The Artisans

ZPSTUDIO is a design and architecture studio that provides creative interior and product design solutions for cultural institutions, as well as furniture, accessories, and lighting brands. Located in Florence, the studio was founded in 2003 by Matteo Zettiand Eva Parigi, architects and designers who trained at the Faculty of Architecture in Florence. With the ZPSTUDIOTOOLS brand, they developed a limited series of objects with a unique style in perfect balance between tradition and avant-garde, all made in Tuscany in collaboration with artisans and small local companies.

Milano based artist Carla Milesi experimented with concrete since the eighties. In 1987, she established Concreta, a research laboratory within her family’s concrete company. Starck, Ron Arad, Mendini, Sottsass, Citterio, Fiorucci and Anna Mari all collaborated with Concreta sharing their collective know-how. Among her works, Milesi presented 22 light weight concrete silhouettes representing real-life-scale lovers, in Paris, at the Place du Louvre.

Esperia was founded in 1952 in Tuscany, elevating the purity of Light to a timeless expression of beauty. Constantly growing in its dedication to merging design and art with aesthetic and technological innovation, its singular collections comprise highly decorative lighting fixtures of elegant and contemporary allure. Entirely handmade in-house following precise and meticulous techniques, pieces are customizable upon request to suit personal preferences or decor needs.

Salda is the fifth generation, a family-run company owned by the Besana family, decorators of the Royal House of Austria, specialized in high-quality furniture and distinguished craftsmanship. Located in the heart of Brianza, the Italian furniture district near Milan, Salda’s unique creations draw from classic styles reinterpreted with modern sensibility using state-of-the-art technology. The company takes pride in its commitment to preserving age-old crafting traditions, offering one-of-a-kind pieces that are customized even in the smallest details by master artisans.

After 15 years of experience in fine arts, Laura Giannini established Ceramiche Artistiche Giannini in Bresso, near Milano, in 2015, born out of her passion for porcelain and ceramics. In her atelier, she crafts each object by hand, using locally sourced materials and applying precious finishes like gold, bronze, and platinum. From sculptures to home decor to tableware, these pieces are fashioned with special attention to clients’ needs and can be customized in every detail.

Founded in 1999 as Euroluce Light of Italy located in the town of Andria in Apulia, this small family-run company has grown over the years, inaugurating its in-house designing department in 2012 and rebranding itself as TXXNTY Brand Design in 2017. Working exclusively with expert Italian craftsmen, TXXNTY creates captivating lighting fixtures in which light and volumes interact in captivating ways to reveal both classic and contemporary pieces of sculptural appeal.

Luigi Fontana brand was founded in Milan in 1881. In 1931, legendary designer Gio Ponti became artistic director of the company, hiring master glassmaker Pietro Chiesa to guide the brand alongside him: in 1932, FontanaArte was born. With artistic directors Max Ingrand in the ‘50s and Gae Aulenti in the ‘70s at the helm, the company grew whilst maintaining its artisanal soul, collaborating with young and established designers. Today, under the guidance of Giorgio Biscaro, FontanaArte still creates lighting fixtures of striking modernity.

Michele Santalucia began working as a ceramist in workshops in Abruzzo in 1994 and refined his craft in Seville, Spain, where he learned new techniques while working with local historical workshops. In 2006, he returned to Francavilla al Mare near Chieti and opened his own atelier, where he incorporates influences of the classic Andalusian ceramics (“cuerda seca“), the typical decorations of “azulejos“, and the Abruzzo ceramic tradition, from Castelli to Rapino. His unique creations stand out for their quality, refinement, and attention to detail.

Lisa Corti’s established her eponymous Home Textile Emporium in the mid-‘80s in her home in Milan. In 2005, she moved the atelier to a 17th-century former-convent to use both as a store and a creative workshop: a symbolic convergence of Western World and Indian and African influences. Corti designs all her patterns in-house and her pieces are designed in Italy and handprinted in India. All pieces are woven using cotton spun on a wooden loom, then hand-dyed using the ancient manual block print technique, whereby carved wooden blocks are dipped in a different color and pressed onto the fabric.

After learning the trade from local cabinetmakers, brothers Costante and Piero Callesella established their eponymous workshop in 1896 in Cison, near Treviso. In the ‘40s, Costante’s son Angelo moved the atelier to a larger space in the town center and, in1965, the business passed to Giuseppe, one of Angelo’s sons, who worked alongside his two brothers. Now guided by Giuseppe’s children Mauro, Marzia, and Stefano, Callesella is a fourth-generation artisan that proudly continues the family tradition of handmade woodworking to create timeless objects of functional decor.

Domingo Salotti was founded in 1973 in Pesaro by a group of master carpenters and upholsterers. Over the years, the technical and stylistic skills of young professionals have contributed to the company’s leading position in the manufacture of exclusive sofas and armchairs in contemporary and classic styles. Domingo Salotti combines four decades of experience in artisan techniques with a rich knowledge of raw materials and is particularly renowned in the “horeca” sector (hotel, restaurant, and coffee-bar) for its top quality, high versatility, and dynamic style.

Driven by a passion for silver, Angelo Schiavon founded his eponymous company in 1957 in Treviso, following a long apprenticeship in local silversmith's workshops. From fine silver cutlery to artistic pieces, Schiavon produces works of the finest craftsmanship, where classic motifs and modern designs are created by master silversmiths using age-old artistic techniques, namely chasing, repoussè, engraving, and fretwork to capture the luster and timeless elegance of silver

Cerasarda was founded by Prince Karim Aga Khan and established in Olbia in 1963 as “la Ceramica Della Costa Smeralda”. Since its inception, Cerasarda has distinguished itself for the exquisite work of local craftsmen whose vibrant enamel colors and refined decorations evoke the iconic landscape of Sardinia's Emerald Coast. Part of the Romani group since 2002, Cerasarda interprets the richness of Mediterranean culture and nature through a sophisticated and homogeneous aesthetic rendered with natural materials and a mix of traditional and innovative methods.

Established in 2007 in Milan by Andrea Barra, atelier [1+2=8] started as a creative hub where young designers and craftsmen could meet to create contemporary home décor accessories. After celebrating the brand’s 10th anniversary, the studio moved to the vibrant neighborhood of Isola and under the guidance of Andrea Barra started working with external collaborators to produce in-house sculptural lighting fixtures of refined industrial flair, striking a perfect balance between art and architecture.

Based in Macherio near Brianza, Didoni is a family-run business passionately dedicated to manufacturing precious and semi-precious stones. From the purchase of rough materials to the creation of each piece, every step of production is carried out in-house by a team of experts in partnership with renowned architects and designers. Since the mid-‘70s, Didoni has transformed the essential elegance of stones such as tiger’s eye, malachite, lapis lazuli, quartz, and amethyst into exquisite and personalized home décor objects and accessories.

Based in Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto region, Angela Di Folco graduated in Fine Arts following her childhood passion for painting and drawing. She has participated in numerous shows and competitions and had her first solo exhibition in the town of Nove, near Vicenza, renowned for its ceramic tradition. Inspired by this new medium, in 2015 she started a limited series of plates and since 2017 she has perfected the art of transferring her nature-inspired studies onto on porcelain and wood, showcasing expressionist sensibility and stunning attention to detail.

Driven by a lifelong creative passion, Paola Caselli lives and works in Florence where she produces exclusive, hand-painted porcelain plates made using the underglaze technique. The inspiration for her delicate watercolor creations draws from classic books by European botanical illustrators, notably Italian artist Maria Rita Stirpe. Fine porcelain serves as her ideal canvas to hand-transfer her original sketches before setting the vibrant colors with a second firing and an enamel coating.

In 1949, in the heart of Florence, Agresti’s artisans began creating unique handcrafted strongboxes, sophisticated cabinets, and other fine wooden furniture. Today, with the pillars of safety, elegance, and refinement in mind, designers and artisans are committed to preserving Florentine craftsmanship tradition in a modern manufacturing facility outside the city’s medieval walls. The various stages of creation and production are all performed within Agresti’s company and combine precious woods and metals in exclusive, luxurious designs.

Aiardini is a Naples-based lighting firm established in the late 1990s specialized in handmade chandeliers and lighting solutions for both modern and traditional interiors. All pieces are meticulously crafted with an artistic attention to detail and high-quality materials, notably mouth-blown Venetian glass and Swarovski crystals. Aiardini brings together the technical know-how of architecture with the limitless versatility of glassmaking to reveal refined works of functional decor. Bespoke pieces and customizations are available to suit customers’ vision and decor needs.

Muggiò CR Posate d’Autore is the artistic venture of Carmen Rigolon, established in the picturesque town of Muggiò (Brianza) located in the northern region of Lombardy. Characterized by a diligent and meticulous production process, each utensil is entirely handcrafted using 18/10 stainless steel by artisans who creatively combine light, color, and high-quality materials to infuse an original touch to traditional table settings. The brand utilizes stainless steel, colored glass, murrine, and precious crystals to bring each piece to life.