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20

CONTRIBUTORS

22

The Tonsure exhibition held by Studio 2046
in Treviglio. Turn to page 58 for the full story.

VL ONLINE

24

EDITOR’S LETTER

27

SALONE DEL MOBILE
Vogue Living reports on the highlights
of Milan Design Week 2024

58

STAGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHALIE KRAG

An intimate exhibition by Studio 2046
puts art in conversation with interiors

66

THE GODFATHERS OF
ITALIAN DESIGN
The phenomena that birthed Italy’s design
greats and shaped its creative DNA
13 V O G U E L I V I N G

The living room of a 19th-century apartment in
Naples renovated by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva.

102

MASTER STROKE
For her latest design opus in Melbourne,
Fiona Lynch presents what might be her
most allegorical colour palette to date

114

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
YSG breaks from coastal living tropes
by bringing retro nostalgia and European
eccentricity to a Byron Bay home

124

NAPOLI IN COLOUR
Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva restores a 19thcentury apartment in Naples by reanimating
the intention of the original architect

138

72

FASHION HOUSE

GRAND CRU

A new Designer Rugs collection by
multidisciplinary talent Jordan Gogos
launches at Australian Fashion Week

Designed for epicurean pleasures, a Point
Piper residence by Jillian Dinkel asks guests
to drink in its modern gothic ambience

88

75

148

THE VL EDIT

NUOVA TRADIZIONE

A curated list of the latest statement makers
including a range of biodegradable tables
and stools by Patricia Urquiola and Mater

Inspired by the chance to revisit a project in
Sydney, Greg Natale distils old expressions
of Italian style into a new, sensual aesthetic
14 V O G U E L I V I N G

PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHALIE KRAG

KINGDOM COME
In a centuries-old Neapolitan palazzo,
architect Antonio Giuseppe Martiniello
manifests his vision for the future

160

DIVINE INSPIRATION
A boutique hotel designed by a revered
Italian architect pays homage to Orvieto’s
striped cathedral and aristocratic history

170

PAINTING POSITANO
Artists at Le Sirenuse transforms the
hotel’s world-famous swimming pool

172

SOURCES
Contact details for the products, people
and retailers featured in this issue

176

OPPOSITES ATTRACT
The Cornaro armchair by Carlo Scarpa is
a graceful orchestration of distinct parts

COVER

The façade of the Duomo di Orvieto in Italy.
Photographer: Nathalie Krag
Turn to page 160 for the full story.

PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHALIE KRAG

Be part of the conversation:
#VogueLiving #loveVL

A room at the Palazzo Petrvs boutique hotel in Orvieto.

16 V O G U E L I V I N G

REBECCA CARATTI
EDITORINCHIEF
ART DIRECTOR Sandy Dao
ACTING ART DIRECTOR Joshua Morris
DEPUTY EDITOR Lindyl Zanbaka
STYLE EDITOR Joseph Gardner
MELBOURNE EDITOR & FEATURES WRITER Annemarie Kiely
DIGITAL
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY AND ECOMMERCE Francesca Wallace
HEAD OF DIGITAL CONTENT AND GROWTH Mahalia Chang HEAD OF BRAND Yeong Sassall
AUDIENCE GROWTH MANAGER EDITORIAL Nikki Chowdhury EMERGING PLATFORMS PRODUCER Aleese Gabir
DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Gladys Lai DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER Will Lennox
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fiona McCarthy London), Freya Herring
WORDS Tami Christiansen, Sonia Cocozza, Michelle Oalin, Jonah Waterhouse
IMAGES Nathan Angelis, Paul Barbera, Sharyn Cairns, Nathalie Krag, Jenny Nguyen, Prue Ruscoe, Anson Smart, Dave Wheeler
BUSINESS PROJECTS MANAGER Aisling Clarke
SENIOR COMMERCIAL FINANCE MANAGER Zoe Sredovic SENIOR COMMERCIAL FINANCE ANALYST Michelle Brammer
PRODUCT AND PARTNERSHIPS
GENERAL MANAGER PRODUCT AND PARTNERSHIPS Zac Skulander
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LEAD COMMERICAL CONTENT EDITOR Melanie Collins
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18 V O G U E L I V I N G

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PAUL
BARBERA

Vogue Living’s head of brand Yeong Sassall was on the ground at Milan Design Week
covering the most unforgettable events for our Salone del Mobile report (page 27), with
photography by Paul Barbera and production by Jenny Nguyen. “It’s the unexpected moments
that I always remember; a glimpse of a private courtyard behind an exterior, driving past
a vine-covered building or walking the streets and seeing these perfectly arranged doorways,”
Sassall says of the city, which she describes as “gritty and beautiful in equal measure”.
Her personal highlight was an evening at La Scala opera house, at the invitation of Edra
and Space Furniture. “It is the most opulent theatre I’ve ever visited. The performances
were magical — something I will never forget.”
20 VOGUE LIVING

JENNY
NGUYEN
Producer Jenny Nguyen has made
the annual pilgrimage to Salone
del Mobile with Vogue Living for
a decade. “I couldn’t imagine this
fair in any other location. The
stylish
denizens,
fabulous
restaurants and epic buildings
play an incredible host,” says
Nguyen, who is the founder of PR
agency Hello Human. It’s the
collective creative energy that
makes Milan special for Nguyen,
and the presentations that “lit up”
her imagination this year were
the Panton Lounge by Capsule
and Verner Panton Design
AG, and a hair-raising project
by Nieuwe Instituut. A pro at
navigating the demanding design
week schedule, Nguyen says the
trick is to prioritise the important
stuff. “Manage your FOMO and
always allow time for chance
encounters and gelato breaks.”

PHOTOGRAPHER: PAUL BARBERA (JENNY NGUYEN AND PAUL BARBERA)

YEONG SASSALL

What is photographer Paul
Barbera’s secret to surviving
Salone? “Italian coffee and
sparkling water, travelling as
light as I can and having a great
team around you — especially
Jenny Nguyen, she knows the
who’s who!” This year marked
the NYC-based creative’s 12th
Milan Design Week with Vogue
Living,
documenting
the
exhibitions and designers with
three cameras in tow. Barbera
names Dimorestudio’s Interni
Venosta furniture collection as
his favourite of the season,
though it’s the palatial venues
and surprising locations that
keep him coming back for more.
“Everything” Barbera loves about
Italy is manifest in Milan. “It’s
a stylish, elegant and open city
during design week. I’ve always
felt that it’s a place I could live.”

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By YEONG SASSALL
Photographed by DAVE WHEELER
Styled by MEGAN MORTON
The owners of this Bondi knock-down-and-rebuild threw down the ultimate
gauntlet to Smac Studio’s Shona McElroy: a beachside home without the usual
‘coastal’ accoutrements. They asked for “a relaxed, designer, interesting
family home,” says McElroy. “Bright, with a cool vibe.” The Sydney-based
designer landed on contemporary furnishings and Italian-leaning accents
in the form of textured limewash walls and heavily veined quartzite in the
kitchen, wardrobe and bathrooms. Paired with Smac Studio’s debut Hali Rugs
collection, the result is a modern retelling of a surfside Australian home.

This page “I really didn’t want it to be generic ‘beachy’, because that’s just
what everyone does,” says the owner of this home. “I wanted it to feel like
you’re in Italy, but also like you could be in Los Angeles.”

VOGUE.COM.AU/VOGUE-LIVING
Vogue Living

@vogueliving

22 VOGUE LIVING

Vogue Living

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Benvenuti all’edizione Italiana! Editing our annual ITALIAN DESIGN ISSUE always fills me with excitement, and the
challenge to cover the theme in a unique way is part of the thrill, too. This year, I travelled to Milan for Salone del Mobile
with head of brand Yeong Sassall and in the spirit of veni, vidi, vici, we came, we saw, we conquered. I could sit for hours
and watch the old nonnos on the streets of Milan, witnessing their passionate conversations and shamelessly admiring

of dressing. Those encounters got me thinking about the men who believed in building a better life through design and
architecture, and so we pay tribute to the ‘godfathers’ of Italian design — the GREATS who shaped the world with their
life-changing creations. I found inspiration in the Francis Ford Coppola movie, so we took a CINEMATIC approach,
from the cover story featuring a dramatic 14th-century cathedral in Orvieto (page 160), to The Godfathers of Italian Design
piece (page 66), brilliantly penned by Annemarie Kiely and with art direction by Joshua Morris. As a guest of Hermès at
Salone del Mobile, I had the chance to speak with artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas and attend an exquisite dinner
celebrating the brand’s commitment to CRAFTSMANSHIP. On page 27, we present the MILAN report, photographed
by long-time Vogue Living contributor Paul Barbera and curated to immerse you among the inspiring people, products
and locations. This issue will launch with an evening in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency and Italian Cultural
Institute, and we will be joined by architect and ambassador of Italian design Alessandro Colombo. Held at Space
Furniture on June 25, the event underscores Vogue Living’s respect for Italian design, and highlights will be shared on
vogue.com.au/vogue-living. I encourage you to indulge in this edition with pasta and glass of nebbiolo. Buona lettura!

REBECCA CAR ATTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @ BECCAR ATTI
24 VOGUE LIVING

PHOTOGRAPHER: PAUL BARBERA (REBECCA CARATTI AND ROSSANA ORLANDI).
PORTRAIT WITH ERIC MATTHEWS, HERMÈS AUSTRALIA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, COURTESY OF REBECCA CARATTI

their sense of style — which led me to purchase a Miu Miu tan suede blazer in an attempt to emulate their effortless way

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Edited by REBECCA CAR ATTI Written by YEONG SASSALL
Photographed by PAUL BARBER A Produced by JENNY NGU YEN

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This page Edra’s presentation at
Palazzo Durini. Opposite page
A view of Porta Sempione.

PANTON LOUNGE AT CAPSULE PLAZA

COLIN KING x CALICO WALLPAPER

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

collections, Nuance and Perception,
New York-based super stylist Colin King showcased two
at Alcova within Villa Bagat ti Valsecchi, the
produced in collaboration with Calico Wallpaper. Presented
by crumbling frescoes and faded plaster, making
textu ral and highly patinated wall cover ings were inspired
m, calicowallpaper.com MOOD BOARD At 10 Corso
them a glove-like fit for the histor ic build ing. colinking.co
Panton Lounge, a sensory-rich tribute to the
Como, Milan-based curatorial platform Capsu le presented
n. Produced in collaboration with the officia l
legac y of late Danish architect and desig ner Verner Panto
and Montana — the immersive instal lation
licensees of Panton’s work — Vitra, Verpan, &Tradition
ino and Romantica rug by Amini, and the Spiegel
included the re-ed ition of three of his creations, the Dom
issioning Cassina to produce Le Corbusier’s
panel by Offecct. capsule.global BOXED UP Fresh from comm
Bottega Veneta presented its On the Rock s
LC14 Tabouret Cabanon for its autumn/winter ’24 show,
m versions of the box with limited editions in
exhibition at Palazzo San Fedele, which introduced custo
leather weaving. bottegaveneta.com /en-au
four colou rs featur ing Bottega Veneta’s Intreccio foulard
BOTTEGA VENETA x CASSINA

WALLED IN

MICHAEL ANASTASSIADES
MICHAEL ANASTASSIADES x CASSINA Prolific

London-based
designer Michael Anastassiades may be unassuming in person, but
his output defies expectations. At The Cassina Perspective 2024,
hosted at the brand’s showroom, Anastassiades presented a new
version of his marble Ordinal table and launched a mind-bending
mirror made from a single sheet of glass, heated in a kiln to produce
a single fold. Named after phases of the moon, Gibbous is likened
to “an exploration into a very basic and familiar form — the circle,”
says Anastassiades. Producing this perfectly bent mirror is
“technically quite challenging, but Cassina manages it!” he says
with a smile and a shrug. michaelanastassiades.com, cassina.com

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

AGGLOMERATI x TINO SEUBERT

5VIE DESIGN WEEK

LEXUS

PATRICIA URQUIOLA x MOROSO

IMAGE COURTESY OF LEXUS

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nt
me
ort
ass
found form at Desig n Space
an
ed
ald
N
NE XT GE NE RATIO
Yasha r’s celebrated eye her
Ma rtino Gamper. nilufar.com
Over at Ni lufar Depot, Nina
and
od
Wo
nd
ura
fou
La
n
tre
tha
res
Be
ter
ri,
iso
Massa
tor ic Ita lian brand Pa rad
Móveis e Decorações, Lucia
Occupazione, the work of his
ion
ibit
exh
e
tiv
stre.it, dimorecentrale.com
lec
col
’s
ale
ntr
At Dimore Ce
vina’s creations. paradisoterre
Ga
no
Di
er
nd
fou
m
fro
n
ns bor
new life in a ser ies of re-editio

DIMORE GALLERY

GUCCI ANCORA

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

NILUFAR DEPOT

SABINE MARCELIS
x DESIGN SPACE ALULA

3 4 VOGUE LIVING

CC-TAPIS x FAYE TOOGOOD

FLOS x FORMAFANTASMA

RAY OF LIG HT Th
ere were mu ltiple scene-stealin
g moments at Flos, where the
brand presented new designs
cult lighting
by Michael Anastassiades, Ba
rber Osgerby and Formafanta
the breathtak ing Pa lazzo Vis
sma all within
conti. An array of Flos’ bestse
llers reached transcendent hei
frescoed cei lings and wa lls of
ghts amid the
the 16th-cent ury palace. flos
.com RUDE AWAKENING At
showroom on Piazza Santo Ste
the CC-tapis
fano, Faye Toogood ’s Rude Ar
ts Club made for a sof t landin
British designer’s hand-k not
g, where the
ted Rude rug col lection (her
third for the brand) made che
a cer tain par t of the ma le ana
eky reference to
tomy. In a nod to cra ftsmans
hip and col laborative spirit,
alongside Toogood ’s pil low y
the rugs appeared
sof t, pastel-coloured Cosmic
lounges, produced in col labora
Tacchini. t-o-o-g-o-o-d.com ,
tion with
cc-tapis.com, tacchini.it

VOLKER HAUG STUDIO x FLACK STUDIO

e their creative
g Studio and Flack Studio to combin
It took just six months for Vol ker Hau
ration. With
abo
coll
t
their firs
lighting collection that also marked
e
piec
13a
,
You
and
a similarly
Me
and
ver
es
deli
valu
, sha red
bra inpower and
quickly became one of camaraderie
rt
effo
t
join
the
,
rne
hed it from
lbou
roac
Me
in
app
ed
ker team
both stud ios bas
ngs wou ld feel in a space, and the Vol
fitti
the
how
on]
d
use
es a real ly
[foc
mak
e
“W
soft
.
and the
light-hearted out look
think that combination — the hard
“I
ck.
Fla
id
Dav
er
ign
des
Hicks’
a
says
egr
,”
All
LIN E
a technica l point of view
g. volkerhaug.com, flack.studio HARD
Hau
ker
Vol
stro
mae
ting
is at
ligh
hos
s
orp
add
at Metam
nice, beautif ul flow,”
dialogue bet ween objects took form
e
sibl
invi
the
and
lity
ulated
eria
aps
mat
enc
of
linen top
meticulous exploration
nze, some feat uring a hand-painted
bro
in
ted
craf
es
tabl
low
its
ns
ed
spa
tinu
on
Nilufa r Depot. The collecti
nish luxu ry house Loewe con
TH E LUM INA RIES Spa
.com
icks
grah
alle
.
ps.
ges
Lam
loun
at Loewe
in resin, and embroidered
, presenting 24 commissioned lights
hip
ans
tsm
craf
al
san
arti
s
and
Thi
e.
ign
tive verv
longstanding patronage of des
and Afr ica, the lamps exemplified crea
ope
Eur
a,
Asi
a,
eric
Am
th
m
Sou
e.co
,
Created by artists from the UK
ot of the artistry on display. loew
st Anthea Hamilton is just a snapsh
arti
sed
-ba
don
Lon
by
e
piec
ss
-gla
stained

ALLEGRA HICKS

ME ETI NG OF MIN DS

LOEWE

36 VOGUE LIVING

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

FORMAFANTASMA
x PRADA FRAMES
Spread across three days, Prada Frames
hosted a multidisciplinary symposium at the Bagatti Valsecchi
Museum, a former 19th-century home built in the neo-Renaissance
style. Curated by design and research studio Formafantasma, this
year’s event, Being Home, invited a number of scholars and experts
from fields as diverse as architecture, ecology, artificial intelligence
and gender studies to examine the way our living environment
shapes our contemporary and socio-economic experience. Speakers
including Paola Antonelli, Brigitte Baptiste, Kate Crawford, Jack
Halberstam, OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen and
Isabella Rossellini held court in the museum, surrounded by
magnificent furniture and decorative objects hailing from
the 15th and 16th centuries. prada.com

MEETING OF THE MINDS

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

ed as the backbone of Hermès’
Sublime craf tsmanship has always serv
its newest objects of desire
the French house chose to showcase
r
yea
this
and
e,
hom
the
for
ons
ellery box paired with
collecti
m a leather-sheathed watch and jew
Fro
.
ives
arch
its
from
es
piec
e
itag
ad designed by Jochen
alongside her
to a kaleidoscopic appliquéd bedspre
,
’50s
the
from
es
glov
n
tski
goa
d a sense of dua lity
embroidered
from the ’60s, the presentation explore
ey
jers
silk
ey’s
jock
a
e
gsid
creative
alon
d
Gerner displaye
N Benoît-Pierre Emery,
PO RC ELA IN PER FEC TIO
cts.
obje
ble
ecti
coll
its
estres
ugh
Équ
thro
es
and timelessness
st Virginie Jamin to design the Tressag
arti
nch
Fre
ed
rust
ent
are,
lew
says
Tab
se,”
the hou
director of Hermès
the historic equestr ian patronage of
to
ute
trib
pay
to
ted
wan
e
“W
on.
ian
dinner ware collecti
found it in old equestr
brand’s archive for inspiration, they
Emery. After delv ing deep into the
says Jamin. hermes.com
bet ween abstraction and nar rative,”
harnesses. “It’s kind of a vocabu lary
ITY
MO DE S OF MATER IAL

38 VOGUE LIVING

HERMÈS
DESIGN WITH SUBSTANCE This year, Hermès laid the groundwork for
a home collection rich in tactile materiality. Stepping into La Pelota, guests
were drawn to a pathway that passed through a complex topography made
of brick, stone, slate, wood and compacted earth. Arranged in the shape of
a jockey’s silk jersey, the trail is a nod to the craftsmanship underpinning
every Hermès object and the house’s storied equestrian past. hermes.com

OBJECTS OF COMMON INTEREST
x DOOOR
KIKI GOTI x ALCOVA

NERI&HU

at the
u found the perfect plat form to launch 3to9
Shanghai-based architect ure duo Ner i&H
ty and
peri
pros
for
s
kite
r
wing on the Chinese custom of flying pape
Greek
CE
SPA
E
SAF
Cassina Lighting Col lection in Milan. Dra
u.com
on artisanal and cult ural trad ition. neriandh
s
glas
a
of
pse
glim
a
celebration, the lights touch beautifu lly
ng
givi
ed out a niche at Alcova’s Villa Borsani,
and
r
chai
nt
acce
al
architect and designer Kik i Goti has carv
met
and a
with Venetian glass manufacturer Vetralia,
tion
unc
conj
in
ted
to
crea
ym
or,
nog
mirr
Tech
and
t
h
gian
benc
fitness
e 40th birthday marked the occasion for
ston
mile
A
BOX
M
a,
BOO
uiol
om
Urq
oti.c
icia
kikig
Patr
p.
lam
From
p their persona lity on Technog ym benches.
stam
to
ts
artis
and
s
e
gner
Mov
desi
to
ing
ign
lead
Des
,
40
invite
stantine
Australian First Nations artist Kate Con
and
oni
Liss
o
Pier
to
do
Nen
and
pen
.com
ogym
Kelly Hop
ini and curated by Bruna Roccasa lva. techn
was overseen by architect Giu lio Cappell

TECHNOGYM

FLY ING HIG H

PA

ST AN D PR ESE NT An
drés Reisinger’s 12 Cha irs For Medita
tion collection formed par t of Nilufa
Time Traveler exhibit at Nilufa r Dep
r’s
ot. Arranged in the cavernous gallery
aga inst a mosaic backdrop of 12
apples floating in the clouds, it’s yet
another example of the razor sha rp
curator ial instinct Nina Yashar is
renowned for. nilufar.com NEW SEN
SATION S Encompassing
a program of 35 stud ios, including
guests handpicked by Zaventem Ate
15 special
liers, and the debut of a new venue,
there was a spa rse and brutal
elegance to the Baranzate Ateliers coll
ective. Boasting 730 0 met res of ind
ustr ial sprawl, works covered all
bases, from cerebra l and util itar ian
to off beat and experimenta l. baranza
teateliers.com FINE FORM Faye
Toogood, operating in mega-multitask
er mode this yea r, also presented her
Assemblage 8: Back & For th
collection at the Fabio Quaranta Mo
telsalieri showroom. Proudly Britishmad
e and honour ing loca l trades
and craf tsmen, new furniture add itio
ns Gummy and Palette possess the
organic contou rs and rounded
forms Toogood is famed for, albeit
with a more mat ure and softened edg
e. t-o-o-g-o-o-d.com

FAYE TOOGOOD

NILUFAR DEPOT

BARANZATE ATELIERS

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

POLTRONA FRAU

41 V O G U E L I V I N G

ROSSANA ORLANDI

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

CU

LTURA L CA PITAL She
is one of the reig ning mat riarchs of
Salone, so it made per fect sense for
the Hunga rian Fashion & Design Age
ncy to earmark Rossana Orland i for
Design Wa lk in Budapest at
Trienna le Milano. Spotlighting Hu
nga ry’s thriving creative community
and the nex t generation of design
talent, the exhibition placed par ticu
lar focus on Budapest’s architecture
and unique East-meets-West
geographica l location. hfda .hu DUAL
MO DE “I wou ld like us
to be in the first tier of design organis
not just car design,” dec lares Kia hea
ations,
d of design Kar im Habib, as the bra
nd made a triumphant sophomoric
retu rn to Salone. Presenting an “ab
stract interpretation” of its design phi
losophy, Opposites United,
Kia showed its key values as creative
risk taker and cult ura l vangua rd at
the
Museo della Permanente.
Cal ling upon artists Anna Galtarossa,
Riccardo Benassi, Sissel Tolaas, Dan
ilo
to create a bril liant series of immersi
Grande and Benny Lai
ve mu ltimedia experiences, Kia also
launched EV3 — its compact,
urban-friendly electric SU V. “A des
ign-dr iven brand should not just mea
n aesthetics or styl ing — it’s
about the people who use it,” explain
s Habib. “The connection I see with
our exhibit is that kind
of creative process or human [side].”
kia.com

IMAGE COURTESY OF KIA

BARANZATE ATELIERS

FABIAN FREYTAG AT ALCOVA

KIA

42 VOGUE LIVING

POLTRONA FRAU x
FAYE TOOGOOD
For sure, Faye Toogood’s near-ubiquitous presence
at this year’s Salone signifies a designer at the peak of her power.
Fittingly, her first collaboration with Poltrona Frau, Squash, marks an
aesthetic about-face for the designer. “Having had many years of hard
furniture, I’m now looking at soft goods,” she smiles. “I’m basically
trying to make the most comfortable chair I can.” Toogood adored
working with the Italian furniture company and was granted access to
the ultimate treasure trove: Poltrona Frau’s archive museum. “Seeing
the pieces from the 1920s through to the 1970s completely blew me
away — very contemporary, very revolutionary pieces with a kind of
radical attitude to them, and that’s what I’m trying to bring back
to Poltrona Frau this year.” poltronafrau.com
SOFT TOUCH

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

ARMANI / CASA
“I would have liked to have been
a director, and I basically fulfilled my dream. My view
of style is comprehensive; it ranges from the rooms to the
people that live in them,” said Giorgio Armani ahead of this
year’s Salone. Welcoming guests back to the piano nobile of
his spectacular Palazzo Orsini, Armani staged a fusion
of what the brand does best: fashion and furniture design.
“I imagined a ‘cinematic’ journey to the countries that have
always inspired me: places and cultures that spark highly
personal reworkings.” Marking a ribboned trail up to the
first floor and an abstract world map, onlookers were
transported to Europe, Japan, China, Arabia and Morocco,
each room channelling the spirit of a new far-flung
destination. armani.com
CINEMA PARADISO

4 4 VOGUE LIVING

TOM FEREDAY

SA LO N E
DEL
M O B I LE
2 02 4

the realisation of his sleek and high ly
Tom Fereday’s Alcova show at Villa Borsani saw
rigou r
rustic shades of Roman travertine. Despite the
sculptural Maz er series, rendered in earthy and
istics
acter
char
ue
singu larly, owing to the uniq
and simplicity of the desig n, each piece is expressed
of machine and hand-craf ted processes, it’s
on
inati
of the stone. Produced in Italy through a comb
Salone
rialit y. tomfereday.com BAL ANCING ACT In a
a testament to Fereday’s trust in the power of mate
number
a
ted
most enticing streetscapes, B&B Italia debu
presentation that spilled out onto one of Milan’s
o
Naot
by
ale tables by Piero Lissoni, Omoi armchair
of new products — Dambodue sofa, Isos and Assi
and
rdini
ani and Narinari armchair by Tiziano Gua
Fukasawa, Allu re O’ Dot tables by Monica Arm
old,
its incredible legac y. By underlining both new and
Luig i Ciuff reda — while rema ining stead fast to
out
the high-wire act of starting a new chapter with
tradition and innovation, B&B Italia has managed
ue
e Cha ise Long
NGE ACC ESS The icon ic Indochin
completely rewr iting history. bebitalia.com LOU
pective, where
Pers
ina
Cass
The
at
ts up the stair well
desig ned by Cha rlotte Perr iand welcomed gues
m.au
lia.co
mobi
,
a.com
fold. cassin
a new set of futu re classics were brought into the

CASSINA x CHARLOTTE PERRIAND

HON ING IN

B&B ITALIA

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58 VOGUE LIVING

STAGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT A theatrical exhibition by STUDIO 2046 sparks an intimate
conversation between a private art collection and the frescoed interiors of a Baroque palace.

This page in the Studio 2046 living room in Treviglio, Velasca stools and
Pignano chandelier by Daniele Daminelli; Model 516 armchair by Gio Ponti
for Cassina; Monachella floor lamp by Luigi Caccia Dominioni (left); Bergboms B-075
table lamps; Untitled sculpture by Sophie Jung (left); Scheletro sculpture by Edoardo
Villa (right); Fraise Cake (2019) artwork by Maggie Lee (on mantel); S.6B-R ACE Rectangle 2D,2 (2004-08) art installation by Gianni Piacentino (on sofa ledge).
Opposite page one of the hallways in the studio. Details, last pages.

These pages in another view of the living room, Big Dream sofas, Dream low table and

Rinaldo low coffee table, all by Daniele Daminelli; vintage table lamp; Fukushima (2015)
artwork by Peter Fend (on coffee table); State of Being (Map) (2020) art installation by
Chiharu Shiota (right); Untitled (1980) bronze sculpture by Edoardo Villa.

D

aniele Daminelli’s very first Studio 2046 location was
an abandoned shoe shop with a large street-facing
window. Daminelli, who launched the architecture,
interior and product design firm in 2017, wanted to
rouse the curiosity of passers-by and began creating
what he calls “bizarre window displays using vintage
furniture” — a perplexed neighbour once questioned him
about an installation of broken chairs — without any clear
idea of what the space was supposed to be.
“Studio 2046 is constantly researching art forms and
periodically staging experimental projects,” Daminelli says
while searching to define his creative intention. “I believe
that experimental work is a method of building new things
without the pretence of knowing what the goal or result is.”
Many things have changed since then — Studio 2046 is
now located on the main floor of a Baroque palazzo and has
amassed a portfolio of collaborators and clients, which include
Nilufar Gallery in Milan, linen label Society Limonta, textile
companies Rubelli and Fortuny, Italian artist Agostino
Arrivabene and furniture maker Bonacina 1889 — but
Daminelli’s sui generis methods remain.
In the town of Treviglio in northern Italy, not far from
Milan, Daminelli lives with his family and works in the
18th-century palazzo decorated with flower-strewn frescoes
by the Galliari brothers — “famous painters and set designers
of the time who worked on the La Scala theatre in Milan
and the Regio theatre in Turin”. Daminelli says the Galliari
brothers inhabited the building and turned it into
a “training ground for experimentation in Baroque art”. Its
walls, he says, “were generous surfaces for practising their
gentle painting technique”.
In 2023, the creative director appealed to the generosity of
those frescoed walls for his own aesthetic studies. “I wanted to

build an environment that tells the story of the home of
a sophisticated collector of any form of art,” says Daminelli.
This required what he calls “a real collector”, and so a close
friend introduced him to Francesco Cervi. The Cervi family’s
private collection assembles a choir of artists from the
15th century to the present day, including Lucio Fontana,
Jannis Kounellis, Chiharu Shiota, Rebecca Horn, Heimo
Zobernig, Gérard Garouste and Mimmo Paladino,
accompanied by emerging creative voices, among them the
young Australian-born artist Ivan Cheng.
As Daminelli explains, presenting the paintings, sculptures
and installations communing with his own furniture and
lighting in an intimate, domestic setting was essential.
“I think the traditional gallery wants to showcase the
qualities and characteristics of the work, whereas in our
experiment the environment becomes an integral part of the
work, as if it wanted to be its accomplice.”
The exhibition’s title, Tonsure, takes its name from
a photograph by Man Ray of his friend Marcel Duchamp,
who is pictured with the shape of a star, symbolising
illumination, shaved into the back of his head. Tonsure
refers to the religious practice of clipping or shaving part of
the hair on the scalp — it is a sign of those who have
renounced the world to search for knowledge. Daminelli says
Duchamp was declaring, in an ironic way, his devotion
to the search of knowledge and that “Studio 2046 stages
the home of the collector, that is, the one who is dedicated
to knowledge.”
“We staged a dialogue,” Daminelli says of the exhibition,
which aimed to ‘listen in’ on the language shared between
art and interior design. “Tonsure was an exercise that allowed
me to mix art in all its forms with the harmonious search for
a cultured and balanced environment.”
studio2046.com

62 VOGUE LIVING

This page in the bedroom, Poltronova armchairs; Pignano Column lamp by Daniele Daminelli;
1930s armchairs; 1930s Italian console; 1960s Gianfranco Frattini chairs; Avventurina Murano
glass vase by Aureliano Toso; Murano glass vase by Archimede Seguso; (1982-83) artwork by
Rainer Fetting (top left); Untitled (1978) artwork by Gerard Garouste (below); Concetto Spaziale
(1968) artwork by Lucio Fontana (above console); In Mezzo alle Terre nel Grande Verde (2021) mixed
media art installation by Isabella Costabile; Untitled (2013) artwork by Heimo Zobernig (right).
Opposite page creative director Daniele Daminelli (left) and Francesco Cervi.

This page in another view of the bedroom, Big Dream chaise longue by Daniele
Daminelli; 1950s floor-standing ashtray by Luigi Caccia Dominioni; Untitled artwork
by Francesco Joao (right); Untitled art installation by Sophie Jung. Details, last pages.

6 4 VOGUE LIVING

creative

since 196

the modular icon by
Fritz Haller & Paul Schärer, Switzerland
Australia: Anibou – anibou.com.au

New Zealand: ECC – ecc.co.nz

Sydney 726 Bourke St. Redfern NSW 2016, 02 9319 0655
Melbourne 3 Newton Street, Cremorne VIC 3121, 03 9416 3671
info@anibou.com.au

Auckland 39 Nugent St. Grafton 1023, 09 379 9680
Christchurch 145 Victoria Street, Christchurch Central 8013, 03 353 0586
Wellington 61 Thorndon Quay, Pipitea 6021, 04 473 3456
info@ecc.co.nz

usm.com

THE

GOD
FATHERS
O F I TA L I A N D E S I G N

Clockwise from top left E T T O R E S O T T S A S S ( 1 9 1 7 - 2 0 0 7 ) , J O E C O L O M B O ( 1 9 3 0 - 1 9 7 1 ) ,
G A E TA N O P E S C E ( 1 9 3 9 - 2 0 2 4 ) , G I O VA N N I P O N T I ( 1 8 9 1 - 1 9 7 9 )

TH R O UG H
VO GU E
C U LT U R A L

TH E

LIV I N G
A N D

LE N S

OF

E X A M I N E S

C R E AT I V E

I TA LY ’ S

A

E A R LY

C I N E M AT I C
TH E

H I STO R ICA L ,

FO R C E S

D E S I G N

SAG A ,

T H AT

B I R T H E D

G R E AT S .

By ANNEMARIE KIELY

talians have a little joke, that the world is by men that parallels the beginnings of the late design pioneer
so hard a man must have two fathers to GAETANO PESCE . Born in the Ligurian province of La Spezia
look after him, and that’s why they have in 1939 and losing his father to battle — when Italy “joined
godfathers.” So wrote Mario Puzo in his the monster Hitler” — Pesce’s pre-eminence seeded in what
runaway bestseller The Godfather (1969), he called “the shit” left by Mussolini’s thugs and flourished in
a sprawling mafia family saga chronicling the light of protective women who facilitated his exit to
the rise, fall and rise of the Corleone family in Florence and a future of design provocation.
empire in post-World War II America.
Puzo nailed what it is to be Italian — albeit “IN SICILY, WOMEN ARE MORE DANGEROUS
through the questionable professionalism THAN SHOTGUNS.”
of Sicilian robbing hoods — elevating ‘La Mamma’, famously objectified by Pesce in the bulbous
family, fine taste, faith and the ancient Up series of chairs, figures large in the Godfather mythos.
Roman belief that one is not born human She is the ambiguous archetype, intrinsic to national
but must become human. He spun character, who is both exalted and blamed for making family
a gangster’s grab on arrangiarsi, the Italian art of getting-by, the connective tissue of social, economic and political being
into a culture-quake that crafted into a blockbuster cinematic in Italy. “Man has a monolithic way to think — in a very
classic directed by the 32-year-old
straight line,” said Pesce, in an
Francis Ford Coppola in 1972. More
exclusive 2023 interview with Vogue
than 50 years and several Academy
Living when decrying the Rationalist
Awards later, The Godfather still rates
architecture, preferred by Mussolini,
as one of the greatest movies of all
as a metaphor for egregious control.
time and retains as the definitive
“But women, depending on the
guide on ‘how to succeed in business
moment in the day, they are mother,
without really dying’.
lover, wife, worker, they have a nonstatic identity, and this is the identity
“I’M GONNA MAKE HIM AN
of our time.” Until his death in April
OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE,”
2024, Pesce sublimated his reverence
for La Madonna — the Divine
mumbled actor Marlon Brando in
Mother whose national worship
the role of Don Vito Corleone, the
transcends Catholic faith across Italy
patriarch crime boss who famously
— in designs that defied typology,
delivered both the movie’s best line
and a bloodied horse head as incentive to ink a deal. Corleone’s mirrored their time, interrogated the rules and instigated
words seeped into the corporate playbook, becoming the rise of feminised form.
both a euphemism for morality-free contracts and a coffee
mug cliché. No one could have foreseen how such dialogue “NONE OF US HERE WANT TO SEE OUR
would dig into the collective memory, describing the rise CHILDREN FOLLOW IN OUR FOOTSTEPS,
of free markets in America and the outreach of ‘Made in IT’S TOO HARD A LIFE.”
Italy’; a story we pick up in the same post-war period as Italy’s heavily contested participation in World War II
The Godfather, with a similar warrior culture working (joining the Axis powers of Germany and Japan in 1940,
around accepted ways to build a better life. The best of then the Allies in 1943) and its complex internal politics
Puzo’s potboiler lines and a little of Coppola’s visceral (monarchist rule participating in both the rise and fall of
scripting help to expound on why Italy dominated the latter fascism) reduced the country and its collective esprit to
half of 20th-century design and determined its future DNA. post-war rubble. Reconstruction was as much a moral
concern as a physical one, necessitating the urgent exchange
“GREAT MEN ARE NOT BORN GREAT,
between educators, planners, philosophers and architects,
THEY GROW GREAT.”
intent on expunging the fascist credo from both curriculum
Puzo adapted the ancient Roman thinking that civilisation and construction. Push-back came from conservative quarters,
rather than cell biology makes a man, delivering his but so strong was the national want to repudiate the past that
philosophical musings with ironic salt through the mouth of Italy propelled to referendum in 1946, and the majority vote
Don Vito who, according to the author’s build of fiction, was to replace the fascist-facilitating monarchy of King Victor
born in Corleone, Sicily, lost his father to vendetta and Emmanuel III with a democratic republic. Within this newly
survived and thrived through the daring of his mother. It’s levelled, liberal landscape, the academies were purged of old
a tale of strong women on the wrong side of wars instigated thinking and re-positioned theoretically. >
67 VOGUE LIVING

< This throwaway line, half-improvised, by actor Richard
Castellano in role of committed family man and mob assassin
Peter Clemenza, has almost assumed the populist gravitas of
Hamlet’s “To be or not to be”. It delivered after the execution
of a mob rat; reminder not to get caught with a smoking gun
and not to neglect the wife’s request to pick up the
cream-filled pastries. Death and domesticity determine plot
lines and priorities in The Godfather; men going to desperate
lengths to put food on the table and protect their fortunes.
For most of post-war Italy, future and fortune rooted in
education, which, regardless of direction, plunged every
design aspirant deep into architectural theory, and
every architect across the full scope and scale of creative
disciplines. The concept of the ‘complete architect’ infused
the entirety of Italian design and embodied richly in the
persona of polymath GIOVANNI PONTI , the godfather on
whose broad shoulders the likes of Pesce
got to stand and shout back to the Bauhaus,
‘Italian form does not follow function,
it takes its essence and plays with it’.
Ponti distilled this essence early in
‘Casa all’Italiana’, a philosophical treatise
on the domestic Italian space, describing
a distinctly Mediterranean consolation of
porticoes, terraces, panoramic viewpoints,
polished plaster, vaults and frescoes
influenced by the classicism and craft
traditions promoted by the 1920s
Novecento movement. It featured in the
first issue of Domus, the design overview
Ponti co-founded, contributed to, edited
and used to promulgate the idea of
‘Italianness’ internationally. From Enzo
Ferrari’s first concept cars through to
the Florence-based experiments of
ANDREA BRANZI ’s
Archizoom in the 1970s, Domus
did so with cut-through alacrity, ground-breaking graphic,
and a relevancy that sees it still retailing today.
There are not enough pages to eulogise the free-ranging
breadth of Ponti’s six-decade output across education,
architecture, media and the applied arts, working for
120 companies, lecturing in 24 countries, illustrating 2000
letters, designing 100-plus buildings, and establishing
the Compasso d’Oro, Italy’s first prize for industrial
design. But if favourites are to be declared, his elegantly
tapered Pirelli tower, standing in majestic sentinel over
Ponti’s home-city of Milan, reminds of the spirit that
engineered radical innovation from ruin.

In the south, where a slower pace of life centred around
family and the principles of collectivism, the craft traditions
continued, but in the industrialised north, where the Italian
resistance concentrated its wartime efforts and business
benefitted from the individualism of a rising middle class,
the notion of ‘Italianness’ expressed with new specificities.
In Venice, the capital of the north-eastern Veneto region
where the ubiquitous Venetian Gothic detailed with
a delicacy of domes, arches and marbled mosaics, the reclusive
intellectual CARLO SCARPA advanced the city’s assimilative
style with a modernist stealth that told of ‘fan-boying’
Frank Lloyd Wright and frequently travelling to Japan.
Scarpa was less well-known than his contemporaries, more
a measure of his aversion to showiness, but his warm-blooded,
precision-detailing of stone, stucco, wood, forged metals,
and glass (giving light to his 15-year directorship of the
Venini glassworks), reverberates in more interiors today than
almost any other master’s palette play.
“FRIENDSHIP IS EVERYTHING.
FRIENDSHIP IS MORE THAN
TALENT. IT IS MORE THAN THE
GOVERNMENT. IT IS ALMOST
THE EQUAL OF FAMILY.”

In Milan, Ponti and his posse of ‘complete
architects’, including VICO MAGISTRETTI ,
MARCO ZANUSO and ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI
sought balance between the issues of
memory and idealised modernity in a city
re-planned around self-sufficient districts
and a quotidian housing belying
extraordinary building solution. A culture
of cooperation encouraged young architects
to team up with old makers on the cusp
of industry leadership (Cassina) and
progressive start-ups (Arteluce, Arflex,
Flos, Brionvega, Zanotto, Cappellini and Kartell), using the
material innovations of war to reconfigure the Rationalism
championed by the architect GIUSEPPE TERRAGNI .
Architecture mostly expressed in the dry language of industry,
yet interiors exploded with colour, pattern and the soon-toproduce injection moulded plastics, made ‘cosmonautical’
cool by architect-designer JOE COLOMBO.
But in the north-west region of Piedmont, where the city of
Turin fed off motoring giant Fiat and the flavours of bordering
France layered on ancient ruins and Baroque architecture,
the city’s sons CARLO MOLLINO and ETTORE SOTTSASS were
marinating in a much fruitier mix. Psychoanalysts might
ascribe Sottsass’s quirky aestheticism to an Oedipal rejection
of his architect father’s strict modernism. But the more likely
“LUCA BRASI SLEEPS WITH THE FISHES.”
answer is the miscellaneous cityscape in which he steeped;
When a parcel containing two dead fish wrapped in a bullet- one overshadowed by Turin’s Mole Antonelliana tower,
proof vest delivers to Sonny Corleone, his henchman a magnificent oddity of proportions, capped by tiers of
Clemenza decodes its contents as the killing of a Corleone ridiculously petite colonnades, climbing to a four-sided
kingpin. “It’s a Sicilian message,” he says to gathered family. cupola and spire that makes an emphatic civic exclamation
“It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.” Clemenza’s point about eclecticism. It reiterated in the restless genius
elegy on death says much about Italy as an amalgam of 20 of Mollino who moved with ease across art, architecture,
regions that, until 1861, did not constitute one country but furniture design, photography, engineering, stunt-flying,
separate kingdoms and states — different ways of seeing, race-car design and the occult. The city’s supernaturalist
doing and speaking, explaining the strong post-war air and ancient sympathies followed Sottsass to Milan where
he opened an architecture office in 1946. >
sensitivities around a single Italian identity.
6 8 VOGUE LIVING

PHOTOGRAPHER: GIANLUCA DI IOIA (ANTONIO CITTERIO)

“LEAVE THE GUN, TAKE THE CANNOLI.”

Clockwise from top left P I E R G I A C O M O C A S T I G L I O N I ( 1 9 1 3 - 1 9 6 8 ) A N D A C H I L L E

C A S T I G L I O N I ( 1 9 1 8 - 2 0 0 2 ) , G I N O S A R F AT T I ( 1 9 1 2 - 1 9 8 5 ) , M A R C O Z A N U S O
(1916 -2001), CA R LO S CA R PA (1906 -1978), A N TO N I O C ITTE R I O (1950 -)

“I DON’T LIKE VIOLENCE, TOM. I’M A
BUSINESSMAN; BLOOD IS A BIG EXPENSE.”

< Meanwhile in the Tuscan capital of Florence, the so-called
birthplace of the Renaissance, the post-war rebuild created
friction between the remnant old and radicalising
new. Political antipathies were aroused as leftist student
activism fed into the Faculty of Architecture at the University
of Florence, where Professor Leonardo Savioli urged his
students to break from the past and critically speculate
on what cities might be. His utopian missives grew into
the Radical Design Movement (RDM), of which the
most influential spawn was Archizoom founded by
architect-designers ANDREA BRANZI , GILBERTO CORRETTI ,
PAOLO
DEGANELLO
and MASSIMO MOROZZI; and
Superstudio formed by CRISTIANO TORALDO DI FRANCIA
and ADOLFO NATALINI .
Both collectives called out the uniformity
of modernism as a capitalist means of
depersonalising the masses and developed
projects, often deliberately kitsch, that
ignored the rules of reigning design and
prioritised critical message making.
Their politicised works (pre-empting 21stcentury sustainability and the ethics of
consumption) found wider audience in
the Superarchitettura exhibition at MoMA
in 1972, a show introducing Italian thinkers,
designers, and architects to the American
culturati. Many of their solutions for living
were too radical and diminished into such
totemic objects as the foam Cactus Coat
Rack by GUIDO DROCCO and FRANCO
MELLO for Gufram. They laid the ironic
pathway for postmodernism, collectively
signing the deed for social revolution
minus the blood-spill.
“YOU CAN’T HIDE THE THUNDERBOLT.
WHEN IT HITS YOU, EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT.
CHRIST, MAN, DON’T BE ASHAMED OF IT,
SOME MEN PRAY FOR THE THUNDERBOLT.
YOU’RE A VERY LUCKY FELLOW.”

Lightning struck in a Milan gallery in 1981, when the
Memphis Group launched in a boxing-ring-bed to
the appreciative crush of 2000-plus guests. Founded by
Ettore Sottsass, self-styled godfather to a group of multidisciplined designers intent on mocking good taste, the
Memphis Group filtered the Florence-centric radicalism
through the sieve of populist folly. As one media pundit
of the day put it, their collective creativity amounted
to “a shotgun wedding between Bauhaus and Fisher-Price”;
a shameless promiscuity of reference that rendered trashy
culture so cool the likes of Alessi came calling.
Established as a metal sheet foundry by GIOVANNI ALESSI
in 1921 and finessing into a housewares company attuned to
the architecture of the table, Alessi, under the direction of
Giovanni’s grandson Alberto, signed lucrative partnerships
with Sottsass and paved the highway to collaboration with
contemporaneous talents who had a distinct point
of view. Counted amongst the internationals desperate to

avail of Alessi’s quality democratisation of their authorial
design were Frenchman Philippe Starck, German Richard
Sapper, and American architect Michael Graves, whose
whistling bird 9093 Kettle has brought a morning smile
to more than two million buyers since issuing in 1985.
But when postmodern irony began greeting in the reception
areas of the very capitalist behemoths it sought to lampoon,
and recession plunged the world into economic pull-back,
design repented with ‘timeless’ purity, anointing
ANTONIO CITTERIO one of its high priests. Emblematic
of a return to ‘real homes’ arranged with ‘families’ of
furnishings, the Milan-based architect and designer drew
both local manufacturing interest (B&B Italia, Cassina,
Flos, Kartell, Maxalto, Flexform, Pozzi-Ginori) and
international proposal (Vitra, Hermès, Axor) pointing to
the growing impact of globalisation.
“I WANT NO INQUIRIES MADE.
I WANT NO ACTS OF
VENGEANCE. I WANT YOU TO
ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THE
HEADS OF THE FIVE FAMILIES.
THIS WAR STOPS NOW.”

When faced with crisis, Don Corleone saw
more value in competing crime families
coming together to make peace than letting
the small battles bury all, a strategy that has
its marketing equal in the ‘Made in Italy’
brand. For as more designers around the
world saw merit in working with Italian
companies (and potentially carrying their
intel back home), the more Italian companies
saw merit in nailing down the mystique
of Italian excellence, bundling its
manufacturing processes, post-war stories,
radicalism, regionalism, craft traditions,
political unrest, professional networks and academic learning
into one loaded meaning. ‘Made in Italy’ became a legally
protected claim in 1999, and further defined in 2009 with
the proviso that all goods must be designed, manufactured
and packaged in the country.
“YET, HE THOUGHT, IF I CAN DIE SAYING,
‘LIFE IS SO BEAUTIFUL’, THEN NOTHING ELSE
IS IMPORTANT. IF I CAN BELIEVE IN MYSELF
THAT MUCH, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.”

Don Corleone’s inner monologue draws ironic line under the
mob orgy of acquisition, but his words weight with
the inherent Italian wisdom that wealth and power count for
nothing if friends and family are compromised. Italian
godfathers are not self-appointed design careerists but the
custodians of a culture who earn the honour by dint of
actualising a better life. They pass on the wisdom, build
powerful community, protect those on perilous pathways
already trammelled, and turn guileless genius into resilient
talent. They see no distinction between the personal and the
professional because in the end... “It’s all personal, every bit
of business… They call it business. OK. But it’s personal as
hell. You know where I learned that from? The Don. My old
man. The Godfather.”

70 VOGUE LIVING

The latest clothing collection by JORDAN GOGOS, a multidisciplinary
creative known for his lysergic designs, is inspired by his fascination
with floor coverings and a collaboration with DESIGNER RUGS.
By JONAH WATERHOUSE Photographed by NATHAN ANGELIS

A

nyone who’s been to an Iordanes Spyridon Gogos show — the circular fashion label
by multidisciplinary creative Jordan Gogos — will know it’s a journey for the
senses. His resort 2025 collection, shown at Australian Fashion Week in May,
saw models parade the runway in kaleidoscopic prints and textural handiwork,
with Akira Isogawa and Linda Jackson on board as design collaborators.
But something else underscored Gogos’ work this year, in the most literal sense. When
asked about the inspirations behind his show, the designer says one word: “Rugs. That’s it.”
Look anywhere at Gogos’ resort 2025 collection and you’ll see rugs: take the shaggy
coats, hand-stitched in his studio at the Powerhouse Museum, that evoked their tactility,
or in a more obvious gesture, models carrying rolled-up carpets slung over their shoulders.
In some ways, the 29-year-old ‘trojan horse’ of design — a nickname that owes to the
Iordanes Spyridon Gogos logo, which draws on his Greek-Australian heritage —
manifested his new collaboration with Designer Rugs on a permanent range of home
carpets. The retailer has previously partnered with renowned fashion designers
including Isogawa and Jackson, and for Gogos, it was the natural next step in his creative
odyssey, which extends to furniture and art.
“I get really obsessed with seeing my work in a different context. That was my initial
response… how can my work be seen differently?” he explains. For Gogos, rugs “felt like
something exciting and untapped”, which made the idea of a partnership with the retailer
even more enticing. The opulent wool carpets covered the floors at his resort 2025 show
and found their way onto the clothes — one dress is literally made from a rug.
“There’s nothing ‘light’ about this collection… if there was an Antarctic or winter
collection, it’d be that,” Gogos says of his latest presentation before adding that his
rugs have the same qualities. “They don’t have a ‘light’ appearance, your eye just gets
drawn into them through the texture.” Entering the unlikely terrain (at least, in Gogos’
world) of flat surfaces, he worked with Designer Rugs to ensure the right texture was
achieved. “There’s no flatness to this collection, all the rugs we have are indented,” he says.
“You can see up close [that] there are levels to it, you just want to rub your finger on it.”
Gogos deep-dived into his personal archive when creating the range of rugs and
surfaced with a score of different patterns. The results are floor coverings in a variety of
colourways, so there’s something for everyone. “The [rug collection] has prints from 2017,
my first year of university, up until fabrics that are in my show presently,” he notes.
On one carpet, wool in varying shades of red illustrates the pattern of a hand-stitched
trench coat from last year’s runway. Others evoke the jagged streaks of his archival pieces,
which were recently acquired into the Powerhouse Museum’s permanent collection.
Scintillating hues may be textbook Gogos, but don’t try to define his aesthetic:
he’s designed furniture made of striking aluminium, showing he’s already adept at
creating eye-catching furnishings for the home. “When you walk into a space, the first
thing you would notice is a rug,” he suggests. “You could have a dining table, you could
have a chair, [but] I think it’s interesting putting something out into the world that
someone’s eye goes straight to.”
Perhaps the most obvious commonality between clothes and rugs is their ability to make
everyday life more beautiful. Gogos puts it best: “Anything tactile, that creates a sensory
experience, is so chic.”
designerrugs.com.au iordanesspyridongogos.com
This page the new Designer Rugs collection by Jordan Gogos is available in eight designs.
Opposite page Gogos in his Sydney studio at the Powerhouse Museum, swathed in his fashion and home collections.

73 VOGUE LIVING

This page Alder lounge table in Earth Grey,
$3250, side table in Light Green, $2370, and stool
in Terracotta, $2370, all by Patricia Urquiola for
Mater, all from Cult, cultdesign.com.au

THE VL EDIT
A curated list of the latest statement makers including the Alder furniture
collection by PATRICIA URQUIOLA and green-tech design brand MATER.
Launched in Milan and available through CULT, these biodegradable tables
and stools are developed using natural materials and recycled coffee waste.

75 VOGUE LIVING

Clockwise from top left Edra Pack sofa by Francesco Binfaré, POA, from Space Furniture, spacefurniture.com.au Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones in Sandstone,
$649.95, from Harvey Norman, harveynorman.com.au CC-tapis M’ama Non M’ama rug by Patricia Urquiola, from $16,044, from Mobilia, mobilia.com.au Stalactite quartz
crystal pendant lights, POA, from Christopher Boots, christopherboots.com Croisière Vaporetto to Murano double bench by Rudy Guénaire, POA, from Monde Singulier,
monde-singulier.com Onda console, POA, from Greg Natale, gregnatale.com Poltrona Frau Parka modular sofa by Draga & Aurel, from $19,092, from Mobilia, mobilia.com.au
Raintree glaze candle, $650, from Bottega Veneta, bottegaveneta.com GFP chair by Garance Vallée and Franck Pellegrino, from $11,083, from Bisa Studio, bisa-studio.com
Biasol Tondo freestanding mirror, from $2995, from Domo, domo.com.au Eau d’Italie Morn to Dusk eau de parfum, $298 for 100ml, from Mecca, mecca.com

76 VOGUE LIVING

PHOTOGRAPHERS: PAUL BARBERA (EDRA PALAZZO DURINI), NIC GOSSAGE (CHRISTOPHER BOOTS CARTIER OCEANIA FLAGSHIP),
DEREK SWALWELL (CREMORNE ST STUDIO BY BIASOL). EXCHANGE RATE CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINT SUBJECT TO CHANGE

THE VL EDIT

A DVA N C E D E F F I C I E N C Y
Combining a powerful vacuum with an
advanced mopping system, all in one
neat package, the Roborock Qrevo MaxV
makes it easier than ever to keep your
floors looking and feeling their best. It
effortlessly mops hard floors and removes
dust, dirt, hair and other debris from
most floor surfaces, thanks to its extreme
HyperForce ® vacuum suction and FlexiArm
Design™, which helps eliminate blind spots
and achieve greater coverage.

SELF CLEANING
This hard-working robot doesn’t just keep
your floors clean – it also washes and
dries itself to ensure it delivers the best
results and creates less work for you.
The mop automatically cleans itself as it
works, then the Multifunctional Dock 2.0
system runs a cleaning cycle that includes
emptying dust and dirt, refilling the robot’s
water tank, cleaning the mop with hot
water and then drying it with warm air.

ROBOROCK Qrevo MaxV AI Robotic Vacuum and Mop,

RR-QRMV02W, $2,199.

OBSTACLE
AVO I DA N C E
Reactive AI smart obstacle
avoidance ensures smooth
cleaning without the need
to pick up items.

F L E X I B L E

f e a t u r e s

Say “Hello Rocky” followed by commands
to get the robot to start or pause cleaning
a specific area and more – perfect for
unexpected spills. The Roborock Qrevo MaxV
also has automatic pet recognition, enabling
it to move aside to avoid scaring furry friends.

HARVEYNORMAN .C OM.AU

U N PA R A L L E L E D P OW E R
Welcome home to a new kind of clean.
Introducing Dyson’s most powerful High
Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) stick
vacuum*, offering powerful suction and
up to 70 minutes of continuous, fade-free
cleaning time for big cleans.** The Dyson
Gen5detect™ Absolute Stick Vacuum is
engineered for fine dust detection across
all surfaces and designed to capture
particles as small as dust mites, mould
spores and pollen, to help keep your
floors cleaner and more hygienic.***

PURE PERFORMANCE
With long-range projection for the largest
of spaces, and the ability to capture and
report on pollutants in real time, the Dyson
HEPA Purifier Big + Quiet Formaldehyde
is a breath of fresh air. Its acoustically
engineered motor is – as the name
suggests – quiet to run, even at full
power, and its gentle breeze mode
offers an easily adjustable airflow
angle for a more refreshing feel.
OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM LEFT: DYSON HEPA Purifier

Big + Quiet Formaldehyde in White/Silver, BP06, $949;
DYSON Gen5detect™ Absolute Stick Vacuum, GEN5DETECTABS

5025155079072, $1,549 (ALSO SHOWN BELOW AND LEFT).

LCD SCREEN
The screen displays the
remaining run time, plus
a summary of what’s
been sucked up, for proof
of a deep clean. ****

H A N D Y

a t t a c h m e n t s

Waste no time switching to handheld
mode, with the built-in dusting and crevice
tool always at your fingertips. Plus, enjoy
a range of extras including the Hair Screw
tool, which removes and de-tangles hair
from pet beds, car seats, stairs and more.

HARVEYNORMAN .C OM.AU

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GET THE EDGE
With its compact design and advanced
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CLEVER DESIGN
This smart house keeper combines
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ECOVACS DEEBOT T30 PRO OMNI Robotic Vacuum,

DEEBOT-T30-PRO, $1,799.

SPOT
CLEANING
To take care of spills,
place the robot in the
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leave it to clean 1.5m by
1.5m around itself.

S E L F

c l e a n i n g

The all-in-one Mini Omni docking station
provides a compact home base that will
recharge the T30 PRO OMNI and also
automatically empty the vacuum for up to
150 days, drain and refill the water for the
mop, and clean and dry the mopping pads.

HARVEYNORMAN .C OM.AU

A CUT ABOVE THE REST
Ushering in a new era for intelligent
robotic mowers, the GOAT G1 offers
smooth and safe lawn maintenance with
wire-free boundary setting, efficient path
planning and innovative 3D obstacle
avoidance. Powered by visual and time-offlight (ToF) sensors, it has been specifically
programmed to recognise and bypass
common outdoor objects. In addition, it
can automatically return to the charging
station when needed, then continue its
work when ready.
AUTOMATED FEATURES
The ECOVACS app allows for an effortless
user experience. Boundary settings are
run off beacon signals, meaning all set up
can be done remotely via the app, so you
can set and forget with just one click and
leave the GOAT G1 to get the job done.
With its built-in panoramic camera, fisheye
camera, and multi-spot guarding feature,
you can also add up to 10 guarding spots
on the app, giving you a 360° view.

LEFT: ECOVACS WINBOT W1 PRO Robotic Window

Cleaner, WINBOT-WG888-12, $799. RIGHT AND BELOW:
ECOVACS GOAT G1 Robotic Lawn Mower, GOAT-G1 , $2,999.

EASY
SETUP
It’s a set-and-forget
approach with the
ECOVACS Home App,
allowing you to
establish boundaries
with a few simple clicks.

G L A S S

c l e a n i n g

Featuring powerful suction, an intelligent
steady drive system and edge-detection
technology, the ECOVACS WINBOT W1
PRO robotic cleaner removes dirt and stains
from windows and even unframed glass
pool fencing, controlled from anywhere,
anytime, with the ECOVACS Home App.

HARVEYNORMAN .C OM.AU

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87 VOGUE LIVING

PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHALIE KRAG

By SONIA COCOZZA Photographed by NATHALIE KR AG

88 VOGUE LIVING

KINGDOM COME Architect Antonio Giuseppe Martiniello is creating
an experimental studio residence in a NEAPOLITAN PALAZZO, where his
vision for the future is in dialogue with centuries of art and design.

This page in the living room of this Naples home, On the Rocks sofa by Francesco
Binfaré for Edra, enquiries to Space Furniture; 1970s steel and smoked glass table;
vases by Andrea Anastasio; lamp by Joe Colombo for Oluce; 1700s console; Taccia
table lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, enquiries to Living
Edge; framed photograph by Alfonso Cacciapuoti. Details, last pages.

This page in the prototyping room, Bieffeplast chairs.
Opposite page in the kitchen, Untitled artwork by

Stefano Dordiglione.

These pages in another view of the living room, Le Bambole chairs by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, enquiries to Space Furniture;
custom coffee table by Antonio Giuseppe Martiniello; Untitled artwork by Salvino Campos; Untitled artwork by Ryan Mendoza.

ehind its tremendous neoclassical facade is the tale of a house with a storied
past. Memories and testimonies that have survived time grace an inner
courtyard where a coat of arms bearing a half-rearing horse reveals the name
of the palazzo’s former owners, the noble Ruffo di Castelcicala family.
Nunquam retrorsum. Never backward. Thus reads the motto, which
overlooks the piperno rock stairs and arches that lead to each of the three
floors. These clues derived from the property’s aristocratic past allowed
architect Antonio Giuseppe Martiniello to bring about an authentic spatial
revolution consistent with the spirit of the place.
The search for a home-studio in Naples led Martiniello to an apartment
in this very palazzo. It was renovated in the 1800s, left uninhabited for about
90 years, and has been reborn as the headquarters of Martiniello’s firm
Keller Architettura where the ever-changing grammar of good architecture
faces new challenges. For Martiniello, architecture is a phenomenon
of change in which the present is bound to the historical development of the past. His
post-graduate training in Graz, Austria, played a fundamental role in shaping his conception
of space, and together, his mindset and influences drive him to transcend boundaries and leave
a strong mark everywhere. “I love Naples, I defend my roots, but I feel very European,” says
Martiniello. “Naples is a stimulating city, the physical place where years of architectural
research are encapsulated. I think my city is still far from the standardisation of taste.”
Martiniello’s studio and home are places “open to cultural exchange, contamination and
confrontation”. In a city like Naples where everything new is re-elaborated, regenerated
and innovated, he says it is stimulating “to develop a dynamic architectural language”.
Innovating for the architect means “recovering the historical memory of a place, a house, and
projecting it into the future. Past, present and future I see as a linear continuum.”
This attitude is reflected in each of Martiniello’s architecture projects. Starting with a pilot
project involving the Santa Caterina a Formiello, a 16th-century church in Porta Capuana,
since 2011, Martiniello’s work moves in a specific direction: promoting interaction between
artists, designers and artisans, and giving life to an ethical, sustainable and inclusive production
chain. As well as Keller Architettura, Martiniello has founded Officina Keller Napoli, an
association dedicated to urban and social regeneration. The two dimensions, architectural and
social, are the fundamental pillars of the activity that the architect has been carrying out for
years. Keller Architettura creates the environments within which Officina Keller Napoli
elaborates and develops life and community.
According to the architect’s design philosophy, cultural heritage cannot be mummified —
it must be integrated and related to the lived space. This is evident in the home-studio’s
so-called ‘Chinese room’, the result of a recent design intervention that highlights the theme of
continuity and the relationship between the ancient and the contemporary. Here, the architect’s
abstract idea becomes concrete through graphic representation translated into colour.
The home-studio occupies two main spaces that were decorated in the 19th century using
various techniques and approaches. Martiniello unified each room with one contemporary
addition — the presence of an orange cord runs through the fabric of the entire apartment.
In Martiniello’s home, physical space, compositional research and design process merge. The
interconnected environments follow one after the other like frames of a short film; they are
scenographies of a revitalised space where historical memory, design, art and technology
exchange narratives, interact and blend together.
Every room has an assertive voice that draws attention to the relationship between ancient
and modern design, and finishes are enhanced through restorations that intentionally mystify
contemporary interventions. From the ‘peacock room’ (the architect’s studio) to the Pompeianred living space, and from the recent ‘Chinese room’ (a bedroom) to the library, the apartment
is a succession of scholarly ideas. Each environment is a layered, poetic narrative — the
wallpaper, deteriorated by time, is brought back to life, while the antiques in the peacock and
butterfly rooms are anecdotes about the tastes and cultures that came before. As was the fashion
at the time, each room had to have a specific decoration, and what has survived the patina of
the years now showcases 19th-century techniques that imitated wood and marble.
Art in all its forms ties all these open, communicating rooms together. In the meeting room
are works by Harry Pearce titled Poetry in the Streets of Naples, on the walls of the library is
a piece by Roxy Rose and another by Alberto Tadiello, and in the living room are works by
Ryan Mendoza and Salvino Campos. There’s a neon sign by Fischerspooner, and vases
by Andrea Anastasio. In this highly creative atmosphere, decades of design collide. Vintage
icons, industrial products and exquisitely crafted furnishings are in harmonious dialogue with
each other. And then, Martiniello says, “there are inheritances and rarities, those coming from
kellerarchitettura.it
friends’ houses — unobtainable pieces that breathe here.”
94 VOGUE LIVING

This page in the dining area, Fiarm Scorzè table and

chairs; Untitled artwork by Riccardo Albanese.

This page in the architect’s studio, 1950s table by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno; vintage chair; table lamp by Charles and Ray Eames; Popular houses
sculpture by Enzo Rusciano; neon artwork by Fischerspooner. Opposite page in the meeting room, table and bookcase from Pallucco; Panton chairs

by Verner Panton for Vitra, enquiries to Living Edge; ceiling lamp from Erco; Skull sculpture by Anna Fusco; Poetry in the Streets of Naples artworks
by Harry Pearce in collaboration with the Vittorio Avella printing house.

97 VOGUE LIVING

These pages in the library, Frighetto green and black alcantara sofa; 1960s
Artemide fibreglass armchairs; Ycami bookcase; Untitled artwork by Kelvin Grey
(above bookcase); neon artwork and sculptural wall artwork by Roxy Rose.

This page in the bedroom, custom bed by Antonio Giuseppe Martiniello; 1960s armchair; bedside table from Pallucco; Viabizzuno Maria lamp
(on chest of drawers), enquiries to VBO Australia; Sticky wall lamp from Droog Design; Untitled artwork by Mario Pellegrino. Opposite page in the

Chinese room, Poltrona Frau armchairs upholstered in WonderMooi fabric; Untitled artwork by Riccardo Albanese. Details, last pages.

101 VO G U E L I V I N G

10 2 VO G U E L I V I N G

For the designer’s latest opus in Melbourne, FIONA LYNCH delves into the multilayered meanings of colour with what may be her most allegorical palette to date.

10 4 VO G U E L I V I N G

10 6 VO G U E L I V I N G

These pages in the kitchen, island and splashback in Verde Bardini and Travertine Litzio stone from Artedomus; Franke gooseneck swivel pullout mixer in

Gunmetal from Winning Appliances; kitchen bench stool from Pan After; 44-Bulb Kingdom chandelier by Karl Zahn for Lindsey Adelman Studio and
Lindsey Adelman 7-Bulb Drop System sconce from The Future Perfect; wall in 2Pac MDF High Gloss in Amazon Depth from Ox Finishes.

hen addressing her use of dusty greens in the modernisation of this
Melbourne home, designer Fiona Lynch wonders whether the recent
dulling of her palette is a portent of darker times or the function of
maturing eye. “I certainly now see things through the denser filter
of lived experience, but colour is such a potent signifier,” she says with
conviction that it exists as much in the economic, social and political
realms as it does in the physical. “It is fundamental to our understanding
of contemporary culture and loads with meanings and perceptions that
can be specific to a moment.”
The history books ratify her thinking, with green, across the
centuries, variously encoding spring rituals, naivety, divine order,
demonic possession, good health, wealth and the ruinous l’heure verte
(green hour) of absinthe — the pear-coloured liqueur poisoning late
19th-century Europe.
Right now, it is the colour of systemic redress and environmental redemption but when
nuanced into olive or avocado — and smashing into a metaphor for millennial housing
affordability — it can load with generational disaffection or a little ’70s nostalgia, says the
designer in fond recollection of the stained oak cabinets in her childhood home.
For Lynch, the mid-career master colourist who came to her ‘true’ calling after nine years of
tertiary study spanning urban planning, fine arts and interior design, colour sets the stage in
which her thinking is thought and abstracts the architectural tension between formal gravity
and vertical support. In this regard she emulates her art-crush Cy Twombly, with specific
citation to his Untitled V (Green Paintings), a six-work series in The Metropolitan Museum of
Art, New York, that slips between tonal suggestions of a walk in the woods and the whiteness
of the Mediterranean Sea.
Twombly’s drip of green paint onto outer moulding, such that image merges into frame, has
clearly informed Lynch’s use of large-slab, expressively veined stones in this Auburn Residence
— a two-storey, five-bedroom brick home built in the 1990s in a tree-lined pocket where the
late 19th-century planners sought to emulate the English garden-suburb.
In this suburban context, green makes the most sense of past ideals, present agendas
and the client’s want for greater continuity between house and garden, says Lynch, who
replanned the structure’s “weirdly angled rooms”, along more rectangular co-ordinates and
re-materialised a central stair in golden metal. “We stripped everything out but the existing
reddish timber floors, which we dulled to an earthier chocolate brown. I’ve been pulling colours
away of late,” she adds, “trying to quiet time and invest schemes with longevity and a sense of
wider landscape.”
Her want to still existence in an enduring materiality is most evident in the kitchen, where
honed Travertine Litzio and Verde Bardini stone from Artedomus abstract the bench and
splashback into the meeting of monumental cliff face and limestone landform. Between such
rock and hard place, Lynch has allegorised Australia’s blackwood forests in the form of Jon
Goulder’s Innate table (from Spence & Lyda) and outback station life in Knoll’s brown leather
Saddle chairs. Adjacent cabinets wrap in leather shaded the same aubergine of native Smokebush
trees, while Karl Zahn’s 44-bulb Kingdom chandelier from The Future Perfect infers the seedpod structure of indigenous plants. “It is both balanced and ever-so-slightly off kilter,” says
Zahn’s collaborator Lindsey Adelman of his exaltation of imperfect nature; one echoing the
brass armature of an open-stair obliquing like a shaft of golden sun and spilling circulation into
a sitting room furnished with a chartreuse stretch of Tufty-Time sofa on an olive silk rug.
The midnight counterpoint to Lynch’s grounding of diurnal greens is the upper-level main
bedroom where Bauwerk’s deeply pigmented Pewter, colouring walls and ceiling plane,
converts the room into a soothing abyss of sleep. The dial-down of circadian rhythms is further
served by blackened metal hardware, grey-washed timber cabinets, and a bedhead swathed in
Bilby blue nubuck leather. Small allusions to the room’s alternate scope of seduction are made
by erotically folded linen light sconces from Pinch Design London, a tapestry work by artist
Ry David Bradley from Sullivan+Strumpf and the musky velvet of Gubi’s Stay sofa from Cult.
“You know, developers would typically substitute the stone for a cheaper porcelain tile,
advising that residents never notice such things,” Lynch says of choosing to run a rich baseline
of expressively veined magenta stone underneath the wardrobe. “But they are wrong, people do
notice such things and delight in their surprise.”
By way of proving her point, the designer recalls the client’s return to the Auburn Residence
at project end, and finding her old bedroom revised into a ‘moody reverie’. “Fiona, I don’t want
to go away anywhere, ever again,” says Lynch in parrot of her patron’s response. “Why would
I go and stay at some hotel that approximates the likes of a large population, when I can feel as
fionalynch.com.au
singularly good as this?” Why indeed!
10 8 VO G U E L I V I N G

This page in the main bedroom, Gubi Stay sofa from Cult; Destroyers/Builders Horns Variations IV

side table by Linde Freya Tangelder from Criteria; carpet from Signature Floors; Angel Wing floor
light by Alvar Aalto for Artek from Anibou; Untitled artworks by Sean Bailey from Daine Singer.
Opposite page in the main ensuite, Agape Spoon XL bathtub from Artedomus; City Stik bath mixer in
Statue Bronze from Brodware; Destroyers/Builders Windows Of Bo Bardi side table by Linde Freya
Tangelder from Criteria; Lindsey Adelman 3-Bulb Drop System sconce from The Future Perfect;
wall in Vert D’Estours stone from Corsi & Nicolai; floor in Travertine Litzio from Artedomus.

111 V O G U E L I V I N G

These pages in another view of the main bedroom, custom nubuck leather bedhead from Pelle Leathers; linen bed cover from In Bed; Pinch Anders wall lights

from Spence & Lyda; sculpture by Angus White; Untitled artwork by Ry David Bradley from Sullivan+Strumpf. Details, last pages.

112 V O G U E L I V I N G

By FR ANCESCA WALLACE Photographed by PRUE RUSCOE Styled by FELICITY NG

YSG redefines coastal living with the genre-bending, retro-sampled
transformation of a brick cottage that brings the NOSTALGIA of the 1970s
and the eccentricity of European design to Byron Bay.
114 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the dining and bar area of this Byron Bay home, custom dining table in
spotted gum and reclaimed hardwood, and window designed by YSG and crafted by
Maiden Co; dining chairs sourced from flea markets in Paris by YSG and Studio Alm,
reupholstered by The Dusty Road in Lure fabric by Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa;
1970s yellow Murano glass ashtray from Lumini Collections. Details, last pages.

This page in the sunken lounge area, Soriana armchair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, ceramic

coffee table by Roger Capron, and Raak wall lights in stainless steel and copper, all from Studio Alm;
travertine chess set and antique head sculpture from Tigmi Trading; Yellow Diamond mirror by Sunroom
Glass; Ma’at rug by YSG x Tappeti; custom Roman blind in Élitis fabric and curtain in Tennessee Tussah
by Catherine Martin by Mokum and produced by Petre’s Curtains & Blinds; Ortigia wallpaper from Élitis.
Opposite page in another view of the sunken lounge area, brown banquette cushions in Élitis Bellezza fabric,
striped banquette cushions in Sahco fabric, blue cushions in Local Denim fabric, small cushions in Élitis
fabric and gold cushion in Zoffany fabric, all designed by YSG and crafted by The Dusty Road; handwoven
Medicine Totem wall hanging from Appetite for Decoration; Alexandria bowl, and clay bowl and vase
(bottom shelf) by Saskia Folk from Tigmi Trading; Zebra Calcite crystal (middle shelf) from Crystals
of the World; Mid-Century Modern Italian paper bin (used as planter) from Lumini Collections.

117 V O G U E L I V I N G

here’s a sense of letting go that comes with going against the grain. For
Yasmine Ghoniem, it was a project in Byron Bay that tested her ingenuity and
her determination to ‘let go’ and break away from coastal stereotypes. “It feels
dream-like, like I’ve been there before and also haven’t, if that makes sense,”
the YSG director says of the family home she recently completed in the
beachside enclave, best known for its white walls and rattan furniture and less
so for its risk-taking and colour. Balancing both is exactly what Ghoniem has
managed here — to straddle the line between the nostalgic and the new to
create a cosy sense of déjà vu, the feeling that makes a house a home.
“The clients wanted something that wasn’t super white. They were avid
lovers of the ’70s and had a real soft spot for brown, so that colour is sprinkled
throughout with the mix of terracotta,” Ghoniem says of the owners, a couple
with a young family. “It was about transforming a tired house that looked
typical. It felt and looked bland and didn’t really have a vibe. The idea was to
get us on board to provide a holistic injection of something cool.”
Ghoniem reimagined and simplified the layout and made structural interventions to fit the
flow. Working with Webber Build, the team created a passage to the children’s bedrooms and
enclosed an internal upstairs balcony, adding a timber-clad circular window — or as Ghoniem
puts it, a “large porthole” — to provide light. But the majority of the changes were made to the
design, transforming the “weird Swiss cabin stuck in a rainforest” into a modern Byron gem.
There’s a distinct Italo-disco vibe in the communal spaces, and Ghoniem confirms the Italian
references are heavy handed, given the decades of inspiration and its linchpin effect on the
global aesthetic. “The balancing act of creating drama and sophistication seems to come so
naturally [to Italians]. From bold colours to strong silhouettes, there’s an undercurrent of
harmony in everything.”
The furniture, much of it custom, vintage or sourced while travelling in Europe, includes
several Italian designs. “I sourced two incredible vintage Italian armchairs with a chocolate and
spearmint harlequin wool pattern that were in perfect nick from Oda Paris — the connoisseurs
of vintage cool — where we also picked up a vintage Italian chrome wall light that looks like
tangled spaghetti. We popped in a great Memphis-inspired angular side table to seal the deal.”
Blending the masculine and feminine of the 1970s — there’s light and shade in spades, albeit
without a single stark white or midnight black traditionally associated with gendered design
— Ghoniem threw in more traditional Australian beach house elements like the terracotta
floor throughout. Contrasted against warm timber trims and lush marble, each space contains
elements of beachy casualness mirrored in equal parts with sophisticated touches.
The chrome balustrade wrap, inspired by skatepark railing, is one of the most unexpected
design elements in the kitchen, and one that went on to guide everything spinning from its
orbit. “We imagined our client and his mates knocking about in the kitchen space while
someone is listening to music on the sunken lounge and having that real causal connection of
conversation between the rooms,” says Ghoniem. “We wanted people to feel like they could
lean on something and be transported back in time to their early 20s; of freedom.” That same
chrome detail is replicated in the kitchen finishes and the chairs at the custom dining table,
which have been reupholstered in Kelly Wearstler fabric, turning the skatepark theme into an
updated take on 1980s sheen.
The sunken lounge — of which Ghoniem confirms is back in demand with her clients — is
the centrepiece of the space. “[I love] that idea of descending to relax. There’s this element of
grounding in a home and you get that when you walk down. It doesn’t have to be many stairs,
even a few and it’s a journey to get to that sofa. It doesn’t matter what era, how old, where you
are from, you want a sunken lounge!”
The recessed living space is original to the house, and Ghoniem’s bespoke soft furnishings,
embossed wallpaper, vintage tiled Capron coffee table and custom silk-and-wool rug mix and
match for different textures. Combined with the denim-clad Cassina chair, it feels fit for a ’70s
film set. The ocean-blue denim lifts the palette, offsetting the browns, pinks and ochres. “What
we tried to do with the interior was translate that feeling or emotion into a space and physical
objects. How could you make that casual impression through space and things?” she asks.
In the bathrooms, the tiling — a YSG signature — plays with shapes, from super large to
smaller squares that frame the bath, and the clients’ connection to Western Australia informed
the checkerboard Kimberley stone in the powder room. The two timber stripes on all the doors
“represent the pinstripe you’d find on ’70s-era pants” and the dining table has two legs fixed at
alternating angles, in order to be best appreciated from the lounge. These details, alongside the
handcrafted African wall hangings, ensure there’s something to talk about at every turn.
“There was this balance of give and take between the two clients. It made the project. If one
person was always saying yes, you’d have a different outcome. There wasn’t that, there was
always a conversation,” Ghoniem reflects. Redefining a genre isn’t easy work, but if anyone’s
up to the task, it’s Ghoniem. With her multi-layered approach weaving the known and loved
ysg.studio
with the unexpected, coastal living has never looked so personal.
11 8 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the bar area, vintage armchairs and vintage chrome Arteluce wall light from
Oda Paris; vintage Italian coffee table from Colecta Rara; Leafy bowl by Kate Rohde; chrome
sphere from Vampt Vintage Design; Draped Black Wicker side table (in living area beyond)
from Tigmi Trading; placemats and handwoven bowl from Appetite for Decoration; floor
in Cotto Manetti terracotta tiles from Artedomus in custom pattern designed by YSG;
Mojo artwork by Jeremy Kay.

These pages in the kitchen and dining areas, island and chrome joinery handles designed by YSG and produced by Woodrabbit; vintage stools from Lunatiques,
reupholstered by The Dusty Road in Sahco Tropic fabric; Zebrano timber veneer joinery from Briggs Veneers; shell bowl from Appetite for Decoration; Fasano Lazio
plates from Clo Studios; bowls from Softedge Studio; 1960s red Italian ceramic bowl from Lumini Collections; Ostrea vase and Sculpture in White Glaze coupe,
both from Tigmi Trading; Toni Zuccheri Murano glass chandelier; floor in Cotto Manetti terracotta tiles from Artedomus in custom pattern designed by YSG;
iron sculpture by Theo Niermeijer (on dining table) from Tigmi Trading; Moon pendant light (in lounge area) designed by YSG and crafted by Anomolous.

121 V O G U E L I V I N G

12 2 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the main ensuite, bath surround in Vixel mosaic tile from Artedomus and custom

tumbled dark travertine and Biancone marble from Aeria Country Floors; tapware in brushed
copper from ABI Interiors; vertical heated towel rail in Tuscan Bronze from Astra Walker; jug
from Softedge Studio; towel from In Bed. Opposite page in another view of the main ensuite,
custom vanity designed by YSG in honed Bellini marble crafted by CDK Stone; tapware in
brushed copper from ABI Interiors; FAT drawer handles by D Line and Tom Dixon from Casson
Hardware; Chanterelle wall hooks from Ferm Living; ceramic bells by Lisa Lapointe; Tinja check
and stripe Jacques pots from Clo Studios; Intueri Light Bullarum wall light from In Good
Company; floor in Italian porcelain tile in Sand and Clay from Perini. Details, last pages.

GIULIANO ANDREA DELL’UVA
restores a 19th-century apartment in
his native Naples by re-energising the
intention of the original architect with
walls of silk, panels of steel and a
contemporary Pompeii-inspired palette.

By TAMI CHRISTIANSEN Photographed by NATHALIE KR AG

This page in the formal salon of this Naples home, vintage chair and ceramic bowl

from Massimo Caiafa Design; coffee table by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva; 1960s
Anders Pehrson floor lamp; artworks by artists unknown. Details, last pages.

This page in a hallway, 1980s Montenegro marble console and vintage lamp (on console) by Ettore Sottsass from Massimo Caiafa Design; vase by Ceramiche Nicola
Fasano; antique lamp original to the home. Opposite page in another view of the formal salon, Grand Antique marble fireplace by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva;

porcelain sculpture (on mantel) by Diego Cibelli from Alfonso Artiaco; sculpture (on wall) by artist unknown.

12 7 V O G U E L I V I N G

These pages in the living room, Osaka sofa by Pierre Paulin from LaCividina; Lina armchairs by Gianfranco Frattini for Tacchini,
enquiries to Stylecraft; coffee table by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva; ceramic bowl from Massimo Caiafa Design; 1970s ceramic vase and
vessel; Atollo table lamp by Vico Magistretti for Oluce, enquiries to Living Edge; antique brass chandelier original to the home;
Exits #1 artwork by David Tremlett from Alfonso Artiaco.

ith a gift for taking historical spaces and turning them into modern
interiors, Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva says his main point of reference
when redesigning this 300-square-metre apartment in Naples was the
architect who first designed the home. “The building and apartment were
originally built for a single family, the Fuscos. I tried to put myself in
the place of the architect of that time, to imagine what his vision of
decoration would be in the contemporary world,” dell’Uva says of the
palazzo, which dates back to the late 1800s. “Beautiful and
interesting houses have always had elements from different eras which,
if [they are] of quality, make the houses special.”
Dell’Uva’s young client, financier Giorgia D’Apuzzo, envisioned
a home where she could welcome guests and friends with a true
Neapolitan experience when passing through Naples. “In this case, we
wanted the house to reflect the Neapolitan way of life, which embodies
the art of beauty that reigns in the city,” explains D’Apuzzo.
The intention was to bring the apartment back to its former glory, at the time of the palazzo’s
construction. To accomplish this, a major restoration of the walls was necessary, and the
result is a symphony of colour with an emphasis on the decorative elements. “As in many
of my projects, I create a contemporary environment in order to bring out the old by mixing
it with the new. Hence, the decorating scheme encompasses designer furnishings from the
’60s and ’70s,” says dell’Uva. Designed by the likes of Ettore Sottsass, Angelo Mangiarotti
and Cini Boeri, these pieces take on new personality and life when juxtaposed against the
dark lacquered-wood panels on the walls.
Colour was essential to restoring the home’s spirit and a key focus of the project. In order
to maintain its “elegant and formal tone”, dell’Uva says he “didn’t play with too strong colours”.
He did, however, “recall Pompeii through [shades of] red, yellow ochre, blue and green,
and always in contrast with the black — a combination of colours that is found in ancient
Roman houses”. Where original features were missing — including many of the old door
panels — dell’Uva did the unexpected and installed new steel ones. “The idea was to create
contemporary features instead of using replicas,” he illuminates. His use of steel extends
to the cabinets and shelves, and a Bulthaup steel and wood kitchen further enhances the
contrast between old and new.
Original architectural elements and details have been retained wherever possible to preserve
the authenticity of each space and hold onto a sense of the place’s history. “I try to keep antique
elements as much as possible, but I make sure that the final result is new and not melancholic,”
emphasises dell’Uva. “I like to think that those rooms have been inhabited previously and that
the decorative and chromatic choices made over time are revealed and highlighted.”
During the restoration, old faux marble and wood panelling came to light, and while
removing layers of paint, a pencil sketch of the decorative iron grate fan window above the
main entrance in its original proportions emerged. The sketch was left as is, adding yet another
layer of history to the home. In Naples, majolica (brightly coloured pottery) has always been
used as a decorative element in aristocratic houses, churches and gardens. Here, the majolicas
designed by dell’Uva were made by artisans using the same technique that would have been
employed in the 1700s. “I decided not to use them for the floors, as I usually do, but for the
walls. They are like colourful tapestries that decorate bathroom walls,” he says.
In the tiled bathrooms, iron doors with coloured glass are made to measure, and the use of
glass continues throughout the apartment with custom lamps designed by dell’Uva’s studio.
In the formal salon, “a room dedicated to family portraits”, a pair of antique oil paintings
remain as a poignant tribute to the first owners. “They have always hung in this house,” says
dell’Uva, who dressed the room in moiré silk that beautifully blurs the line between classic
and modern. “It’s a way to declare the value of the home, a family home that lives on in a new
giulianoandreadelluva.it
time, with a new future.”

Opposite page in the dining room, Incas table in marble by Angelo Mangiarotti for Agapecasa;

chairs from San Carlo Theatre; Untitled artwork by Robert Barry from Alfonso Artiaco.

13 0 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in another view of the dining room, sliding wood and burnished steel panel and floor lamps by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva. Opposite page in the kitchen, steel

and wood fittings from Bulthaup; vintage ceramic vase and vessels; vintage Madison table lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Tronconi; vintage artwork by artist unknown.

13 2 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in a guest bathroom, basin, mirror and handcrafted majolica tiles designed by Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva; Opposite page in a guest bedroom,

Asha bed with brass frame from Xam; custom headboard upholstered in Dedar fabric; bed cover and linen from Society Limonta.

13 5 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in one of the bedrooms, Asha bed with brass frame from Xam; vintage wood headboard; Eros side table in Carrara marble by Angelo Mangiarotti
for Skipper. Opposite page in another bedroom, Asha bed with brass frame from Xam; bed linen from Society Limonta; Botolo chair by Cini Boeri for Arflex,
enquiries to Space Furniture. Details, last pages.

13 6 V O G U E L I V I N G

By LINDYL ZANBAK A Photographed by DAVE WHEELER Styled by JOSEPH GARDNER

On an ARTS AND CRAFTS style estate in Point Piper, a private
residence designed for epicurean pleasures and rarefied pursuits welcomes
guests to gather and drink in its modern GOTHIC ambience.

Opposite page in the entry of this Point Piper home, Ringvide Weave Low cabinet and Apparatus Median Surface sconces from Criteria; Vestige
table 01 by Annie Paxton from Studio Gardner; wall finish in Venetian plaster by Idea Creations; floor in Illusion marble from Granite & Marble
Works and custom-stained American oak parquetry by Insight Flooring; sculpture by Scott McNeil; Actual Virtual 17 (2022) marble sculpture by
Alex Seton from Sullivan+Strumpf; One Plum-Tree Warms The Mist Air (2020) artwork by Louise Olsen from Olsen Gallery. Details, last pages.

13 8 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the dining room, Galley table from The Wood Room; Glove chairs by Patricia Urquiola for Molteni&C from Hub Furniture;
Collection Particulière Kafa stool and Canopy bowl from Ondene; ceramic vessel by Astrid Salomon from Studio Gardner; Ripple vase (on mantel)
from The DEA Store; custom limestone fireplace surround by Richard Ellis Design; fireplace in Zellige tiles in Chocolate by Surface Gallery; Apparatus
Tassel 57 pendant light and Tassel 3 wall sconce from Criteria; Il Fanale Girasoli ceiling light from LightCo; curtains in Metaphores Talisman fabric
from Boyac produced by Simple Studio; custom steel-frame doors by Jillian Dinkel and produced by All Metal Projects; door hardware from Noble
Elements; custom American oak wall and ceiling panels by Jillian Dinkel and produced by Bober; wall finish in Venetian plaster by Idea Creations;
floor in Illusion marble from Granite & Marble Works and custom-stained American oak parquetry by Insight Flooring.

illian Dinkel loves a good story, so it doesn’t take long for the interior designer
to bring up Bram Stoker’s Dracula during discussion about her latest residential
project. An epochal work of Gothic literature, the novel’s dark portrayal of
Victorian England bled into Dinkel’s vision for the design of a singular
property on Point Piper’s Kilmory Estate.

Less than two decades after Dracula was published in 1897, Kilmory rose
above Point Piper on a site that is now among the last of the suburb’s grand
estates. Designed by John William Manson of architecture firm Manson &
Pickering, the Arts and Crafts-style Federation mansion was built around
1913 for Sir Alexander MacCormick, one of Australia’s pre-eminent
surgeons. But in this day and age, no buyers dared take on such an enormous
property and the estate was eventually developed and divided into opulent
apartments of more manageable proportions.
A few years ago, Dinkel was asked to design one of those penthouse apartments, and
soon after its completion the owners returned to her studio with a second brief — the
reimagining of Kilmory’s former stables, which they had purchased as a secondary
residence with the sole intention of entertaining guests in absolute privacy. “This project is
unique because not only was I working with the clients for the second time, but also on the
property for the second time, so that doubled the opportunity to push the limits,” shares
Dinkel. “The longer the relationship with the clients, the more trust is built, the more
I understand their personal story, the more we can expand our thinking.”
When Dinkel says “expand our thinking”, she means ‘redefining what a home can be’.
There are no bedrooms in this house, but there is a Pilates studio fit-out with handcrafted
Pent equipment in stainless-steel, wood and leather, an adjoining ‘glam’ room and ensuite,
a creative space for the owners’ school-age children, a kitchen made for private chefs,
and a dining room and wine-tasting space for 12. It also has three floors, head-tilting
ceilings and a sub-level entry so that visitors may come and go unseen. Dinkel’s design had
to find the point of balance between her clients’ desire for discretion and drama while
offering “everything one would want out of the outside world, but at home”. Or put simply,
the project involved “taking a residential space and putting a hospitality lens on it”. >

This page in the kitchen, stainless-steel and solid oak joinery by Jillian Dinkel and produced by Poliform; benchtop in
Illusion marble from Granite & Marble Works; Floris Wubben vase from Studio Alm; woodfired vase from The DEA
Store. Opposite page in another view of the kitchen and living areas, Tufty-Time sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B
Italia from Space Furniture; ClassiCon Corker No.1 stool from Anibou; Icon + tapware from Astra Walker; Il Fanale
Girasoli ceiling lights from LightCo; Body of a Stranger Family (2023) artwork by Daniel Domig from Chalk Horse.

< As the story often goes, most of the building’s early features had been stripped out by
developers and very little resembled its original state. But after months of research,
black-and-white photos of the interiors found their way into Dinkel’s hands, and with her
expertise in renovating heritage and period homes, she was able to “play a small part in
being a custodian of this history” and piece together her own interpretation. Her new
“Draculean” narrative blends traditional English design influences that would have been
visible once upon a time with a modern Gothic ‘plot twist’. The opening scene plays out in
the entry, where burgundy Venetian plaster (a colour that took “quite a few goes” to arrive
at) washes the walls, staircase and ceiling like Barolo swirling around a wine decanter.
The dining room is the most full-bodied expression of Dinkel’s modern Gothic. The
design of the dark panelled timber joinery and fireplace references old photos from
the estate and in doing so restores some of the period’s grandeur. “We worked with Richard
Ellis [Design] and I think he said this was the biggest fireplace he’s ever done. It’s 1.6 or
1.7 metres high and absolutely enormous,” Dinkel says. Wide marble skirting borders the
entire room and frames the solid timber parquetry floor, and in the middle is a toothsome
dining table, made by The Wood Room and almost four metres long. “The base looks
almost like rib bones,” Dinkel says of the table’s Draculean frame.
The grand cru of this domain is a 400-bottle wine fridge, which reads like a vinous
library. “My clients are avid collectors of wine,” Dinkel explains before listing the custom
temperature-controlled fridge’s security features. “It took a lot of time, effort and dedication
between multiple trades to get that piece to look and function exactly right.” For the full
Chef ’s Table experience, guests must go behind the scenes and into the kitchen. This space
is designed around a stainless-steel Poliform island and a second, back-of-house timber
kitchen for multiple chefs and catering teams.
Although the stainless-steel kitchen was purely functional, Dinkel delighted in its
metallic coolness and appropriated it throughout the house in the form of tarnished silver
details that felt “very different from the expected aged brass or bronze”. In a powder room,
she accessorises hand-painted wallpaper and a layered marble-and-brass basin with
tapware and a sconce by Apparatus in tarnished silver. Dinkel’s admiration for the New
York-based design studio sings, both in her praise and the presence of its Tassel lighting
series in almost every room. “The handmade nature of their work aligns with my own
ethos,” she says. “I think they’re doing something that no one else is right now.”
If this home is a study in ‘dark academia’, the children’s creative studio is pure fantasy.
Given carte blanche, Dinkel maximised the room’s high ceiling with a loft level cocooned
in Schumacher hand-painted wallpaper, draped fabric and soft cotton pendants while
below, the past re-emerges in the form of an original sandstone wall.
The “go wild” mentality Dinkel channelled in the kids’ loft space describes the owners’
approach to choosing furniture — a fluffy pink Edra sofa was one of the last pieces to be
purchased. They poured their love of Italian design into sourcing the super-sized blue
B&B Italia Tufty-Time from Space, and Dinkel notes her clients’ sensitivity to beautiful
things is matched by their respect for craftsmanship, an appreciation she shares. “When it
comes to Italian design it’s the honesty of the materiality that I resonate with.”
Talk of Italian design soon turns to the way the Milanese have mastered the art of
putting together an outfit. “In Milan, I love people-watching on the street and looking at
how immaculately everything is tailored and that attention to detail,” Dinkel muses. Her
sartorial observations hint at her former career in fashion — born in Boston, Dinkel moved
to Sydney by way of New York to work as bookings director for Vogue Australia.
In 2016 she left her job to study interior design and launch her eponymous studio, which
was “the next level of my creative expression”, she says. “The effort and layering that make
a successful outfit are some of the philosophies I applied to this project. I think that I look
at things with a different lens.”
jilliandinkel.com
Opposite page in the children’s creative space, Ligne Roset Togo settee; Vitra Resting Bear cushion, enquiries to
Space Furniture; Artek Stool 60 by Alvar Aalto; custom oak shelves by Jillian Dinkel and produced by Bober; shelf
skirt by Jillian Dinkel and produced by Simple Studio in Landhome fabric; Terracotta bottle with golden balls sculpture
by Glenn Barkley from Sullivan+Strumpf; Schumacher Forest Hills by Abel Macias wallpaper from Orient House;
draped fabric by Jillian Dinkel and produced by Simple Studio; Banks Lantern light shades from Society Inc.

14 5 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the glam room/ensuite, custom vanity by Jillian Dinkel, produced by Bober and Granite & Marble Works; Icon + tapware from

Astra Walker; Claybrook Orbit bath from Rogerseller; Carl Hansen & Søn Egyptian stool from Cult; steel frame shower door by Jillian Dinkel and
produced by All Metal Projects; Roman blinds by Simple Studio; wall finish in microcement by Idea Creations; floor in Pietra Grigio stone from Granite
& Marble Works. Opposite page in the powder room, custom vanity by Jillian Dinkel, produced by Bober and Granite & Marble Works; solid American
oak wall and ceiling panels, architraves and doors by Jillian Dinkel and produced by Bober; hardware from Noble Elements; de Gournay hand-painted
wallpaper; floor in Illusion marble from Granite & Marble Works. Builder Venari Projects; landscape design Myles Baldwin. Details, last pages.

14 6 V O G U E L I V I N G

14 8 V O G U E L I V I N G

By FREYA HERRING Photographed by ANSON SMART Styled by JOSEPH GARDNER

The chance to revisit a project in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs
inspires GREG NATALE to distil past expressions of ITALIAN
DESIGN into a sensuous style he calls European minimalism.

15 0 V O G U E L I V I N G

t’s not unusual to buy a home and redesign its interior. What is unusual,
however, is when a client calls in an interior designer to completely overhaul
their own work from a decade prior. But that’s exactly what happened
with Taylor House, a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home emersed in the
lush greenery of Sydney’s Bellevue Hill.
The interior designer in question is multi-award winner Greg Natale.
“I always loved this house,” he declares. “It was one of my Hollywood Regency
houses from 12 years ago.” For Natale, ripping everything out and starting
again felt like an opportunity. “Definitely as a designer I’ve evolved, so I really
wanted to show the next evolution of my work through this home.” In contrast
to the more decorative style he was once known for, he defines the aesthetic
of Taylor House as ‘European minimalism’, with Italian design playing
a particularly crucial role in its look and feel.
“Italy is my heritage,” says Natale. “My parents are Italian. My mother still
speaks Italian at home, and she only watches Italian TV.” As such, Italian design influences
his work on an almost subliminal level. “I love Italian design. I’ve got all-Italian furniture in
my house,” he reveals. “For me, Italian design is clean, slick, minimal, and it’s quite sexy.”
The client Eleni Taylor has Greek heritage, and she wanted her home to have
a continental bent. “It wasn’t like I intentionally went out to do a home that was
European-inspired, it was just what I was genuinely drawn to,” she explains. Built in the
Art Deco style in the 1930s, the building already had European appeal, but Taylor wanted
the outside, particularly its curves, to be reflected on the inside as well. “I wanted to make the
entire house about the curves and the arches,” she says. “You shouldn’t be able to tell where it
starts and stops; it just needs to be seamless.”
Natale certainly met the brief in the formal lounge and dining rooms, where wave ceilings
and curving walls bring movement and softness to each space. The staircase has been completely
redone, moving away from a more traditional, linear finish to a silky lick of a thing that lands
on ornate, mottled slabs of Patagonia Verde quartzite, almost atlas-like in its patterning.
The sense of flow is accentuated by the use of clay washing on the walls. “It really makes the
difference,” says Natale. “When you go so minimal and clean and you’ve got all those beautiful
curves, I think it’s a missed opportunity not to do a beautiful finish. And also, when you go so
clean, if you don’t have a beautiful texture on the walls, the houses can look a bit flat.”
But flat this house is not. Most of the interior sticks to a soothingly pale, pared-back palette,
though there are also flashes of colour. And texture, texture everywhere. The kitchen, for
example, is a celebratory feast of Breccia Capraia marble, which Natale and Taylor imported
from Italy. Its detailed veining is nothing short of spectacular — lightning bolts of pink, purple
and grey flash across its snowy white surface. They both loved it so much that they decided to
do the island, worktop, walls and even the overhead rangehood in the same stone. This may
seem out of the ordinary, but Natale says “it’s very Italian to use a lot of marble. I remember
when I went to Italy as a kid, I was amazed that all my cousins had marble stairs, windowsills,
bathrooms and benchtops. Even the bedrooms were marble. And my parents had no carpet or
timber in their home — everything was either ceramic tiles or marble.”
In keeping with this rationale, each of the Taylor House bathrooms honours a different stone
— Arcadia in one ensuite, Calacatta Vagli in another. Verde Alpi dominates the downstairs
powder room, and more of that dealer’s choice, Breccia Capraia, wraps around the shower in
the main bedroom ensuite.
Taylor relishes every one of these spaces, but she finds it’s the main bedroom that recharges
her most profoundly. An enveloping Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia Husk bed sits at its heart;
double doors open up to a balcony overlooking the treetops. “My favourite place is my bedroom,”
she says. “I love the entire house, but when it’s time for me, this is where I retreat to.”
Home for Taylor is more than just a place to house her things; it’s somewhere to drop anchor.
“I love being at home — my home is my safe haven,” she shares. “It’s really important to me to
be able to close the door and be surrounded by beauty and calmness. And that’s the feeling that
this house gives me: it just makes me feel calm. It’s peaceful, it’s relaxed, it’s just beautiful.
gregnatale.com
I love being here.”
15 2 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in an upper-level ensuite, vanity, wall and floor in Arcadia marble; tapware from Astra Walker;

vase by Jodie Fried from Studio Gardner; Melange Elongated wall sconces from Kelly Wearstler.

15 5 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the powder room, vanity and wall accents in Verde Alpi marble; tapware from Astra Walker; 3D Doric glass blocks from Glass Brick
Company; vase and vessel by Greg Natale. Opposite page in the media room, custom Camaleonda sectional sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia from
Space Furniture; Kono coffee table by Massimo and Lella Vignelli for Casigliani from 1stDibs; Seconda chair by Mario Botta for Alias from District;
side table by Tanika Jellis, vintage Quadrifoglio table lamp by Gae Aulenti for Guzzini, vessel by Jodie Fried and silver-glazed Japanese bowl, all
from Studio Gardner; joinery in Patagonia Verde marble; Icone Hula Hoop ceiling light from Mondoluce; custom rug designed by Greg Natale
and produced by Designer Rugs; floor in pre-engineered oak from Tongue & Groove. Details, last pages.

15 7 V O G U E L I V I N G

MELBOURNE
SYDNEY
BRISBANE
PERTH
ADELAIDE

AUSTRALIAN DESIGNED
AND MANUFACTURED
SINCE 1979
ARTHURG.COM.AU

ORB SOFA

15 9 V O G U E L I V I N G

PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHALIE KRAG

Under the gaze of a 14th-century cathedral in ORVIETO, a boutique
hotel designed by a revered Italian architect invites modern pilgrims
to travel back in time and reawaken the city’s aristocratic past.

16 0 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in the main salone of this Orvieto hotel, table in travertine

and basalt by Studio dell’Uva; CH 37 chairs by Hans J. Wegner for
Carl Hansen & Søn, enquiries to Cult; Ray pendant lamp by Draga &
Aurel. Opposite page view of the Duomo di Orvieto. Details, last pages.

I

n 1828 the English painter JMW Turner was travelling
across Italy on his way to Rome when he passed through
Orvieto, a city perched on the flat summit of a mighty
volcanic mass that rises from the Umbrian earth.
That surreal sight must have stayed with Turner, because
when the artist reached his destination he completed the
painting View of Orvieto, Painted in Rome.
Throughout history, ancient civilisations as early as the
Etruscans have settled in Orvieto, a naturally occurring
fortress defended by impregnable cliffs. By the Middle Ages,
Orvieto was a bastion for the papacy and an exemplar of
urban development built upon a labyrinth of underground
caves. The Duomo di Orvieto, a cathedral erected towards
the end of the 13th century, is perhaps the greatest remaining
expression of the city’s legacy.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre describes Orvieto
Cathedral as a “prime masterpiece of Italian decorative
Gothic… the great variety of materials used, as well as the
sumptuous and highly significant internal and external
decorations, distinguishes it from all other European
cathedrals”. Some of the paintings inside are said to have
inspired Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement; its triptych
façade, famously defined by stonework stripes of white

travertine and dark-grey basalt, has an omnipotent presence
fortified by its makers’ monotheistic beliefs.
When architect Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva was called to
Orvieto by Raffaele Tysserand, the owner of a 15th-century
palazzo, he knew very little about the place and its history.
Tysserand dreamt of designing a boutique hotel within his
palatial property’s frescoed walls and had entrusted the
project to dell’Uva’s namesake Naples-based studio.
“[Tysserand] wanted me to draw inspiration from the place
beyond the palace. We entered old noble buildings almost
clandestinely, discovering elegant gardens inside,” dell’Uva
recalls of his introductory tour. Reaching the cathedral,
he saw “an architecture that goes beyond stylistic elements
imposed by Italian Gothic, with bichromatic horizontal
lines that convey a sense of balance and unexpected
contemporaneity”. Orvieto Cathedral would inspire dell’Uva’s
restoration of the Palazzo Petrvs hotel.
Palazzo Petrvs was built in 1475 for Petrvs Facienus,
a wealthy man who commissioned paintings of fantastical
scenes on its ceilings. Like the city itself, the palazzo
endured many modifications, particularly during the 19th
century, and dell’Uva saw it as his duty to reclaim the
building’s original dimensions and features. “Raffaele felt >

This page in another view of the main salone, original fireplace; sofa and wall lamp by Studio dell’Uva; vintage Week End chairs by Marco Zanuso for Arflex;
vintage coffee table; candle holders by Thelma Zoèga; 1950s sofa lamp by Hans-Agne Jakobsson. Opposite page in the courtyard, tables and chairs by Studio

dell’Uva; custom benches in listelli di cotto terracotta; floor in terracotta.

16 2 V O G U E L I V I N G

< a responsibility to safeguard the history of the place where
he grew up,” says dell’Uva, who shared the owner’s belief that
new spaces should be created without altering the palazzo’s
aristocratic atmosphere or diminishing its magic.
Their ‘gently does it’ approach necessitated extensive
structural and restoration work that would support the
modern comforts and spacious bathrooms expected of
a luxury nine-room hotel while preserving the vaulted
ceilings, sandstone walls, fireplaces and frescoes. Figures
from the 15th century emerged under layers of paint, and
ancient techniques found new hands thanks to restorers
and artisans who applied their skills to the studio’s complex
designs. “I was fortunate to meet exceptional people who
preserve the value of local craftsmanship,” praises dell’Uva,
who also employed blacksmiths from his hometown —
he refers to them as “custodians of Neapolitan tradition”.
The decision to source local materials led to the making
of large natural stone bathroom sinks and the discovery of
ancient kilns “still using terracotta bucchero following
a technique inherited from Etruscan tradition”. This informed
the imperfect nature of the large-format black-and-white
terracotta floors and the terracotta tiling in the courtyard.
Dell’Uva sees harmony between this project and the

cathedral’s “contemporary” black-and-white stripes, which
he has reproduced on custom terracotta garden benches,
a deep terracotta bathtub, a table in the lounge, the desk at
reception and the striped linen beds in some of the suites.
The axiom that art speaks one language might explain the
effortless way Scandinavian designs — Hans J. Wegner
chairs, Hans-Agne Jakobsson lamps — mingle with
furnishings by Italy’s finest including Angelo Mangiarotti,
Gianfranco Frattini, Carlo Scarpa and Achille Castiglioni.
Dell’Uva masters the pairing of mid-century pieces with
Renaissance-era details, though the hotel restaurant Coro is
a testament to tradition (it’s in a deconsecrated church). The
dress code, according to the hotel, calls for ‘Italian designers
— vintage Versace and classic Cavalli — [that] will stand
strong in such palatial settings’.
According to dell’Uva, it was Tysserand’s desire to
“revive a grand experience for guests” without “erasing the
property’s past or those who inhabited it”. Palazzo Petrvs
is as much a hotel as a historical memoir painted with frescoes
and carved in stone. The city’s aristocratic spirit is alive in
the hotel’s high tower, in the ‘executive suite’, where from
a private terrace and plunge pool the famous stripes of Orvieto
can be seen.
palazzopetrvs.com giulianoandreadelluva.it

This page,from left in the cafe/bar, table by Studio dell’Uva; CH 37 chair by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn, enquiries to Cult; vintage Bergboms wall lamp;

in the restaurant, bench, tables, pendant lamps and candle holders by Studio dell’Uva; CH 37 chairs by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn, enquiries to Cult;
Untitled artwork by Michele Guido from Lia Rumma gallery. Opposite page in another view of the restaurant, recycled wood table by Studio dell’Uva.

16 5 V O G U E L I V I N G

This page in one of the rooms, custom bed in linen; bed linen from Society

Limonta; ceramic vessels from Moretti Studio d’Arte; headboard light
from Marset; wall lamp by Studio dell’Uva. Details, last pages.

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PAINTING POSITANO

Artists at Le Sirenuse presents its most spectacular commission to date —
an underwater installation by Nicolas Party, the latest ART TALENT
to transform the swimming pool of a world-famous hotel.
By FREYA HERRING

This page Nicolas Party’s original site-specific artwork is translated into a glass mosaic by Italian company Bisazza.
Opposite page on the terrace of Le Sirenuse, Pool, 2023-2024 by Nicolas Party, a glass mosaic tile artwork measuring 18.6m x 4.65m.

PHOTOGRAPHER: ROBERTO SALOMONE (WORK IN PROGRESS). IMAGES COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND GALERIE GREGOR STAIGER

T

here has always been a history of artists and writers in
Positano,” says Antonio Sersale, CEO of Le Sirenuse,
one of Italy’s most beloved hotels on the beautiful
Amalfi Coast. And yet, art in this part of Italy is more
closely associated with Pompeii than the modern
world. “We are in a very remote place, and there is a lot of
ancient art, but if one wants to interact with contemporary
art, there isn’t much — one has to go to Naples,” explains
Sersale. “So I really wanted, instead of going to the mountain,
to bring the mountain to the hotel.”
It was a conversation with British curator and art advisor
Silka Rittson Thomas that led to the two launching Artists at
Le Sirenuse in 2015. Every year a different artist is invited to
the hotel to create a site-specific work that will remain there,
becoming part of the property’s fabric. It began with Turner
Prize-winning artist Martin Creed, whose 2016 neon piece
Don’t Worry hangs triumphantly, in rainbow tones, in the
original indoor bar. Since then, nine other artists have taken
the plunge in creating work for the hotel.
It wasn’t until the 11th commission that an artist dived into
the role quite so literally. This year, Nicolas Party created
a work in the hotel’s T-shaped terrace swimming pool.
In a complex arrangement of tiny glass mosaic tiles, the
Swiss-born, New York-based artist collaborated with Italian
tiling company Bisazza to produce a design that swells and
flows in celebration of this place. “In Positano you are on this
hill and you look at the sea but you are almost in the sky
because it’s very steep,” says Party. “You feel almost like
a bird, in between the sky and the water.”
This was what he wanted to impress with Pool, 2023-2024
— a merging (and submerging) of the elements. Blocks of
colours in varying riffs on aquamarine are punctuated by
a glorious, golden sun, with hits of red reflecting the tones
of the hotel building extending out beyond the cliffs. It’s
a design that boils its surroundings right down. “If you think
about clouds or water, it’s all basically water and air — the
same elements, just in different forms,” explains Party.

“It’s making those shapes that could be seen by the movement
of water and air surrounding us.” The work harks back to the
early days of conceptualising art — even as far back as
Impressionism — whereby it’s the feeling of a place, rather
than its raw, perceived reality, that is being explored. “You are
swimming in water,” says the artist, “but you are kind of
in the sky as well.”
The process for creating the pool was unlike previous works
in the Artists at Le Sirenuse project, in that Party was
commissioned to concentrate on the pool in particular, rather
than selecting a space himself. Sersale conceived the idea in
California, “four-and-a-half years ago at Frieze in LA, before
the pandemic”, he says. “Party had this incredibly immersive
show where he took these rooms and entirely decorated them
with pastel, and I got this vision. I had a pool that was leaking
[and] needed to be redone. I had this idea of a secret
underwater world, this enormous, important installation, and
yet one that you might not even notice because it’s hidden
under the water. It’s almost like The Secret Garden — you see
it if you look at it, but if you don’t look at it, it’s not there.”
Party has designed the pool artwork to fit within its
context, rather than disjoint. “The hotel is stunning. At night
it’s candle-lit, the food is amazing and the rooms are
beautiful,” says the artist. He wanted to create something
that wasn’t too ostentatious or overtly challenging, because
“whatever you have in the hotel you want to kind of match
that, but with a little bit of a twist”, he says. “You want to
make people look at the walls slightly differently, and I think
the pool might bring that. People will be like, ‘Oh that’s
unexpected’, but not too unexpected.”
The pool transforms throughout the day; the weather
altering the colours as they are viewed from above. To see it
unimpacted, guests must get wet, dive under and open their
eyes. It’s an opportunity to escape while on holiday and
experience art enveloped in gentle, undulating folds of
water, entirely immersed, before rising back into the real
world, sated.
sirenuse.it

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1stDibs 1stdibs.com 506070 506070.com.au ABI Interiors abiinteriors.com.au Aeria
Country Floors aeria.com.au Agapecasa agapecasa.it Alex Seton alexseton.com Alfonso
Artiaco alfonsoartiaco.com All Metal Projects allmetalprojects.com.au Andrea Anastasio
andreaanastasio.com
Angus White
angus-white.com
Anibou
anibou.com.au
Anna Charlesworth annacharlesworth.com.au Anomolous anomolous.co Apparatus
apparatusstudio.com Appetite for Decoration appetitefordecoration.com Archimede Seguso
archimedeseguso.it Arflex arflex.it Artedomus artedomus.com Astra Walker astrawalker.
com.au Astrid Salomon @bastard_ceramics Bober bober.com.au Bohinc Studio
bohincstudio.com Briggs Veneers briggs.com.au Brodware brodware.com Bulthaup
bulthaup.com CDK Stone cdkstone.com.au Cassina cassina.com Casson Hardware
cassonhardware.com Ceramiche Nicola Fasano fasanocnf.it Chalk Horse chalkhorse.com.au
Chiharu Shiota chiharu-shiota.com Christopher Boots christopherboots.com Clo Studios
clostudios.com.au Colecta Rara colecta.com.au Corsi & Nicolai fumaustralia.com.au
Covet House covethouse.eu Criteria criteriacollection.com.au Crystals of the World
crystalsoftheworld.com Cult cultdesign.com.au Curatorial+Co. curatorialandco.com
Daine Singer dainesinger.com Dale Frank @dalefrankstudio Daniel Donig
currentlynowhere.com David Tremlett davidtremlett.com Dedar dedar.com Dedece
dedece.com Design Nation designnation.com.au Designer Rugs designerrugs.com.au
Diego Cibelli diegocibelli.it District district.com.au Draga & Aurel draga-aurel.com
Droog Design droog.com Élitis elitis.fr Erco erco.com Euroluce euroluce.com.au
Ferm Living fermliving.com Fischerspooner @fischerspooner Francesco Joao francescojoao.
com Gianfranco Frattini gianfrancofrattini.com Gianni Piacentino giannipiacentino.com
Glass Brick Company glassbrickcompany.com.au Glenn Barkley @glennbarkley Granite &
Marble Works granitemarbleworks.com.au Heimo Zobernig heimozobernig.com Hiromi
Tango hiromitango.com Huseyin Sami huseyinsami.com Idea Creations ideacreations.shop
In Bed inbedstore.com In Good Company ingoodcompany.com.au Insight Flooring
insightflooring.com.au Jeremy Kay jeremykay.com.au Jo Davenport @jodavenport_art

Kate Rohde katerohde.com.au Kelly Wearstler kellywearstler.com Kelvin Grey kelvingrey.
com Knoll knoll.com LaCividina lacividina.com Landhome landhome.com.au Lee Jofa
@leejofa Lia Rumma liarumma.com LightCo lightco.com.au Ligne Roset ligne-roset.com
Lindsey Adelman lindseyadelman.com Lisa Lapointe lisalapointe.com.au Living Edge
livingedge.com.au Louise Olsen louise-olsen.com Lumini Collections luminicollections.com
Lunatiques @lunatiques Maiden Co maiden.company Mark Douglass @markdouglassdesign
Massimo Caiafa Design massimocaiafadesign.com Mobilia mobilia.com.au Moebel moebel.
com.au Mondoluce mondoluce.com Noble Elements nobleelements.com.au Oda Paris
@oda_paris_ Olsen Gallery olsengallery.com Oluce oluce.com Ondene ondene.com Orient
House orienthouse.com.au Ox Finishes oxfinishes.com.au Pallucco pallucco.com Pan After
panafter.com.au Pelle Leathers pelleleathers.com.au Perini perini.com.au Petre’s Curtains &
Blinds petres.com.au Poliform poliformaustralia.com.au Poltrona Frau poltronafrau.com
Poltronova poltronova.it Real Flame realflame.com.au Richard Ellis Design
richardellisdesign.com.au Rogerseller @rogerseller Ry David Bradley rydavidbradley.com
Ryan Mendoza ryan-mendoza.com Sahco sahco.com Salvino Campos salvinocampos.com
Scott McNeil @scottmcneil7 Signature Floors signaturefloors.com.au Simple Studio
simplestudio.com.au Society Inc. thesocietyinc.com.au Society Limonta societylimonta.com.
au Softedge Studio softedge.studio Sophie Jung __sophie__jung__ Space Furniture
spacefurniture.com.au Spence & Lyda shop.spenceandlyda.com.au Studio Alm studioalm.
com Studio Gardner studiogardner.com Studio Henry Wilson studiohenrywilson.com
Studio d’Arte Moretti marinomoretti.it Stylecraft stylecraft.com.au Sullivan+Strumpf
sullivanstrumpf.com Tapetti tappeti.com.au The DEA Store thedeastore.com The Dusty
Road thedustyroad.com.au The Future Perfect thefutureperfect.com The Rug Establishment
therugest.com The Wood Room thewoodroom.com.au Tigmi Trading tigmitrading.com
Tongue & Groove tongueandgroove.com.au Unitex unitex.com.au VBO Australia viabizzuno.
com Vampt Vintage Design vamptvintagedesign.com Winning Appliances winnings.com.au
Woodrabbit woodrabbitkitchens.com Xam xam.it Zoffany zoffany.sandersondesigngroup.com

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PHOTOGRAPHER: NATHALIE KRAG

This page in the office of this Naples home, vintage chair;
vintage desk from Massimo Caiafa Design; Porcino table lamp
by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena; brass and glass wall
sconces by Studio dell’Uva. Turn to page 124 for the full story.

Photography: Jody D’Arcy

JENNY JONES
ART ON THE FLOOR

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL
AWARD WINNING RUG DESIGNER
Melbourne Showroom: 03 9428 4182 Perth Showroom: 08 9286 1200
www.jennyjonesrugs.com

INSP
IRE
D

BY
MA
D

TH
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E
IN

IS
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AU AND
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OF
LIA

CAP
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VL PROMOTION

POSTSCRIPT
Update your home and elevate your lifestyle with these covetable offerings.
INNER GLOW
If health is the greatest gift and time the ultimate luxury, then
a Nu-a infrared sauna from Found—Space is a truly priceless
investment. Developed using world-class technology, these
high-end saunas are crafted from Canadian hemlock wood
and equipped with touch screens, speakers and full-spectrum
infrared light heating systems that can support detoxification,
the immune system and skin health. For more information
on features and home installation, visit foundspace.com.au

LIGHT YEARS
Louis Poulsen is celebrating its 150 year anniversary with the release
of iconic lighting designs by Poul Henningsen and Arne Jacobsen in
a new collectible colour — pendants and lamps painted matte white
with interior surfaces flushed in pale rose. The occasion recognises
the Danish company’s early days in the fine wine business and its
epochal pivot to design when electricity arrived in Copenhagen.
The anniversary collection is available at cultdesign.com.au

CHEF DE CUISINE
For the masterminds at Miele,
a well-designed kitchen is creative,
versatile and free of limitations —
qualities that inspired Miele’s Combi
steam oven Pro. A game-changer
when it comes to both weeknight
meals and dinner parties, the oven
cooks with steam, conventional heat
or a combination of both, and best of
all, its self-cleaning function removes
food residue, keeping the stainless-steel
interior pristine. Explore the range at
mieleexperience.com.au/steam-ovens

ITALIAN PASSPORT
The Maserati GranCabrio is the latest feat of engineering from the house of the
Trident. Combining track-bred performance and unparalleled comfort, this
elegant Italian sports car invites drivers to indulge in the liberated pleasure of
open-air travel. The GranCabrio has ample room for four passengers and their
luggage, innovative digital displays and clever features for travelling top-down
in cold weather. Discover more at maserati.com/au/en/models/grancabrio

PETITE SUITE
Designed for intimately proportioned powder
rooms and ensuites, the P’tit Basin may be slim
in size but it certainly isn’t short on ingenuity.
This compact hand basin can be wall-mounted
and complemented with accessories including
towel hooks and shelves that serve to enhance its
functionality. The P’tit is available in five colour
finishes, exclusively through Parisi. For more
bathroom design inspiration, visit parisi.com.au
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OPPOSITES ATTRACT

This page Cornaro armchair by
Carlo Scarpa for Cassina, from $12,951,
from Mobilia, mobilia.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHER: LUCA MERLI

Designed in 1973 by maestro Carlo Scarpa and reissued by CASSINA,
CORNARO is a graceful arrangement of distinct parts: sculptural wood frame,
enveloping cushions and exposed saddle leather laces.

parisi.com.au