"Price is no object"
There is one sentence Marvin Schertl hears again and again in conversations about his clientele, and he says it himself without hesitation: "Price is no object." It describes not a price tag but an attitude. Anyone furnishing a house in which people are received does not calculate in square metres but in effect.
Dispatch: one to two truckloads of furniture a day
Markets: Switzerland, USA, Dubai, Italy, Côte d'Azur, Monaco
Production: furniture in Italy, ceramics in Spain, brass in India
Bespoke: carriages in the style of royal households, from 90,000 euros
Styles: baroque, art deco, neoclassical, art nouveau
The best clients are abroad
"Our best clients are not based in Germany," says Schertl. "We have strong clients in Switzerland, in the USA, in Dubai, in Italy, on the Côte d'Azur and in Monaco. Our clients love the unusual pieces and the high quality of Casa Padrino."
He speaks openly about the question of price: "Our clients have a fleet of cars, several villas, staff and much more. All of that has to be maintained, and above all it has to be furnished in the first place. That is where we come in, offering pieces the client has not seen in the flesh before, pieces that touch the heart and stir emotion."
From the mirrored console to the golden carriage
The range runs from gilded mirrored consoles with marble tops to baroque fountains, dining tables several metres long with hand-carved detail, opulent beds, large sculptures, golden bathtubs and the complete furnishing of house and garden.
Then there are the special requests: "We have clients who want a golden carriage, complete with every detail, just as in the old days. We deliver these in the style of a royal family." Carriages of this kind start at 90,000 euros and are made entirely by hand. One of these pieces, a carriage in the style of Louis XIV, stands today in a museum in Paris.
What a price in this segment actually represents
The difference between a piece at 900 and one at 9,000 euros rarely lies in the material alone. It lies in the hours someone has spent on it by hand: carving that is not milled. Gilding made of gold leaf rather than lacquer. Marble that is solid rather than veneered. Upholstery that is built up rather than laid on. Production at Casa Padrino is largely by hand, the furniture in Italy, ceramics by Spanish artisans, brass in Indian workshops. Dimensions, materials and finishes can be chosen freely for every project, up to a one-off piece that exists only once.
Where the designs come from
The designer collects his impressions on site. Almost monthly, Schertl travels to European luxury hotels to gather ideas for new designs. "I like being in castles and historic buildings. The old grand hotels have always impressed me, those are still real hotels with atmosphere." He recently returned from Florence, impressed by the building and by its furniture.
The same attitude takes the house to the great evenings of Europe, from Monte Carlo and Vienna to Cannes. Anyone who designs for such rooms has to know them from the inside.
About Casa Padrino
Casa Padrino is an international luxury furniture and interior brand from Essen, Germany, founded in 2007 by Marvin Schertl and run together with Dr Sina Schertl. The brand stands for handcrafted furniture and decorative pieces in the baroque, art deco, neoclassical and art nouveau styles. Casa Padrino furnishes luxury hotels, villas, yachts, restaurants and boutiques worldwide, takes on complete projects on request and produces individual one-off pieces.
