“How do you want to be remembered?” The answer that changes everything

It was June 29th when Jack Selby asked Charlie Kirk: “If everything completely disappeared, how would you want to be remembered?”

The answer came without hesitation: “I want to be remembered for the courage of my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.”

Seventy-three days later, on September 10th, a bullet fired from a nearby rooftop at Utah Valley University ended that life at 31. Three months have passed. But that answer wasn’t buried with him. It continues to challenge us.

(If you have 2 minutes: read to the end. If you have 30 seconds: jump to “The Answer We’re Asked For”. But Kirk’s question deserves both.)

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The Real Christmas Question (That Nobody Asks Anymore)

“What do you want?” asks consumerism.
“What do you want to be remembered for?” asks life.
It’s not the same question.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we all receive variations of the same question: “What do you want?” What do you want for Christmas. What are you expecting. What are you missing.

Kirk had flipped the perspective: “What do you want to be remembered for?”

The first question asks you to consume. The second asks you to build.
The first is about January. The second is about eternity.
The first speaks of desires. The second of identity.

A striking fact: The average American receives over 5,000 advertising messages per day (Forbes, 2024). All asking “What do you want?”. Zero asking “What do you want to be remembered for?”. Yet, according to Harvard research on positive psychology (2023), only the second question directly correlates with lasting fulfillment.

Pope Francis, a few months before his death, opening the Holy Door of the Jubilee Year we’re living, had said: “Often we stop only at the threshold; we don’t have the courage to cross it, because it challenges us.”

It challenges us. That’s why Kirk’s question still burns: because it crosses every threshold. It forces us to answer not what we want to have, but who we want to be.

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The Necessary Restlessness (That Saves From Corruption)

Father Andrea Pronzato prayed like this: “Lord, I ask You for some torment, some restlessness, some remorse. At Christmas I’d like to find myself unsatisfied. Happy, but also unsatisfied.”

In an age that has made immediate gratification the only reasonable goal, asking for restlessness seems absurd.

Yet stagnant water is the first to rot. Same goes for lives.

On college campuses, Kirk didn’t bring pre-packaged certainties. He brought precise questions. “Prove me wrong” was written on his tent. He didn’t fear confrontation because he had gone through that restlessness himself.

Don Giussani taught that the educational risk consists in accompanying the other to confront total reality, not in providing answers that spare questions. Kirk did this: he didn’t spare questions. Not for himself, not for others.

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The Natural Law That Unites Believers and Non-Believers

There’s something extraordinary: Charlie Kirk was evangelical, his wife Erika Catholic. He dialogued with bishops like Robert Barron. He was studying the Real Presence in the Eucharist. He was approaching the Catholic Church.

But on campuses he didn’t quote verses as ideological weapons. He used natural reason. He posed devastatingly simple questions: “If there’s no objective truth, on what basis do you found morality? If everything is subjective, why should I respect your rights?”

Stefano Fontana wrote: “Kirk’s message was based on universal natural law.” The one that says certain things are true before any religion. That killing innocents is wrong. That lying destroys. That every life has dignity.

It’s the same foundation Pope Francis recalled when speaking of “dialogue based on reason.” The same basis on which Thomas Aquinas dialogued with Muslims and Jews in the 13th century.

Truth doesn’t divide. Lies divide.

Kirk dialogued with everyone — atheists, Muslims, transgender people, socialists — not to convert them by force, but because he believed that in every person exists a desire for truth that can be awakened.

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Daily Work as Craftsmanship of Blessing

Pope Leo XIV, in his first Angelus on December 14th, said something striking: “Christ announces who he is through what he does. When you meet Jesus, life deprived of light, word, and taste finds meaning again: the blind see, the mute speak, the deaf hear.”

Through what he does.

In his last letter to the Curia before dying (December 2024), Francis had spoken of the “minutanti” — those Vatican employees who in their rooms prepare letters to mothers, fathers, prisoners, elderly, children. Invisible work. They don’t go on social media. They don’t appear on TV.

And he had quoted a holy priest who kept a note on his door: “My work is humble, humiliated, humiliating.” Then Francis added: “Humility as the way of blessing. Craftsmen of blessing.”

Here’s the point: every job can become craftsmanship of blessing.

A well-designed cabinet isn’t “just” furniture. It’s order that allows someone to work better, concentrate, live in an environment that doesn’t oppress but supports.

An ergonomic desk is concrete respect for the physical dignity of those who spend eight hours there.

A comfortable chair in a waiting room is tangible welcome: here you’re not a number.

An honest quote is manifestation of truth.

Attentive customer service is practice of fraternity.

Kirk understood this. He didn’t separate faith from daily life. As Fontana writes: “He dialogued not just to dialogue but to make true ideas win over false ones in dialogue.”

Not relativism. Not “all ideas have equal dignity.” It’s radical respect: I respect you enough to tell you the truth, not enough to lie to you just to avoid disturbing you.

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The Fraternity That Christmas Makes Possible

Francis, in his last Christmas (2024), said in the Urbi et Orbi: “May weapons fall silent.”

Not “Discuss better”. Not “Find a compromise”. May weapons fall silent.

When weapons speak, humanity is silenced. When violence dominates, reason abdicates. When hatred dictates terms, fraternity dies.

Kirk was killed while saying “Christ is Lord” and that the Son of God had “conquered death.” Killed not despite dialogue, but during dialogue. In front of 3,000 people. Twenty minutes after the start.

They silenced him with a precision rifle.

Pope Leo XIV, just four days ago (December 14th), at the Angelus denounced the resumption of clashes in Congo: “When God comes into the world, you can see it! But when man uses violence, God is obscured.”

Kirk’s question remains: “How do you want to be remembered?”

And Christian hope — as Leo XIV says quoting Francis’s bull “Spes non confundit” — is the one that “does not disappoint.”

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The Wide-Open Door That Requires a Step

“On this night the ‘holy door’ of God’s heart opens for you” — Francis said opening the Jubilee.

No selection. No test. No résumé. The door is wide open.

But — evangelical paradox — entering requires the sacrifice of taking a step. Leaving behind disputes and divisions.

One step. Not ten years of therapy. Not moral perfection. One step.

But which one?

The step Kirk took when he stopped defending only his own ideas to seek truth, even uncomfortable truth.

The step every person takes when they stop asking “What do I want?” and start asking “What do I want to be remembered for?”.

The step every worker takes when they transform their craft — any craft — into craftsmanship of blessing.

The step every parent takes when they renounce the fake peace of not disturbing children, to accompany them in confronting reality.

The step every entrepreneur takes when they decide that profit is the means to create dignity, not the end.

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The Answer We’re Asked For (Now)

In a few days we’ll celebrate Christmas.

Most of us have everything ready. Gifts bought. Restaurants booked. Days organized.

But are we ready for the real question?

“How do you want to be remembered?”

Not in fifty years. Now.

Christmas doesn’t celebrate a distant event. It celebrates the eruption of the eternal into time. Of God into History. Of ultimate Meaning into daily life.

Mary and Joseph didn’t know what would happen. They said yes one step at a time. The shepherds went “without delay” — not because they had understood everything, but because they had heard: “He is born for you.”

For you.

Not for someone else. Not for the perfect. For you.

Who perhaps feel inadequate. Who struggle to find meaning in repetitive days. Who look at the nativity scene with nostalgia for something you can’t define. Who wonder if everything — waking up, working, returning, starting over — truly has meaning.

The answer is yes.

But the question remains: what meaning?

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The Concrete Legacy (Starting Monday Morning)

Charlie Kirk won’t be remembered for followers. He’ll be remembered because he lived as if that question — “What do you want to be remembered for?” — was the only one that matters.

And it was. It is.

Monday morning, when we return to work, when we resume routines, when Christmas magic seems distant, that question will be waiting for us.

Not as condemnation. As liberation.

If the answer is clear, every day becomes part of that answer.

The well-designed cabinet becomes space of dignity.
The ergonomic desk becomes concrete respect.
The comfortable chair becomes welcome.
The honest quote becomes embodied truth.
The attentive service becomes lived fraternity.

No miracles needed. Consistency needed.

Don Giussani: “Faith either impacts daily life or it’s not faith, it’s ideology.”

Kirk understood it. Francis testified it. Leo XIV relaunches it. Christmas reminds us.

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The Question That Remains (And Saves Us)

We close with Father Andrea Pronzato, quoted by Francis: “Put into our ‘manger’, always too full, a handful of thorns. Put in our souls the desire for something else.”

Something else.

That healthy restlessness. That desire that isn’t satisfied. That question that finds no answer in things, results, achievements.

“How do you want to be remembered?”

If the answer is “for my faith” — as Kirk said — then it starts now.

Not tomorrow. Not after the holidays. Now.

Because the Child we celebrate was born in a manger not for romanticism, but because there was no room elsewhere. He was born outside, at the margin, in emergency.

And right there — in emergency, at the margin, in the daily that doesn’t go as we’d like — He waits for us.

With a question.

And hope, as Leo XIV says quoting Francis, “that does not disappoint.”

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QUOTES TO SAVE (share the one that strikes you most):

1. “What do you want?” asks consumerism. “What do you want to be remembered for?” asks life. It’s not the same question.
2. “Stagnant water is the first to rot. Same goes for lives.”
3. “Truth doesn’t divide. Lies divide.”
4. “Every job can become craftsmanship of blessing. Even designing a cabinet. Even answering an email.”
5. “No miracles needed. Consistency needed.”
6. “Christmas celebrates the eruption of the eternal into time. Of God into History. Of ultimate Meaning into daily life.”

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Merry Christmas.
And Happy New Year of real questions.

Web Summit in Lisbon is not a furniture fair. It is where you feel, almost physically, where businesses, technology and people are heading next.

This year, one thing was obvious: AI is no longer a trend. It is the new operating system of work. And when the way we work changes, the spaces where we work cannot stay the same.

If you design, manage or decide on offices in the US market, there is a question you cannot ignore: what will these shifts do to real workplaces by 2026?

Below are the strongest signals I brought home from Lisbon – translated into concrete implications for architects, interior designers, workplace strategists and corporate decision makers.

1. AI as a “colleague”: work becomes more mental, less mechanical

There was a common thread on stage: AI will not remove work; it will remove a large part of repetitive work. Humans will be left with what is more demanding: thinking, deciding, creating, coordinating.

That leads to a simple but uncomfortable truth: the problem in many offices is not the space itself, but how the space forces people to work.

If more work becomes mental, then workplaces must become:

• places that protect attention, not just host people;
• layouts that reduce friction, not add it;
• environments where focus is possible on demand, not a matter of luck.

An office with the wrong acoustic strategy is like a noisy restaurant: even the best “menu” of ideas becomes heavy after a while.

2. Hybrid rhythm: people will come to the office only when it’s worth it

Another clear signal from Web Summit: hybrid is not a phase. It is the new baseline. People will not show up at the office “by default”; they will show up when the office adds something they cannot get at home.

That changes the metric of value:

• it is no longer “how many desks can we fit?”;
• it is “what happens here that could not happen anywhere else?”;
• it is “does this space justify the commute?”

Here is the contrast that matters: it is not a trend; it is the new way companies make decisions about space.

Projects that still treat the office as a static container risk missing the point. The office is becoming a high-value experience hub, not just a real estate line item.

3. Cognitive overload: the office as an antidote, not another source of noise

Between AI tools, notifications, constant messaging and endless video calls, the real threat is not technology itself – it is cognitive overload.

This is where many workplaces fail in a way you can feel every single day: the furniture mistake is not visible at first sight; you feel it in your head and your body.

Designing workstations without analyzing how people actually work is like picking eyeglasses without checking your vision first: you might still “see”, but you pay the price in fatigue and performance.

By 2026, the most effective offices in the US will be the ones that:

• treat acoustic comfort as a strategic asset, not a luxury;
• create mental “escape routes” inside open spaces;
• use light as cognitive support, not just decoration.

A single well-placed acoustic wall can be worth more than a dozen meetings about distractions.

4. Identity and first impression: the workplace speaks before anyone does

On stage in Lisbon, reputation and trust were recurring themes. Technology may be invisible, but the spaces where decisions are made are not.

In more than twenty years of projects, one thing has always been true: spaces tell who you are long before you say a word.

A reception area that has not been designed with intention is like a slow website: you lose part of your audience before the real experience even starts.

By 2026, the most competitive companies will treat their office as:

• a physical extension of their brand promise;
• a proof of how they think about people, not just about profit;
• a quiet but powerful signal to clients and talent: “this is how we work”.

It is not “just furniture”. It is performance.

5. Scalability and uncertainty: designing spaces that can change without starting over

If AI speeds up decisions, experiments and reorganizations, then one thing is guaranteed for workplaces: change will be more frequent. Teams grow, shrink, merge, pivot. And many office layouts are simply not built for that.

The result? Projects fail for a very simple reason: nobody measured how quickly the space would need to adapt.

A deep redesign every time is not realistic. What you need is a structure that can absorb change.

Practically, this means:

• micro-areas with clear functions that can swap or scale;
• meeting rooms that can turn into project rooms or focus areas when needed;
• systems, not one-off pieces: layouts that age well because they can be reconfigured.

The best design studios we see in action have one thing in common: they measure everything – flows, noise, light, usage – and design for scenarios, not snapshots.

6. Human side: beyond aesthetics, towards spaces that reduce stress

One of the most important shifts at Web Summit was subtle but powerful: technology talks are finally including the human nervous system in the conversation.

An office that makes people feel well produces better teams. Always. Not because it is “beautiful”, but because it removes friction:

• a chair that fits the body instead of fighting it;
• a workstation that does not force bad posture;
• a layout that does not make every conversation a public announcement.

A non-ergonomic chair is like a shoe two sizes too small: you can technically wear it, but every minute is a reminder that something is wrong.

An open space without any mental “escape zone” is like a gym without rest: sooner or later, someone crashes.

Conclusion: what Web Summit really means for US workplace projects

Web Summit does not tell us which chair or desk to choose. It does something more important: it shows us how fast work, expectations and decision-making are changing.

The offices of 2026 in the US will not necessarily be bigger. They will be smarter.

The real challenge for architects, designers and workplace leaders is no longer to create spaces that simply look good, but to design environments that make work easier, clearer and more sustainable for the people inside them.

Many companies change their furniture hoping to fix problems that are not in the furniture, but in the way people live the space. Then a single acoustic intervention, a correctly adjusted workstation or a better light angle can shift the entire experience.

It is not magic. It is effective workplace design. And the firms that start designing with these signals in mind today will be the ones leading the conversation in 2026.

Our hope has a name: Jesus. This Easter, we wish to share with you the certainty of a living presence that renews everything. Christ is risen and still walks with us today — through our fears, within our struggles, reigniting hope at the heart of our time.

As Pope Francis reminds us, “Christ lives. He is our hope and the most beautiful youth of this world… He lives and He wants you to live!” He is not a distant memory, but a living presence who saves us now, calling us to begin again, whatever our situation.

For us at La Mercanti, Easter is a moment to renew our trust in what continually inspires us: beauty, authenticity, and human value. We wish all our clients, partners and friends an Easter filled with new life, true liberation, and concrete hope — in your family, in your work, in everyday life.

Dear Friends,

In this Christmas season, we would like to share with you a reflection on the profound meaning of this celebration.
As Pope Francis reminds us, what we need are:

“Credible witnesses who, through their lives and words, make the Gospel visible, awakening an attraction to Jesus Christ, to the Beauty of God.”

Christmas is the opportunity to make the Essential visible—Jesus Christ—through our daily actions.

Nicolino Pompei from the Fides Vita Movement emphasizes the urgency to:

“Return to Jesus, to encounter Him, to bring Jesus back among the people, to allow the attraction to Jesus Christ to awaken again”

and further:

“To Jesus: the real one, the living one… not, as C. S. Lewis writes, ‘something that resembles Him.'”

This invitation urges us to live Christmas not merely as a commemoration, but as an opportunity to rediscover and bear witness to the living and true presence of Christ in our lives.

Even saying “Merry Christmas” or “Season’s Greetings” is not a trivial or purely formal act. It is a gift: it means wishing the true good for others, a good that is not limited to a superficial happiness, but encompasses the hope of the true joy that only the presence of Jesus can bring.

When we say “Merry Christmas”, we are really saying:

“May the peace and love of the God-made-Man fill your life and your home.”

With this spirit, the entire team at La Mercanti wishes you a Christmas filled with peace, joy, and love.
May you rediscover the essence of this celebration and bring it into your daily life, making the Essential visible in your families and communities.

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Merry Christmas.

The ORGATEC 2024 trade fair, held in Cologne from October 22-25, was once again a pivotal event for the global office furniture industry. For La Mercanti, attending ORGATEC is a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in the latest innovations and trends, connect with leading brands, and select cutting-edge products to meet the evolving needs of modern workplaces. This year, the event was particularly focused on reimagining office spaces to reflect the “Future of Work,” emphasizing flexible solutions that prioritize well-being, adaptability, and sustainability.

Key Trends at ORGATEC 2024

The ORGATEC 2024 edition showcased a variety of product innovations aimed at meeting the changing demands of office environments. Among the highlights were:

1. Phone Booths and Office Pods: Addressing the growing need for privacy in open-plan offices, companies unveiled new phone booths and office pods. These acoustic solutions enable focused work and private conversations without compromising the collaborative nature of the workspace.
2. Height Adjustable Desks: With ergonomics remaining a central concern, height-adjustable desks attracted attention for their ability to promote comfort and productivity by allowing users to alternate between sitting and standing positions.
3. Acoustic Panels and Sound Absorption: As noise management continues to be a top priority in offices, innovative acoustic panels and sound-absorbing solutions were a focal point, designed to create more peaceful and productive work environments.
4. Modular Bookcase Systems for Space Division: Metal bookcases and modular shelving solutions are redefining office layouts by providing flexible, aesthetic solutions for dividing spaces without sacrificing openness.

Spotlight on Exhibitors: Key Brands and Innovations

Quadrifoglio Group: Design for the Modern Workplace

Quadrifoglio Group, an esteemed Italian brand represented by La Mercanti, made a significant impact at ORGATEC 2024. Embracing the theme of “The Future of Work,” Quadrifoglio divided its stand into six unique display areas, allowing visitors to experience their vision for office design first-hand. Quadrifoglio showcased products from its three divisions—Design Office, Design Living, and Design Lighting—with a special focus on enhancing well-being and flexibility in the workspace.

Standout products included:

• X-Change Acoustic Booth: A soundproof booth perfect for privacy in open-office settings.
• Ode Task Chair: A versatile and ergonomic chair that balances style with functionality.
• Six Table and Z1 Reception Desk: Providing modern and adaptable solutions for various office settings.
• Cartesio Architectural System: An innovative solution that enhances both aesthetic appeal and functionality, allowing for extensive customization with various materials and finishes.

Quadrifoglio also introduced new seating and sofa options from its Living division in collaboration with Edi & Paolo Ciani and Dorigo Design. Additionally, their Lighting division presented a new sound-absorbing lighting system, designed by Moreno De Giorgio, that integrates acoustics with lighting for a multi-functional approach to office design.

Framery: Leading the Way in Office Privacy Solutions

Framery, a pioneer in office privacy, showcased its renowned phone booths and office pods that provide a quiet and private space for calls or focused work. Framery’s solutions are designed to seamlessly fit into any office layout, enhancing the work environment with advanced acoustic engineering that minimizes distractions and promotes productivity.

Bralco: Height-Adjustable Desks for Dynamic Workspaces

Bralco, another key exhibitor, highlighted its Nuvola height-adjustable desks, which bring ergonomic benefits to the workplace. These desks support a healthier work posture by allowing users to easily switch between sitting and standing, a crucial feature for modern offices focused on employee well-being.

Pedrali: Italian Craftsmanship in Contemporary Design

Renowned for its modern and versatile office furniture, Pedrali impressed visitors with a variety of seating options that combine aesthetics with durability. Their chairs and tables stand out for their sleek design and high-quality materials, making them ideal for both collaborative workspaces and formal meeting areas.

Las Mobili: Showcasing Executive Elegance

Although not exhibiting directly at ORGATEC, Las Mobili presented its latest product, the Monolith executive desk, at the nearby Hotel Dorint. This desk combines striking design with functionality, embodying the elegance and sophistication suited for executive environments.

DesignPost: Discovering New Trends and Collections

Outside the main ORGATEC exhibition, La Mercanti also visited DesignPost, a dedicated showroom space that hosted innovative collections from several of our partner brands. Here, we explored notable introductions from Arper and Dieffebi.

• Arper’s Catifa Carta: This eco-conscious chair, made from PaperShell, a sustainable material derived from recycled wood by-products, was a standout. Catifa Carta merges Arper’s commitment to Italian design with sustainable materials, offering a unique option for modern, environmentally-conscious offices.
• Dieffebi’s Line Modular Bookcase System: Dieffebi showcased its Line modular bookcase system, which is perfect for dividing spaces while maintaining a sleek, open feel. Made from metal, these modular shelves add structure and functionality to offices without compromising the aesthetic.

Why ORGATEC Matters for La Mercanti

ORGATEC serves as a hub for discovering and understanding new solutions in the office furniture industry. For La Mercanti, this year’s exhibition provided valuable insights into the latest products that align with our clients’ needs for flexible, ergonomic, and sustainable office solutions. By attending ORGATEC, we ensure that we are always at the forefront of innovation, selecting only the best brands and products to recommend to our clients.

Whether you’re interested in office pods, phone booths, height-adjustable desks, acoustic panels, or modular bookcase systems, La Mercanti offers a curated selection of high-quality products from leading brands showcased at ORGATEC. Contact us today to learn more about the latest office furniture innovations and request a personalized quote.

Explore the future of office design with La Mercanti, and bring Italian craftsmanship and modern solutions to your workspace.

From 18 to 23 April, on the occasion of the Milan Design Week, at the Salone del Mobile new furnishings have been proposed to respond to the increasingly complex needs of users and to promote individual and collective well-being. Naturally La Mercanti was there to catch all the news in the sector of office furniture and contract furniture.

As always, the Salone del Mobile is a meeting place, where new opportunities arise in the world of design and projects; at the same time it is a laboratory of creativity, experimentation and contamination of styles and ideas that concern the whole world. It is a place available and open to discussion, to bring out innovation and propose contents of cultural and professional value. Like every year, visitors were able to see the new trends for the furniture and furnishing sector with the use of recent technologies. When technology changes lifestyles, furniture adapts to this change: the home space becomes an office and the work space becomes as warm and welcoming as the home.

The materials most used to produce the furnishings are certainly wood and metal.
Natural and sustainable, wood is now an undisputed protagonist and is confirmed as the most loved material by almost all brands. We tend to keep it as natural as possible by treating it with transparent or opaque finishes so as to leave its veins visible. Simple and minimal lines are often chosen by playing on not too accentuated curvatures that highlight the craftsmanship of the products.
Technology and design merge in the furnishings in which metal is used, forged into slender but very solid shapes to create useful, intelligent and particular solutions.

There were many brands at the Salone Del Mobile 2023. Among these there was Caimi Brevetti proposing furnishings in which the technology of its sound-absorbing fabrics, from this year in ECONYL, recycled nylon fiber, blends with everyday objects, creating hybrid furnishings. The novelties by Caimi Brevetti can be summed up in Lucrezio, a sound-absorbing table designed by Caimi Lab and Integral, a sound-absorbing panel that engages a LED light source to enrich the possibilities of use.
In the LaPalma collections, many novelties are full of imagination to create aesthetically and qualitatively satisfying environments, designed to encourage work, relaxation or conviviality. Here is the completely renovated space of Lapalma for Architects, once again proposing itself as a place of inspiration, creativity and dialogue for architects and interior designers. LaPalma has proposed 10 environments inspired by contemporary places where flexible and sustainable collections emerge that convey contents such as sustainability, well-being and inclusion.