cosimo

__Something about the story of our company
“From the moment we met on 2007 we shared our passion for craftsmanship, for “noble” materials such as brass casting, solid wood, marble and, of course, design. Driven by the desire to realize our ideas and by the strength of our love (and, why not, a bit of madness?) in 2010 we founded Il Pezzo Mancante (“The Missing Piece”, t.n.), combining our knowledge of lighting and furniture.

Our original project was to outsource the production of our collections, however, after two years we decided to craft our pieces in our atelier, especially for the wood furniture, so that we could have the complete control over the production and reach the top quality we were striving for and create unique pieces. None of us knew the basis on wood furniture production, so we had to study all the techniques and then find the one that is more suitable to our pieces: we use numerical control machines for standard works and we handcraft all the details and custom pieces that need attention, care, and high dexterity.
We follow our own way even for the sales area: we decided not to rely on the standard distribution channel, but to work with few selected partners from all over the world.

During these nine years our love has been strengthen by our marriage and our beautiful daughter and Il Pezzo Mancante has become part of our family, “somebody” to take care of. Throughout the years we surrounded ourselves with a team of people we are proud of. Our team members come from different environments and chose this job for the same passion and ideals we have. And of course the same ordinary madness we were discussing before!”

__Handmade creations and fascinating production process and material
“It’s always exciting and satisfying to transform raw materials in the final pieces we designed. It’s so fascinating to see how melted brass is casted in the mould, to see how the liquid crystal takes shape, to feel the blistering heat of the furnace, to appreciate the skill of the master craftsmen welding together the arms of the chandeliers. Observing all these processes makes us feel part of an ancient artisan tradition we are proud to carry on.

The most charming part of the production is the wood processing. Solid wood is an alive material and we learnt to respect it before processing it. Blocking the huge 8 cm thick axis is impossible, the wood will keep moving over time. We had just to adapt our production method to that, so we conceived special techniques to let the wood move without cracking or bending the finished piece. The beauty of this material is also the fact that each axe is never identical to another one, all of them have their proper shades, nodes, feathers, that are the history of the tree. The perfume of the wood is so intense and primitive, it smells like nature.”

__The authenticity and uniqueness of our collection
”Each and every piece is unique, especially when we talk about solid wood tables or credenzas in solid wood and fine marble, the natural materials they are made of are so special that our pieces are always different one another. As they are entirely handcrafted, the chandeliers as well have little differences between one another, and this is their added value.

From the beginning we wanted to emphasize this uniqueness to add value to the pieces and give to all the clients their own one in a million piece. In order to do so, we created a small brass cylinder and we insert it in every piece. On this cylinder, a part from the name of the collection, we engrave the piece’s serial number. The same serial number is written as well on the Authenticity Certificate we give to the client.”

__The influence of Florence on our designs
”Actually, Florence influenced us, more than our design. This amazing city is the cradle of ancient history and beauty and it has an abundant artisan tradition. We are constantly surrounded by the legacy of the great artists and geniuses of the past, and this motivate us to create in our own small way timeless concrete pieces that can be appreciated and used through generations. Beauty inspires beauty!”