Le Belle Arti: Where Furniture Becomes Art

Le Belle Arti is an Edmonton, Canada-based modern furniture, lighting, and custom design company. The company was created in 1976 by the three Milite brothers; Frank, Joe, and Orlando. Since then, Le Belle Arti has been a pioneering force in the design field and it has re-shaped the idea of what a design store can be. With currently two locations in Edmonton and Calgary, it boasts one of the most comprehensive collections of modern furniture, lighting, accessories, and kitchens in Canada.

The company is a true representation of European design, with the main emphasis on Italian design for residential, contract, and hospitality. Le Belle Arti stems from the group’s capacity to represent modern culture and respond quickly to the needs that emerge from today’s evolving lifestyles. It is this alchemy, resulting from a mixture of creativity and innovation, that creates modern, yet timeless pieces of furniture.

In 1971, brothers Frank, Joe and Orlando opened a glass furniture manufacturing shop. Quickly they shifted their focus into manufacturing modern furniture in Teak and Rosewood and supplied several Scandinavian furniture stores in Edmonton. However, with the opening of Le Belle Arti in 1976, the focus shifted again. The new collection included a combination of 3 materials; exotic woods and lacquers, brushed stainless steel, and glass. The collection which was sold throughout Canada as well as in the USA was bold yet timeless, and it enraptured a captive audience.

Even though the focus of the manufacturing division of Le Belle Arti was exclusively to design and produce only furniture, and not be involved in millwork or kitchen cabinets, in 1997 they were asked to design and manufacture modern kitchen, bathroom vanities, and wardrobes.

It was not long until word of mouth brought a new direction to the company’s focus. For the next 10 years, 90% of the production was concentrated on very unique and innovative kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, produced with some of the most expensive wood and sophisticated hardware imported from Europe. Soon the demand for custom-designed kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities grew, filling a gap in the market. The brothers, now two; Joe and Orlando, as Frank had suddenly passed away in 2003, decided to form a partnership with one of the leading cabinet manufacturers in Italy, Snaidero, in addition to their retail operation.

On September 19, 2008, Le Belle Arti added Snaidero kitchens to its already fast-growing collection. Le Belle Arti and Snaidero provide the Canadian market with the finest Italian kitchen designs, created by the world’s foremost architects and designers such as Ferrari designer Pininfarina, International architect Massimo Losa Ghini, Lucci Orlandi, and many more. Under the leadership of the Le Belle Arti team and owner Dario Snaidero, a multi-housing division was created, allowing for collaboration with developers and builders on different projects across Canada.

Le Belle Arti is not just a furniture store. Le Belle Arti is an interactive design research center, a playground for the spirit, and an esplanade for discovery. It is a resource focused on creating environments that affect people’s lives. Every item they sell, from a teaspoon, to a sofa, is representative of a unifying design philosophy. It must be aesthetically appealing and comfortable, provide uncompromising quality, and offer sound value and service. With a growing demand for beautiful and functional living spaces, more of us want our homes designed to suit our tastes, passions, and lifestyles. Many of the items they carry are exclusive to Le Belle Arti, making each of them a strong, consistent statement about who we are, why, and what we exemplify.

Le Belle Arti believes in the importance of creating enduring relationships with the companies it represents as well as with its clients. They have built a long-standing relationship with an international roster of designers, as well as Europe’s most important manufacturers of modern furniture, lighting, kitchen, and accessories. B&B Italia, Maxalto, Cassina, Flexform, Minotti, Zanotta, MDF Italia, Ingo Maurer, Fontana Arte, Studio Italia, Luceplan, Kasthall, Kymo, Carl Hansen and Son, Herman Miller, Adelta, Snaidero Kitchen, just to name a few. These invaluable associations offer clients an incomparable selection of the most exquisite furnishings available. Le Belle Arti’s in-house team manages the entire spectrum of the clients’ experience from selection to installation, providing an unrivaled level of attention at each step.