Molteni: The house we live in

What do style, design and fashion have in common? How does the home we live in reflect our style, character and inner world? To find the answers, the furniture brand MOLTENI & C has launched a unique project in which it reveals the relationship between fashion designers and the home in which they live.

The project involves interviewing and photographing successful fashion figures in interiors where they relax and create. And the first character in the series is Massimo Giorgetti – founder, CEO and creative director of the fashion brand MSGM.

MSGM is a relatively young brand, founded in 2008, but it has exploded onto the Italian market and cemented its instant success. Radical colours, eye-catching prints, simple cuts and a nod to street fashion: it's as if London designer rebelliousness meets sunny Tuscan zest for life and finds a focal point in MSGM. Fashion critics often compare Massimo Giorgetti to a popular DJ, who effortlessly blends his passion, the expressiveness of contemporary artists and what young creative people are interested in. What will his accommodation look like?

«My house – is a dream come true, it is an achievement, it is the result of sacrifices, many difficult moments, – comments on his interior design, – and it is also the result of how determined and stubborn I have been since childhood. You could say this house is incredibly valuable and means a lot to me».

The basis of all the furnishings, according to Mr Giorgetti, was chosen jointly with the architect Massimiliano Locatelli, who was one of his teachers. When first seeing the house, it was quite difficult to imagine what the final design concept would be. It was only when the main work was done that Massimo Giorgetti chose the finishes and colours. All of his passion for colour is represented in this interior: purple mixed with lemon yellow, powdery pink flows seamlessly into coffee, shocking pink intertwines with orange, and the eye glides over to the black floor, which resets everything.

Massimo likes to spend money on a house, but instead of the word «spend» he prefers «invest». In his view, when one receives unique objects, works of art, one is not spending money, but investing in a beautiful object, which is worth appreciating not even as a work of art, but more broadly – beauty. Thus the tapestry by Alighiero Boetti was not long ago a dream come true. In the works of the conceptual artist one reads «new desires» our hero is convinced.

Giorgetti also likes to bring an element of surprise to an interior – whether it's an amazing floral arrangement or a sculpture erected on a pedestal so that it looks 10 feet tall.

And in such a kaleidoscope world, full of colour and works of art, settles furniture MOLTENI&C.

So, these are two iconic armchairs from the Joe Ponti collection by Molteni&C. Model D.154.2 – a remake of the great architect's 1953–57 model. The enveloping shell shape, the pleasant textiles (Massimo Giorgetti chose in an ultra-fashionable sapphire shade), the correct proportions and slope of the back – this armchair is designed to bring harmony and comfort to the home.

The second model – a tribute to the Italian maestro – is called D.153.1 and was designed by Joe Ponti in 1953. The upholstery fabric – an interpretation of an old grandfather's jacket – allows you to add a vintage touch to a modern interior and give it a cosy feel.

Next to the famous armchairs, Molteni&C 2017 – the Teorema cabinet and chest of drawers system from designer Ron Gillard. The designer himself could be described as an artistic mechanic, and Teorema – an aesthetic exploration of the form of emptiness. Seemingly breaking the disciplinary boundaries of design theories, Gilad embodies his own micro-architecture – fascinating, stylish and full of special meaning. The model is made of American walnut and allows you to assemble your own variations of bedside tables, nightstands or modular systems – by connecting any number of segments and arranging them in a spiral, or straight line.

The result — an eclectic but geometrically precise world full of colours, lines and shapes – this is the space Massimo Giorgetti has chosen to live in.

The second popular designer, stylist and fashion consultant who shared Massimo Giorgetti's passion for Molteni&C furniture, – Camille Bidou-Wadinton.

«I think design and fashion are very similar, – notes Kamil, – both should look good and be functional. Both fashion and design set the atmosphere, the mood. Design is perhaps a little more technical, it should last longer, there's no concept of “quick design”. With fashion you can be a little more flexible, with quality, for example».

Regarding her home, the designer explains: «My home is like a nest, something I share with my children and all my books, a sort of refuge from the outside world».

Family heirlooms (paintings and a few chairs), brand furniture in a modern style and items from the flea market are all intertwined in harmony in the interior.

Like the founder of MSGM, Kamil opts for the chair D.154.2 – only in a more neutral, beige palette.

In addition, three Molteni&C coffee tables at once decorate the interior.

The coffee table D. 552.2 also belongs to the Joe Ponti collection. Architectural virtuosity, acrobatic proportions and unique intersecting joints – it's all here. The base is made of solid rosewood, the leg tips – satin-bronze, the ultra-light transparent triangular top crowns the structure.

The 45° coffee table with rectangular base and translucent glass top is characterised by its simple shapes and robust construction. Its creator – the already mentioned Ron Gillard, who demonstrates in every object an inventive flair and a virtuoso search for new geometry.

The Panna cotta table, like every Molteni&C piece, encapsulates a twist. The paradox lies in the use of heavy materials such as iron and marble to create graceful stability. The table is both delicate and heavy at the same time. The light wave on the tabletop is reminiscent of a typical Italian dessert, from which the name is derived.

Molteni&C – is one of the oldest Italian furniture factories, which has conquered the world over the years. This is a unique company that is in constant search of new solutions and forms, but the quality is always kept at an exclusive level.

Let's continue to follow the amazing projects of the Italian brand. And we invite all fans of the brand to New Studio (Nemiga, 12 in Minsk), where already in August a new exposition of Molteni&C will be presented.