ITALIAN INTERIOR DESIGN

Italian design has an extraordinary reputation worldwide, but is there such a thing as an Italian aesthetic? In the worlds of fashion, cars, buildings and furniture, the answer is a resounding yes. For decades, Italian designers and architects have been applauded for their elegance, originality, and perfection. Names such as Studio Archea, Paolo Deganello, Alessandro Mendini, and Ettore Sottsass are synonymous with a fascinating formal vocabulary and are known far beyond the borders of their native country. Italian Interior Design explores this question at the very core. It presents thirty-four remarkable interiors, each created within the past decade, by some of Italy’s most admired designers. Illustrated with brilliant photographs, sketches, plans and informed by a highly informative text, this guide to the best in Italian design offers a window into a culture that places a high value on beauty, simplicity, and utility.

Laura Andreini received a grant in 1999 to do a post-doctorate at the University of Florence. She had established Studio Archea in that city in 1988. Nicola Flora teaches at the University of Naples. Paolo Giardiello is a visiting professor at the University of Montevideo. Gennaro Postiglione does research at the polytechnic in Milan.