Lifestyle

How The House of Pontovi Blends Art and Functionality in Every Piece

Published

1 year ago

November 21, 2024

Michelle Langton

Photo credit: House of Pontovi

By: Andi Stark

The House of Pontovi seamlessly combines art and practicality in its custom furniture. Since the company has been founded, it has created visually stunning, functional pieces for notable clients, including the TransAmerica Pyramid and Maria Shriver’s residence. By offering a “one-stop shopping” experience, clients work with the same team from design through fabrication, fostering deep customization.

“We’re creating experiences that last, with pieces designed to suit our clients’ tastes and lives,” says CEO Stephen Taglianetti. This integrated approach ensures every piece meets Pontovi’s high standards, allowing control over production timelines and materials while reducing project costs by 15-20% on average.

Functionality as Art

Pontovi believes furniture should serve a dual purpose. Each piece is crafted for functionality while acting as a unique work of art tailored to complement a client’s space, from private residences to large commercial projects. For instance, its work on the TransAmerica Pyramid incorporated mid-century motifs blended with modern ergonomic enhancements, creating a collection that honors the building’s heritage while maintaining relevance.

The company’s extensive material palette allows for truly distinct creations. By working with woods, metals, and composites, the company offers clients customized pieces designed to last. “Every material has a character,” Taglianetti notes. “It’s our job to respect that while meeting a client’s needs.”

Sustainable Design Practices

As more consumers demand environmentally conscious products, Pontovi has prioritized sustainability. The company sources certified materials and uses waste-minimizing techniques in its California workshop, repurposing scraps into smaller items or prototypes. Wood is sourced from certified forests, and water-based finishes minimize environmental impact.

The House of Pontovi also uses computer-aided design (CAD) to optimize material use and reduce waste. CAD software allows precise visualizations and adjustments, which has helped the company reduce its carbon footprint. Furniture brands with sustainable practices have seen a 25% growth in consumer loyalty since 2021, a trend Pontovi is tapping into.

Currently active in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, Pontovi is expanding into major metropolitan areas such as London and Dubai, where demand for high-end custom interiors is rising. The company aims to reach new markets while retaining its commitment to local craftsmanship, working closely with artisans who enhance its signature aesthetic. This balanced approach allows the brand to adapt globally while offering personalized designs for each client’s culture and vision. As Taglianetti puts it, “We want our pieces to resonate globally but still feel personal to each client’s vision and culture.”

Educating Clients for Informed Design

A key feature of Pontovi’s work is client education. It fosters a collaborative relationship built on transparency by guiding clients through design choices, material options, and project feasibility. Each client receives CAD renderings and status updates through an online portal, providing a clear view of the process.

Surveys indicate that 85% of Pontovi clients report a better understanding of the design process, resulting in stronger client retention and repeat business. Taglianetti highlights this approach, saying, “Educating clients about their options isn’t just part of our service—it’s part of our identity.”

Notable Projects and Industry Recognition

Pontovi’s portfolio includes high-profile projects like the TransAmerica Pyramid’s redesign, which combined new and classic design elements. The company’s work with SHVO Properties and clients like Maria Shriver and Charlie Puth further demonstrates its ability to meet exacting standards.

In 2023, Pontovi was nominated for the International Design Excellence Awards, and partnerships with top architects and designers continue to bolster its reputation in luxury design. These collaborations illustrate the company’s consistent ability to meet high standards in sustainability and luxury.

With meticulous processes and a focus on design and sustainability, Pontovi’s vision for blending art with function exemplifies furniture that enhances the character and story of any space.

Expanding with New Showrooms in Beverly Hills & Miami

The House of Pontovi is excited to announce its expansion with new showrooms and ateliers in Beverly Hills and Miami, along with a representative location in San Francisco. Clients are invited to schedule a visit to explore Pontovi’s latest custom designs and experience their craftsmanship firsthand.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofpontovi/

Website: https://www.pontovi.com/

Inquiries: [email protected]

Pontovi – Custom Bespoke Furniture*Beautiful Interiors* Furniture Engineering

Lifestyle

Wanda Knight on Blending Culture, Style, and Leadership Through Travel

Published

4 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Michelle Langton

The best lessons in leadership do not always come from a classroom or a boardroom. Sometimes they come from a crowded market in a foreign city, a train ride through unfamiliar landscapes, or a quiet conversation with someone whose life looks very different from your own.

Wanda Knight has built her career in enterprise sales and leadership for more than three decades, working with some of the world’s largest companies and guiding teams through constant change. But ask her what shaped her most, and she will point not just to her professional milestones but to the way travel has expanded her perspective. With 38 countries visited and more on the horizon, her worldview has been formed as much by her passport as by her resume.

Travel entered her life early. Her parents valued exploration, and before she began college, she had already lived in Italy. That experience, stepping into a different culture at such a young age, left a lasting impression. It showed her that the world was much bigger than the environment she grew up in and that adaptability was not just useful, it was necessary. Those early lessons of curiosity and openness would later shape the way she led in business.

Sales, at its core, is about connection. Numbers matter, but relationships determine long-term success. Wanda’s time abroad taught her how to connect across differences. Navigating unfamiliar places and adjusting to environments that operated on different expectations gave her the patience and awareness to understand people first, and business second. That approach carried over into leadership, where she built a reputation for giving her teams the space to take ownership while standing firmly behind them when it mattered most.

The link between travel and leadership becomes even clearer in moments of challenge. Unfamiliar settings require flexibility, quick decision-making, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. The same skills are critical in enterprise sales, where strategies shift quickly and no deal is ever guaranteed. Knight learned that success comes from being willing to step into the unknown, whether that means exploring a new country or taking on a leadership role she had not originally planned to pursue.

Her travels have also influenced her eye for style and her creative pursuits. Fashion, for Wanda, is more than clothing; it is a reflection of culture, history, and identity. Experiencing how different communities express themselves, from the craftsmanship of Italian textiles to the energy of street style in cities around the world, has deepened her appreciation for aesthetics as a form of storytelling. Rather than keeping her professional and personal worlds separate, she has learned to blend them, carrying the discipline and strategy of her sales career into her creative interests and vice versa.

None of this has been about starting over. It has been about adding layers, expanding her perspective without erasing the experiences that came before. Wanda’s story is not one of leaving a career behind but of integrating all the parts of who she is: a leader shaped by high-stakes business, a traveler shaped by global culture, and a creative voice learning to merge both worlds.

What stands out most is how she continues to approach both leadership and life with the same curiosity that first took her beyond her comfort zone. Each new country is an opportunity to learn, just as each new role has been a chance to grow. For those looking at her path, the lesson is clear: leadership is not about staying in one lane; it is about collecting experiences that teach you how to see, how to adapt, and how to connect.

As she looks to the future, Wanda Knight’s compass still points outward. She will keep adding stamps to her passport, finding inspiration in new cultures, and carrying those insights back into the rooms where strategy is shaped and decisions are made. Her legacy will not be measured only by deals closed or positions held but by the perspective she brought, and the way she showed that leading with a global view can change the story for everyone around you.