It was the sober, elegant modernism of this 10-drawer chest that first caught my eye: the clean lines, the simple, brushed-metal handles offsetting the rich brown of the wenge wood, and the subtly curved front that made it just that little bit different. But it was a closer look - and a touch - that got me hooked. From every angle - inside, underneath and behind - every join is perfect, the grain-lines in the wood all precisely matched. This is how all good furniture should be.
In the case of this piece it stands to reason. The Giorgetti family started in business as a carpentry workshop in Meda, near Milan, in 1898 and has fiercely guarded those traditional wood-working skills as the firm has grown. To complement its expertise the company sought out a number of leading designers and architects who had not previously designed furniture - one of whom is the Hong Kong-born architect Chi Wing Lo. This Eon chest is one of the first pieces he designed for Giorgetti. (And, at more than 10 years old, the design is proving to be a modern classic.)
But enough of the history, back to the object - and a very clever bit of engineering that really did it for me. Rather than just pulling straight out in the usual fashion, the 10 drawers swivel open through 180 degrees. It is an elegant, ingenious and entirely practical solution. Technically speaking, there's a fixed lateral pivot with a middle adjustable ball-bearing mechanism - and various other clever bits. All I know is that the metalwork is as beautifully made as a piece of jewellery and the drawers move as smoothly as silk, with only the lightest touch needed.
As the saying goes, inner beauty is just as important as outer beauty, and I can think of no better home than this for my favourite linens (or, indeed, no better excuse to collect the finest of linens to keep in it).
