Interior designer Maurizio Pellizzoni moved to London, from Italy, almost two decades ago and his elegant work epitomises the fusion of traditional craft and contemporary living that is synonymous with the way Italian heritage has influenced approaches to residential interiors worldwide.
Hit the play button below to watch the full conversation, or read the full transcript below:
Maurizio Pellizzoni: Minotti still after 70 years is still a family business and I think that’s what is important. You can feel then it’s not a corporate company, but it’s more a family company.
Anke Summerhill: The good thing about Minotti is that they come out with a totally new collection every year and they don’t really discontinue anything.
Maurizio: I love Minotti. Minotti is what is to me, the Italian lifestyle.
Anke: I think it stands for tradition and very good quality, not just in a product, but also in a service.
Maurizio: It’s very unique. It’s very distinct and it’s modern, but at the same time, there is a twist of classic.
Anke: It’s timeless. I think this is a good thing. It’s a very high end product. You buy something now it will stay, look equally good in 15 years’ time.
Maurizio: Each product is very unique, but you can use this collection into next year collection, for example.
Anke: A good design remains a good design. I think style never goes out of fashion. And I think that’s what you have when you buy a Minotti product. You buy a stylish product which will remain a stylish product forever.
Maurizio: There is a timeless feel, which carry on through every single collection.
Anke: When Maurizio came to us, he came with a brief. He said, “I’m doing this pied-à-terre penthouse in Mayfair, and it’s got to be very luxurious and unique and exclusive.
Maurizio: The penthouse was the first one, which was a lifestyle concept to sell … to bring Italy to London.
Anke: It feels very, very comfortable to be in. You walk through the door and it’s welcoming and you feel you can sit down and put your music on, read your book, watch a movie.
Maurizio: So standing here now, after months of work on this apartment, I think I reached the goal of making a timeless interior and something very luxury, which is what the client wanted. We have a luxury apartment in the heart of Mayfair.
Anke: Obviously, being all Minotti, every piece complements the other piece. So it works really well. It gives the flat a very nice tranquil feeling. It’s got a good flow to it. One part of the flat just flows over into the next very, very comfortable.
Maurizio: The reason why here I chose different heights, like the small chair by the TV, which is higher than the sofa, is to break the level of the sofa, the level height of the sofa.
Then you have the small bench, which is creating again a different movement. You have this kind of movement in the apartment without even realising when you walk in. You see the different prospect and you make the room look bigger also.
There is a console table, which has a round corner. I chose it, especially, because the colour of the marble is beautiful, but also because it doesn’t break the wall.
Anke: I think it’s got that luxury feel, but at the same time, luxury without feeling unhomely. It’s a very good combination of the two.
Maurizio: The selection of art took about two weeks.
Anke: He’s incorporated the thinking, the planning of the art, the same time as the planning of the furniture.
Maurizio: The wow piece is the woman with the bunny ears. It take away the brightness of the mirror, but the same time it reflect the light.
Anke: He really has thought through which pieces of art he wanted to use.
Maurizio: There’s a story told by the colour, by the materials and by the art used in the apartment. I chose the sofa because of the shape mainly. The sofa is part of the new collection. It doesn’t block you from going out to the terrace, but actually drive you to go to the terrace. It’s like a little pathway to take you to the terrace.
Anke: Being a penthouse, obviously, you feel a little bit removed anyway from the hustle and bustle. It’s got a nice balcony and it’s got an absolutely gorgeous view. Brings the outdoor inside and the indoor outside.
Maurizio: I think when you buy this apartment, you’re going to buy into the lifestyle, which is not only Minotti in a penthouse, is the location, which is Mayfair.
Anke: And I think he wanted to bring a little bit of Italy to Mayfair or give a bit of Italian style.
Maurizio: I think the best part is the end result. When you install and you see your work coming to life.
Anke: I could move in there myself tomorrow and be perfectly happy.
Maurizio: I love design, maybe because it’s been part of my life for a very long time since I was a kid. But design, I breathe design and I live for design. I maybe want to do design.
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