About

Mattaliano draws inspiration for our work from the 20th century and captures the invention, personality and poetic nature that we feel is timeless and historically important.

Our Furniture

Drawing design inspiration from the modern masters of the 20th century, Mattaliano creates timeless, sophisticated and impeccably crafted furniture. Its pieces realize the wants and needs of today’s luxury buyers and are designed and scaled for 21st century homes, yet capture the inventive spirit and poetic nature of the last century.

Mattaliano furniture is handcrafted in the Midwest by acclaimed craftsmen and artisans using extraordinary, authentic and often groundbreaking materials and production techniques.  Exquisitely executed details infuse all of its work to maximize the luxury of every piece and enhance the relationship between architecture and interior design in a home.  Customization is Mattaliano’s strong suit; the firm has perfected the use of unique and often innovative materials to produce singular masterpieces. Only material choice and imagination limit the possibilities of its bespoke designs.

Our History

Mattaliano has its roots in the early 20th century, when the Mattaliano family founded the Wells Furniture Company.  Revered for its fine workmanship, and was used by many of Chicago’s most venerated architects and interior designers to fabricate custom designs.

In fact, in the late 1930s, Mies van der Rohe turned to Wells to manufacture his Barcelona chair. Wells continued making these historic chairs until Mies sold the production rights to the much larger, nationally known Knoll in 1953.

As a young architect with Booth, Nagle, Hartray in 1978, Darcy Bonner was introduced to Frank Mattaliano and worked with him on many projects for Booth.  When Bonner founded his own practice in 1980, Darcy Bonner & Associates, he continued working with the Mattaliano family to produce custom work for DBA’s clients. But as his firm’s interior design division grew, two developments changed the equation for Bonner and Mattaliano.

First, much of the ingeniously designed mid-20th century furniture DBA was importing from France for their clients’ homes was not scaled to their needs. That inspired Bonner to reproduce archival designs that were in the public domain for clients—and more.  Bonner found he had a passion for designing furniture and started producing his own work. Bonner bought Wells from the Mattaliano family in 1994, and changed its name to pay homage to the founding family.

Today, Mattaliano’s ever-expanding oeuvre is still rooted in creating timeless, sophisticated, impeccably crafted furniture using the finest materials and most rigorous production standards possible.  While its pieces were initially inspired by the mid-20th century, today they transcend period design to deliver the ultimate in fabrication values, function and design and offer endless options for 21st century luxury buyers.

Our Team

Darcy Bonner

Principal

Architect and designer Darcy Bonner came to his calling organically; by nine he was taking apart his parents’ eye-catching Brionvega electronics and Braun appliances to see how they were made.  Much to his mother’s relief, he was able to put them back together and they’d still work.  After earning a BA and MA from the Tulane University School of Architecture, and a second MA in architectural theory from the University of Illinois Chicago, he realized design is a process that applies to everything.

Today, Bonner applies the design process to high-profile multifamily and residential projects and furniture as the principal of Chicago-based Darcy Bonner Associates and Mattaliano, which were founded in 1980 and 1994 respectively. He is renowned for his sophisticated, impeccably executed projects and furnishings that embrace a current take on classical and modern design.

Bonner runs DBA and Mattaliano concurrently, which has allowed him to fulfill his wide-ranging passion to create structures, interiors and furniture.  His dual roles have also allowed him to fulfill his strongly held belief that good design is the result of holistic approach that fosters effective solutions, aesthetic excellence and seamless execution. When he isn’t at the helm of these Chicago-based firms, he’s trawling architecturally interesting sites in Europe for inspiration.

Cassandra Flandermeyer profile.

Cassandra Flandermeyer

Senior Vice President

Cassandra Flandermeyer’s strong connection to the Netherlands and its simple yet powerful design aesthetic, and her background in interior design, make her a natural for the meticulous and creative work it takes to manage the production of Mattaliano’s broad line and countless bespoke offerings. Before joining Mattaliano in 1996, she was an exchange student in the Netherlands, earned a BA in fine arts from Harrington Institute of Interior Design and spent five years as an interior designer at Richard Himmel Design in Chicago.

Flandermeyer’s sharp eye for detail and deep knowledge of quality in materials and production techniques ensures that all of Mattaliano’s pieces meet or exceed the company’s rigorous standards.  She displayed these aptitudes as far back as grade school, when she was drawn to anything related to art and design. Her talents are a benefit to Mattaliano’s sales teams across the country, who rely on her knowledge and skills to meet client’s exacting needs.

Off-hours, Flandermeyer is an avid traveler, lured by the architectural and geographical wonders of foreign landscapes and cultures. She also likes to combine travel with her passion for running, and firmly believes the best way to get to know a new city and enjoy its architectural wonders is to run through its streets and neighborhoods.  She has conquered everything from the 5k to the full marathon.

Rob Winkler

Director of Product Design

With more than 23 years in luxury design, Rob Winkler has created pioneering, award-winning designs for multiple lines, including some of the industry’s biggest names. He earned a BA in fine arts from Eastern Illinois University, where he studied photography, graphic design and jewelry fabrication, but segued to furniture design after graduation and eventually landed at industry giant Holly Hunt.

Winker developed, designed and engineered pieces and entire product lines in some cases during an 11-year stint at Holly Hunt. It gave him a deep understanding of the relationship between form, function and comfort, and honed his ability to create pieces that marry all three qualities and are as much a joy to use as they are to behold.

Winkler joined Mattaliano in 2013, where his fine arts training serves him well.  He applies his broad skill set and sense of scale, proportion and balance to every type of furnishing, fixture and trim imaginable. His work marries exquisitely executed craftsmanship and an innovative approach to process, production and the use of fine materials. Thanks to his sweeping background, Mattaliano’s offerings range from individual production pieces—be it case goods, seating, upholstery or lighting—to custom built-ins and millwork.

Chuck Boyle

Production Manager

Furniture-making is a challenging craft—especially at the luxury level, where the process requires extensive hands-on project management, painstaking attention to detail and precise communication skills.   Thanks to his great patience, deep knowledge of the luxury design industry and close relationships with suppliers, artisans and showroom professionals, Chuck Boyle is a natural as Mattaliano’s production manager.

After more than 20 years in the luxury interior design industry, Boyle believes relationship-building and communication are the keys to keeping all parties in Mattaliano’s production process on-track and working effectively to create the finest products possible. Before joining Mattaliano nine years ago, he held positions with several prestigious interior design firms. As a senior project manager for Richar, he oversaw all aspects of high-end residential design projects, and as business manager for Jeannie Balsam he procured all goods and services, handled billing, served as client liaison and supervised installations.  In college at Florida Institute of Technology and Glassboro State College, Boyle studied business management and transportation technology.

Outside of work, Chuck is a family man, talented chef and accomplished gardener. Entertaining for family and friends is one of his favorite pursuits, and he’s most delighted when it can occur alfresco to showcase all his work.

Susan Sarate

Consignment Manager

With representation in 14 showrooms nationally and a constantly expanding line thanks to Mattaliano’s high level of customization, managing showroom installations and inventory is as much an art as a science. As consignment manager, Susan Sarate works directly with all of Mattaliano’s showrooms to develop displays that showcase its broad and unique offerings. This involves identifying and developing market-sensitive options that highlight Mattaliano’s most significant pieces—and monitoring performance in real time.  In addition to her responsibilities as consignment manager, Susan also leads Mattaliano’s in-house marketing efforts.

Susan brings over 18 years of experience in the interior design industry to the Mattaliano team. Prior to joining Mattaliano, she was the consignment manager at Holly Hunt, where she managed 16 showrooms, and the operations director at Gentner Fabrication, where she streamlined production and managed all aspects of the company’s business.

In her off-hours, Susan is avid about her family (she has five children and seven grandchildren) and sports. She has been a competitive volleyball player and coach for over 20 years; coached a nationally ranked men’s AA college volleyball team for three years; and volunteers in the Little Village community where she was born and raised, teaching volleyball to inner-city kids.