Interview about Marilyn Table, winner of the A' Furniture Design Award 2022
The design of the dining table is inspired by Marilyn Monroe's classic costume style in the movie The Seven Years. The leather is made of Italian top Tuscan cowhide, giving the entire dining table an elegant and attractive pleated skirt shape. The leather skirt of the base is removable, and the atmosphere of the table will change dreamily with the replacement of leather. A total of 48 leather colors are available. The Marilyn collection round table measuring 160 cm, Top in Carrara and Emperador marble or ceramic.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsI have always been a movie buff and the image of Marilyn Monroe's skirt rising under the jet of air in the subway has always had an evocative force and a unique aesthetic and it is precisely from the observation of that scene and the fluttering of the skirt that the idea of the Marilyn table was born, applying the concept of wearability and femininity to a piece of furniture. The company for which I made this table is specialized in the processing of leather so it was natural to make the covering skirt in that material that goes very well with the Carrara marble of the top.
The challenge was to find curvature radii that could meet the characteristics of the leather material without seeking its limit but maintaining a certain softness that could recall the folds of a skirt and at the same time ensure an excellent fit around the table. Many prototypes were made and the cutting and sewing staff helped me a lot in the realization thanks to their experience also because in the realization phase the idea was born that this leather skirt could be removable via a zipper and could be fixed with Velcro thus ensuring easy placement even by the customer in case he wanted to clean it or replace it with another color in the future.
Today's society is very dynamic, it likes to change and live different realities and this is also reflected in the way of living the house. I learned the concept of replaceability from fashion that best represents fashions and trends and I applied it to the world of furniture. Fashion and society run fast and need furniture that can identify with these changes.Marilyn represents all this today.The leather skirt in 49 colors and the top selectable in different types of marble can be adapted to personal styles and tastes creating harmony between the spaces in which it will be positioned and makes it a desirable object
I believe that there will be an increasing return to craftsmanship because we need it and moreover it is part of our culture and must not be lost. I observe that more and more people are attracted to the handmade because it has a soul and a care that machines cannot often transmit. My intent is to innovate design without forgetting the past but enhancing it by creating a special mix that makes the object you fall in love with alive and close. I believe that if you have the opportunity to observe the past while looking towards the future you can innovate without losing continuity and this is the challenge we must accept while keeping the dialogue between the two subjects alive.
I really like working with natural materials and before each project on my work table I have a selection of marbles, woods, leathers and many others. Nature gives us an incredible range of shades. I look at these materials, I touch them, I smell them, I make them mine and through this process some combinations are born almost naturally. The next process is to study the processing that a material can undergo and how it reacts. In the case of the table it was imperative to use leather as the company that made it has specialized in its processing for many years. The leather undergoes a treatment that makes it opaque and therefore in choosing which material to choose for the Top I preferred a Polished Carrara marble to contrast with the leather and make the table exclusive and elegant. Subsequently I developed different color combinations of leather and marbles and I must say that they are all very interesting and offer great possibilities with the furniture that you want to design, therefore working with colors and materials. An interesting aspect that completes the offer and the image of your dining space is the leather of the skirt that can also be used to create chairs so as to make your space unique and unrepeatable.
This is a very interesting question.Let's say that living in China has accustomed me to living the round table on a daily basis, which is rare in Italy. I had designed various tables but never round ones.The circular table in China is part of the culture of this country and there are very specific rituals also for the arrangement of the guests or the relationship with the room where they are welcomed and the relative entrance door.The idea of designing a circular table was therefore born also to accommodate the needs of the Chinese market and to give ideas in those countries where it is not yet very widespread and to suggest an Italian interpretation made of details, noble materials and craftsmanship.
The dimensions of the table reflect the need to have an important table inside your home where you can sit and eat comfortably in 4 people but also to add as many chairs in case of numerous guests. The proportions of the table also arise from an aesthetic need; in this case I wanted the leather skirt to be very evident expressing its character and design but also to hide the generous structure that supports the top and makes everything very safe and stable.
spatial continuity is a theme that is very dear to me as it originates in the architectural field and then reaches the people and furniture that will live in these spaces. Space, form and function are inseparable and if respected they can only create great projects and beauty to be experienced. From this point of view, for me the approach to the creation of an architecture, a table or a handle has the same value and importance and is always in connection with the whole. Every space and every object is charged or is charged with the energies present in a continuous dialogue; in the case of the Marilyn table, the large pleating with its folds and curves welcomes the visitor and what surrounds him to suggest new spatial interpretations and aesthetic dynamics.
to balance sustainability in the realization I always try to calculate with the company that will realize my projects to limit the waste. It seems trivial but it is not always like that. Calculating exactly the cut, the assemblies, the sewing and many other details leads to a reduction in the consumption of material and this is sustainability of the first level. Another aspect of primary importance that escapes many today is to create objects that express beauty and elegance, can last over time, built according to the rules of the art and can be passed from generation to generation contrasting the philosophy of disposable very dear to modern society. In my current home I use a wooden table of my great-grandparents inherited from my family where every day I have the pleasure of having breakfast. this is also sustainability.
The recognition through A design Awards was very useful to give visibility to my project and if it was awarded by a jury evidently the design ideas adopted for the realization were correct and for this reason the market has rewarded the work done and the message that I wanted to communicate. I will continue on this path as I have always done without compromises also trusting my intuitions and the sensitivity that distinguishes me but also exploring new worlds, materials and studying the society that every day gives us great design ideas. A fixed point that I do not want to barter is that of always trying to create a design that can last over time and be recognized.
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