KINDOF has deep roots, an offshoot of the building materials family business, Ghielmimport, set up in 1972 by Mattia and Luca Ghielmi’s father.

Almost like a posthumous homage to the professionalism and skill that Arnaldo transmitted to his sons, KINDOF’s inception in 2014 drew heavily on the family’s traditional area of expertise.

Indeed, it was the inspiration behind Luca Ghielmi’s creative idea for that simple, powerful component – ribbed steel rods – used as the backbone of reinforced concrete, the hidden soul inside a sea of cement.

Luca’s unique idea was nourished by his passion for art and technical know-how developed over years of experience. It showcases a raw and wiry, yet strong and flexible, industrial material in a line of furniture that fuses the creative inspiration into the very nature of the material. The conscious decision to use a single rod as the supporting structure of each piece of furniture represented a real challenge, both engineering-wise and in terms of craftsmanship – and this is precisely how KINDOF has chosen to celebrate the steel rod and its mechanical resilience, and above all the rough-hewn appeal and beauty of its ribbing. 

Initial experimentation began in 2014 at the Swiss plant, which is specialised in bending the rods. It then continued at the Somaglia plant (Lodi), where KINDOF established an all-Italian production process. Thanks to its team of master craftsmen epitomising the best of the Italian tradition, KINDOF channels design expertise and creativity into a robust, reliable manufacturing business, adding care, attention and love for even the smallest detail to the traditional production of building materials.