Inlays, mosaics, lacquer, porcelain painted by hand, leatherwork and pottery, all represent a cultural legacy to be safeguarded, which enters the world of not just to find protection, but also to rise to a higher level thanks to technology and experimentation.
Alberto Vismara, in his first collaboration with A&B Living, has designed the rounded Undici sideboard, with a lacquered structure and frontal covering in slim rods of Murano glass. A piece imagined as having a glass reticello, a material that would usually be transformed from a rod into something else through fusion or assembly, and instead becomes an integral part and the main feature of the furniture.
The Dione Bistrot table from the ‘Alla Sera’ collection by Paolo Castelli brings out fine workmanship in marble and ceramic. The sculptural base supports a round top with a diameter of 100 or 120 cm., available in Calacatta and White Silk marble with matte finish, while the ribbed ceramic base with its bell-like form gleams thanks to the white glazed finish of the pleated surface. Ulterior brightness is produced by details in satin-finish gold with a circular form: a disk on which to place the entire figure and a circle at the center of the top, which catches the eye with its insertion in the marble grain.
A combination of wooden blocks generates Akiba by Provasi, a bookcase, console or bedside unit. The pieces come in different combinations and finishes: Honduras mahogany lined with fabric, natural oak with gold leaf inside, or lacquered with feather mahogany. It is a true ‘construction set’ in which the juxtaposition of volumes and different materials unleashes the imagination.
Fabio Ferrillo Belli and Friul Mosaic have joined forces to create Éclats, a new collection of mosaics formulated around three evocative themes, with nine subjects, 27 interpretations and infinite possibilities, ideal for the world of contract, wellness and residential spaces. The color, thanks to a unique palette of Venetian glazes, selected or specially created for the collection, becomes the protagonist. Every pattern can be interpreted in full color or black and white, or by leaving room for gray tones that partially desaturate the subject.
Inlaying is one of the most traditional decorative techniques, similar to mosaics but made by juxtaposing small pieces of different materials and colors on a flat surface. For the dining table of the Cromie collection by Bellotti Ezio with a top in gray stained canaletto walnut, the inlaid band includes 5000 small inserts in mother-of-pearl, blue-stained maple and canaletto walnut.
Margraf presents the Velata Collection, a new furniture series composed of a table and chair in Bianco Covelano marble, designed by Raffaello Galiotto. The stone material is shaped by age-old abilities, through tradition but also through technology, becoming a light fabric that seems ready to take flight.
The Domus collection by Ginori 1735, created in collaboration with the designer Luca Nichetto, represents a perfect fusion of contemporary design, traditional Italian craftsmanship and materials of the highest quality. The range of lamps, furniture and fabrics marks the company’s debut in the field of interior design. Among the various table lamps produced in collaboration with Barovier&Toso using extraordinary techniques, Sideris is a tribute to the courage of Galileo. The porcelain base, available in gold or platinum, supports a sphere of blown Venetian crystal, enhanced by a double layer of gold or silver leaf.
Still on the subject of lighting, Lantern by Time & Style ēdition (a brand of the Boffi | DePadova group) utilizes Sekishu washi paper, produced in the prefecture of Shimane. Skilled workmanship and a love of tradition become the leitmotif for these lamps; the mulberry fibers, including those of the bark, make the lamps strong and durable. The internal structure is composed of a coated stainless steel plate, while the shade is produced with Japanese paper and steel wire covered in the same paper; the border is in natural lime wood, and the feet are in black coated steel.
Eclectic and experimental, Ferruccio Laviani collaborates with Villari for the first time, creating a collection of unexpected decorative objects. The result is Mino, which takes its cue from the imagery of early video games, exploring new forms of expression in porcelain. An ensemble of accessories, in porcelain finished by hand in gold. The Mini Light is a candle holder that brightens and observes the user seated at a desk.
Like every Slamp creation, Quantica – designed by Adriano Rachele – is made by hand in the lighting atelier. In this case the artisans have applied a technique that links back to the tradition of leatherwork in Tuscany. The complex design of Quantica is possible thanks to the versatility of technopolymers, the materials utilized for all of the company’s products, in a combination of fine tailoring and innovation. Blades of Opalflex®, unbreakable and light, are folded and woven together – reaching a total length of 65 meters in the version with a diameter of 75cm, and 115 meters in the version with diameter 120cm – forming a geometric pattern inspired by Baroque decorations.
Bang & Olufsen presents the new portable home speaker Beosound A5, designed in collaboration with the Italian-Danish duo GamFratesi. Beosound A5 is available in two variants: aluminium in the natural version, with a cover in knotted fiber and a handle in pale oak; and the anthracite aluminium version, with cover and grip in dark oak. Other elegant details include workmanship like that of Panama hats, or the features in handwoven leather, based on the iconic Danish chairs of the 1960s.
Shizè is a container with a soft, organic shape, created by the Japanese duo Setsu & Shinobu Ito for Bottega Intreccio. The object resembles a large rock, and plays with the contrast between the ample size of the handwoven wicker and the leather element that functions as a lid or a plate. The longer portion calls for the use of “passate morte’’, passages where the strand does not complete its circuit. This requires exceptionally complex workmanship and a high level of expertise.
Jacqueline is a mixer faucet for washstands created by Gessi with hollow bamboo roots, which are selected one by one for their diameter and the lengths between the nodes, in order to adapt them in a natural way to the creation of mixers and complements. Each piece in the collection is made by hand, with such innovative and specialized craftsmanship that the brand has filed a patent for its invention.
