Our interviews with designers, architects, builders, producers and professionals from the world of international design.

Tag Archive for: Interviews

Vener: bespoke furniture from mechanics to design

Vener: bespoke furniture from mechanics to design

Vener was born in 1969 and is distinguished by a particular aspect: customized furniture. We had the opportunity to interview the president Giovanni Vener.

For more than twenty years, in Valbrona, in the province of Como, Giovanni Vener has been involved in the production of mechanical products in the family business.

Giovanni Vener photographed by Giorgio Lorini.

“We often supplied carpentry workshops with metal frames for the creation of handcrafted furniture.”

It all started with a manufacturing scrap: an aluminum sheet to be scrapped. Giovanni Vener conceives metal as a plastic mass: thus he transforms a piece of aluminum into a panel that anticipates the furnishing elements, typical of creative recycling.

“I have always loved the scent and texture of raw materials, heating and shaping iron following my imagination has always fascinated me and, as in many success stories, mine too started with a very simple request.”

Why did Giovanni Vener choose this career?

We asked Giovanni Vener why he chose this career.

“The reason for my willingness to now devote most of my day to this activity is simple, here I am I feel alive, here I find my identity as a human being in harmony with my surroundings. I create as if I were making each item to give it t”o a friend with my heart.”

Materials

Vener uses only natural raw materials of great quality: solid wood, metal, stone and glass. Few materials, handcrafted, joined without the use of chemicals, combined in innovative way: there is no use of glue or acrylic paints.

The wood mostly comes from Como lands, smoothed to reach a surprising velvet effect preserving its natural shades or used exactly as it is, as in the case of logs used as table base.

Stone used is the marble of the Lombard valleys, a material that offers great stability and versatility, allowing different processes for each project.

The metal is skillfully treated, with a complete technical know-how to obtain surprising effects of brightness and decorations.

Vener Tailor made art

The 2012 led to the birth of Vener Tailor Made Art. A team of 12 carpenters, mechanics and carpenters create the works conceived and designed by Giovanni Vener.

Stainless steel, aluminum, iron, copper and cortén steel that blend with essences such as chestnut, cedar of Lebanon, with stone, marble, glass. A path that has given life to modern furnishings, unique pieces or in any case in super limited reproduction, which live an elegant balance of form and material, between craftsmanship and industrial archeology, between art and design.

“We create our pieces moved by imagination and the will to create something unique. Our customers have the privilege of having custom-made pieces of art, unique creations.”

Do you need Vener products for your project? Request a free quote

Credits: Photographs courtesy of Vener. Photo of Giovanni Vener by Giorgio Lorini.

Guerra Vanni: bespoke luxury furniture

Guerra Vanni: bespoke luxury furniture

Guerra Vanni was founded in the 1960, in San Pietro di Morubio (VR), immediately setting on the luxury furniture sector.

“Since 1962 we have been producing furniture and furnishing accessories for homes all over the world. Roots in tradition, contemporary vision, international design, craftsmanship: these are our distinctive traits.”

Family business. From left: Jenny, Vanni and Giada Guerra.

Made in Italy

Guerra Vanni is synonymous with Made in Italy. It was born in an area which has always been known and appreciated for the artisan production of furniture. Manual skills and attention to detail handed down by grandparents and great-grandparents combines with the typical Made in Italy mentality, to guarantee quality and good taste.

Guerra Vanni: Made in Italy production
Hand crafted decoration

Customized projects

Guerra Vanni creates customized projects. The most stunning furniture doesn’t just happen. It is carefully thought, designed and crafted. And this is exactly the ethos behind Guerra Vanni.

“The starting point of every collaboration is always your dream: how did you imagine your room? How would it make you feel comfortable and at home? It’s from this information that a detailed map of the area is created, and a 3D project is born. In this way, you can touch the final result right away.”

“We like to reflect a genuine connection with our clients and lifestyle: the colors they love, the type of wood and the materials they prefer. It’s only up to us to adapt their preferences perfectly to the style of the furniture we make.”

Best projects

In Guerra Vanni the team establishes a relationship of trust and respect with every customer.

“Customers like Mrs Silvia of the Los Angeles project are the greatest satisfaction for us. After 15 years, last year she contacted us to renew her house in contemporary style.”

Furniture for Silvia in Los Angeles

Guerra Vanni in the world

Today Guerra Vanni is a reference point in Italy and in the world thanks to its classic collection, synonymous with tradition and nobility, and to the contemporary, fresh, youthful, and daily collection.

Over the years, the team has specialized in the characteristics and needs of each country. From America to Asia, passing through Africa and even Australia: Guerra Vanni is everywhere where craftsmanship, good taste and elegance are sought.

Do you need Guerra Vanni products for your project? Request a free quote.

Credits: Photographs courtesy of Guerra Vanni.

Light in the house

How to create lighting for the different rooms of the house?

We talk about it with Filippo Cannata, international Lighting Designer, who explains how to manage the light inside and outside the houses.

Filippo Cannata

“All the rooms of the house are micro-worlds in which life unfolds.”

Benefits for you

The Cannata / Salbini partnership offers our customers the opportunity to rely essentially on a “genius” who takes care of every detail of the project for what concerns lighting.

Contact us now

Humans since 1982: Synergy between design and function

Humans since 1982: Connection between design and function

Humans since 1982 was founded in 2009 by Bastian Bischoff and Per Emanuelsson while the pair were studying together on a postgraduate course at HDK Academy of Art and Design in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Later they relocated to Stockholm where the studio is now based. 

Per Emanuelsson and Bastian Bischoff photographed by Tim Meier.

We had the opportunity to interview Per Emanuelsson and Bastian Bischoff, founders of Humans since 1982.

Can you tell us about The ClockClock Project by Humans since 1982? 

The ClockClock was the first Humans since 1982 artwork that used and subverted clocks.

“We had been experimenting with an animated typography, developing a font that was based on a grid of clocks. We would manipulate the clock hands to make letters and numbers written out over several clock faces, but once the clock hands started rotating again then the numbers would fall apart and disappear. This led to the core concept of our clock-based works: the hands across multiple analogue clock faces are programmed to move in unison, creating an abstract ‘choreography’ then align once each minute to accurately display the time, written out by clock hands in a digital typography.” 

How do A million Times work? 

“A million Times is our ongoing series of wall-mounted, kinetic sculptures that are also a functioning wall clock. We took the original concept of The ClockClock and developed it in ambition, complexity and scale to make bigger artworks with more clock faces, and more varied choreographies which we launched in 2013. While The ClockClock had only one choreography, A million Times now has 20 unique choreographies on each artwork.” 

And ClockClock 24? 

ClockClock 24 was originally developed in collaboration with MoMA Design Store in New York. It was launched in 2015 and has been one of the studio’s signature pieces ever since.

“As with the larger works it tells the times once a minute, and is also hand assembled in our Stockholm studio. After a couple of years we added 22 karat gold plated hands as an option for ClockClock 24 so we continue to experiment with materials and different finishes, and we are also curious to explore some collaborations with other artists and designers too.” 

What distinguishes the new ClockClock 9 from its predecessors?

“ClockClock 9 is distinct in that it is the first piece to tell time using analogue clock hands. The nine clock faces show a new selection of choreographies specifically designed for its smaller, circular format and then once each minute, or at intervals defined by the user via the app, the time is shown using the central clock face.”

Only the first 100 pieces are available and selling out quickly! 

Do you need Humans since 1982 artworks for your project? Request a free quote.

Credits: Photographs courtesy of Humans since 1982. Photo of Per Emanuelsson and Bastian Bischoff by Tim Meier.

The importance of collaboration

To create a harmonious project it is necessary for the designer-architect to involve all the professionals who must be part of it from the very beginning.

The collaboration between architect / interior designer and lighting designer

In this video interview we talked about it with the Lighting Designer Filippo Cannata, who has been collaborating for over thirty years in the realization of residential, commercial, urban and hospitality projects in various countries.

Cannata explains how the lighting project also begins with the architectural project.

In fact, light is a fundamental element of architecture and interior design, which is why it must be designed when the idea for the project is born.

Filippo Cannata

“Light becomes the language through which architecture and interior design are expressed, to which the client’s identity is added”.

Benefits for you

The Cannata / Salbini partnership offers our customers the opportunity to rely essentially on a “genius” who takes care of every detail of the project for what concerns lighting.

Contact us now

Salbini Experience: Vittoria Chiarilli from Australia

Our Australia manager Vittoria Chiarilli is an Interior Designer. She has a small studio called Marly Hemisphere which operates out of Melbourne Australia.

She has been in Milano for the Salone del Mobile and then we interviewed her in Pagani.

Childhood

She has always been artistic as a child.

“As a very young girl l would accompany my father to his work – he was a builder and l would find small objects on his building sites and make sculptures to take home and show my mum. I learned to sew at 14 and draft all my own patterns for clothes l made. I was happiest when l was creating and making things.”

Favourite design style

Some of her favourite design styles are: Neo Classic, Post Modern, Scandinavian, Midcentury Modern and Art Deco.

Functionality or appeal?

When asked if she prefers functionality or appeal she says she prefers to try to combine both.

“It means l can have something look beautiful but also importantly provide the client with an easy to use space that meets most of their needs”

What are a couple of questions you’d ask to discover your client’s requirements?

Some of the questions she usually asks a client are:

  • what are you trying to achieve in the space?
  • are we using some existing items/furniture you have
  • how do you live in the space
  • Are you looking for locally made furniture or are you wanting to consider furniture manufactured overseas
  • And then most importantly what is your budget”

These are important questions to ask a client to begin a good collaboration.

Keeping up with industry changes and with the latest Interior Design styles

Keeping up with industry changes is at times difficult in a fast changing world.

“I try where l can to go to trade shows such as Salone del Mobile which often provide a great source of inspiration
 I keep myself up to date with the latest design styles by following interior designers and architects on instagram and the internet that interest me.” 

It’s also important working in collaboration with other designers.

Imagine your client asks you to design a room in a way that is visually pleasing but not practical. How would you react?

“If they are just wanting a room/space to look beautiful and it be never used then we don’t need to be practical, but if the space is an area that is used frequently it is my job to highlight to the client the disadvantages of being in a space that is not practical.”

It’s important to create spaces that are thoughtful, reflect the client’s personality and ultimately give the client great satisfaction to move within these spaces.

When a client rejects all your design concepts

The design process needs to be a collaboration between client and designer and in order to achieve this successfully there must be a level of trust from the client.

“When a client rejects all my design concepts it usually means they have perhaps not chosen the right designer for their project. Initial meetings with clients are crucial, they establish if we will be able to work together and if there is a potential to clash.”

Vittoria Chiarilli at the Auditorium Theater in Pagani

Why Salbini for the supply of European design products?

Using a company like Salbini means that clients are dealing directly with an agent out of Italy. One of the benefits is that a customer can buy different type of products all through one agent. 

Moreover, “Things are done more quickly if there is an issue or drama.” Another reason would be cost saving. It’s all advantageous.

With Salbini Experience we will open the doors of the best Italian companies to you.

Do you need to carry out projects with the best design products? Come to Italy!

Find out more

Salbini Experience: Scott Wilson from Australia

Scott Wilson is our commercial manager and agent in Australia.

He came in Italy in June 2022 for the Salone del Mobile and then he visited Pagani, where we had the opportunity to interview him.

“I love Italy and working with Italians
 I like the beautiful people in the South”.

His role

He’s the commercial manager and agent in Australia.

“I have to face between our team in Pagani and our clients in Australia: mainly with commercial clients but also with private ones as well”.

“
dealing with the client, being the middle piece between the Australian clients and our team in Pagani
 I love being part of the process”.

Interesting aspects of the job

Scott loves everything about his job but several things stand out most:

“
dealing with the client, being the middle piece between the Australian clients and our team in Pagani
 I love being part of the process
 I get to see beautiful pieces of furniture, beautiful joinery”.

What clients usually ask

Clients ask Scott lots of things: they ask about the prices but they are also curious about the process and how Salbini operates. They also want to now about Salbini.

“I tell them the history of Pagani and the history of the company”.

Relationship Pagani-Sydney

It’s amazing this relationship Pagani-Sydney.

“We get to expose Australians to this part of Italy
 I feel very proud that I get to tell the story of Pagani and our business, which is a family”.

Scott Wilson and Filippo Salbini
Scott Wilson in Pagani

The future of the job

Scott is very positive about the future of Salbini.

“In 2 years we will have more staff, more commercial clients, we will grow even larger
 I see exciting things for Salbini in Australia and in every other country as well”.

Salbini Experience: Chan Yoon from South Korea

Chan Yoon is our South Korea Manager and came to visit us in Italy in June 2022. 

Before going to Milan together for the Salone del Mobile 2022, Chan was our guest in Southern Italy. 

It was a pleasure meeting him and having the opportunity of interviewing him. He has been part of our family for more than 2 years.

The first contact and collaboration with us

Chan met us for the first time as a client and he was very satisfied with the service:

“It was not about money, but it was more about solving my problem to make my room the most beautiful place in the world.”

And that’s how he got confidence and decided to work with us.

His role 

“At the beginning, I was a one-man show. Now my business has gone to 5 people”.

He handles B2B projects, sometimes B2C as well, meeting the clients.

The interesting aspects of his job

There are two interesting aspects in Chan’s job: being able to provide great furniture to his customers; being able to provide new brands in South Korea and seeing excitement in the clients.


Chan Yoon is an interior designer, founder of Stretta Furniture and Stretta Studio in Seoul

Favorite brands

When asked what are his favorite brands, Chan told us that what he loves more about Italian furniture is that they make the best use of materials.

“The very first furniture that I came to import was Poltrona Frau. I really love their leather and its luxurious use”.

He also appreciates DV Home and Misuraemme.

The future of the market in South Korea 

“I think that our company could become number one in terms of luxury brands”.

The meeting with the Italian team

Chan had the opportunity to spend time with our Italian team to take care of the details of some projects under construction in South Korea and also to spend some relaxing moments on the Amalfi Coast, in Pompeii, Salerno and with the Salbini family.

Chan Yoon, JInho Shin and Francesco Ferrara in Amalfi
Chan Yoon, Carmela Salbini and Filippo Salbini in Corbara

Dinner and relaxation with the Salbini family

With Salbini Experience we will open the doors of the best Italian companies to you.

Do you need to carry out projects with the best design products? Come to Italy!

Find out more

Cannata for Salbini

New Lighting Design service thanks to the collaboration with Filippo Cannata.

Filippo Cannata

We are very proud to introduce our brand new partnership with Filippo Cannata, an international awarded lighting designer, very well known across industry for his expertise, know-how and human values, with over 30 years of experience in lighting design for homes, museums, theaters, hotels, restaurants, airports and subways in many different countries.

Benefits for you

The Cannata / Salbini partnership offers our customers the opportunity to rely essentially on a “genius” who takes care of every detail of the project for what concerns lighting.

Contact us now

The sinuous anatomy of nature in Michael Sean Stolworthy’s design

Serous Bar Stool by Michael Sean Stolworthy

Michael Sean Stolworthy’s unique style is characterized by sinuous shapes inspired by nature in a continuous exploration of forms.

Who is Michael Sean Stolworthy

Michael Sean Stolworthy
Michael Sean Stolworthy.

Michael is an internationally acclaimed designer.

After earning a degree in Media Arts and 3-D Animation, Michael decides to move away from the world of corporate design and to fully explore the fusion of art and product design.

In 2010 he founded MSMD | Studio, his design studio based in Las Vegas, NV USA, where today he designs and creates visual effects, theatrical events, staging, furniture and objects, combining traditional production methods with computer-aided production.

Its clients also include major brands such as Marvel Studios, Ferrari, Microsoft, Samsung, Royal Caribbean and many more.

We had the pleasure of meeting Michael in 2021, for a great project that we took care of in Australia and we immediately appreciated his personality, professionalism and his unique style.

For these reasons we decided to ask him some questions and post his answers on our blog.

Nature as inspiration.

“I’m fascinated by the sinuous anatomy found in nature and the ocean. Fluid organic forms in the beauty of the raw world around us.”

Michael Sean Stolworthy

In his works it’s very important the relation between art and design.

He affirmed: “I aim to translate the sinuous language of nature into curvaceous fluid forms infused with a subtle balance of modern and contemporary flare. Harnessing technology with a digital workflow, I capitalize on the power and vast possibilities of design software, 3D printing, and automated machining. These tools give me the freedom to push at the boundaries between art & design and ultimately bring my organic design visions into the real world”.

The dream project.

Michael says his dream project is the Serous chairs: “My “Serous” chairs were featured in the Oscar winning Marvel Studios film Black Panther! I was contacted by the studio while they were still filming and was commissioned to make 15 exclusive pieces for the Vibranium Technology Lab scenes. It was surreal to see my work on the big screen. The film won the Oscar for Best Production Design & Set Decoration as well! To add to that, I was invited again to design for the sequel Black Panther II film releasing later this year. You will see some very cool organic works with my signature on them.”

Inflection table and Plexus drink table.

Among his best designs there are the Inflection table and the Plexus drink table. We asked him how they were conceived.

“Like many of my works I start out by studying and manipulating platonic solids and geometric primitive geometries and let my imagination do the rest. These pieces were conceived in such a way of bringing function and beauty to a mathematical form in the computer and having it transcend into a real world piece.”

Inflection Table

Derived as an exploratory computational design. Inflection points in differential geometry are the points of the curve where the curvature changes. Hammer forged in bronze and hand polished.

Plexus Drink Table

Geometrically morphed from a dodecahedron platonic solid into a chic network of subdued pentagonal & hexagonal voids. The Plexus table has a beautifully polished bronze exterior with a contrasting dark patina interior making it a curious piece for conversation.”

Image credits: MSMD | Studio – Marvel