How to bring art into interior design through furnishings and accessories
06.2023
Furniture and accessories that bring art and design together in an intriguing fusion
Function meets form as art meets interior design
Art and interior design share a near-symbiotic relationship, with the two disciplines feeding off each other and working together to give life to exclusive creations that meet functional, aesthetic and even emotional requirements.
In this article, we take a look at the link between the worlds of art and design, along with some examples that show how their overlap can result in surprising works of functional art that can be incorporated into interior décors for everyday living, Italian style.
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The importance of art in interior design
When interior design and art interact with each other, it is generally in search of that elusive combination of functionality and aesthetics. Practical objects have their place, but removing the artistic aspect from their design would deprive them of an important dimension, and that is their emotional power and capacity to add an element of joy, pleasure, relaxation or even pathos to their usage.
Incorporating art into interior design does not simply mean choosing a sculpture or hanging a couple of pictures on the wall however. Art manifests itself in all manner of forms, from architecture to accessories and furniture, each designed to add personality to a space
This is where texture plays an important role, because it can transform something flat or standard into a multi-dimensional, intriguing object that effortlessly straddles the worlds of interior design and art.
Salvatori textures as an example of interior art design
We have been known for our innovative textures in natural stone for decades, and our starting point has always been the belief that stone is a beautiful material in its own right, with its incredible patterns and veining a form of art created by nature.
What we then do is give it a simple twist to create tiles that bring a space to life and add personality. Lost Stones, Patchwork and Passepartout are just three examples of textures that seamlessly combine art and interior design.
The idea behind Lost Stones was to give new life to abandoned or broken slabs of beautiful natural stone, repairing them with a gold-coloured resin in a contemporary take on the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi. Each revitalised slab becomes a unique work of art with a fascinating history.
Patchwork and Passepartout, offer designers and end users alike the chance to let their imagination go wild and create unique feature walls by choosing their own composition of materials.
All three textures take the concept of wall coverings a step further, becoming genuine pieces of bespoke art that expresses the personality of a home’s owner, with the advantage that they are also incredibly practical, long-lasting and easy to care for.
Examples of art in home furnishings
However, there are also more portable ways to integrate art into interior décors, with pieces that you can take with you if you move home.
At Salvatori, we take great delight in developing accessories that straddle the worlds of art and home furnishings, working with artists and interior designers from all over the world to devise original creations.
We’d like to touch on a few and talk about Friends & Neighbors, Archimera, Omaggio a Morandi, Intarsi, Gravity Zodiac and the extraordinary installations of Raffaele Salvoldi.
Each of the above combine innovative modern design with art, transforming every piece into something that goes beyond a mere decorative detail or ornament to exemplify the concept of interior design art.
Raffaele Salvoldi’s imaginative constructions and Stephen Burks’ fascinating mirrors
During Milan Design Week 2023, Salvatori presented three extraordinary installations by artist Raffaele Salvoldi. Constructed from small bricks made from offcuts of marble that would otherwise go to waste, each of his creations is a homage to patience, imagination and a desire to protect our planet’s precious natural resources by reusing materials.
The same characteristics live on in his limited-edition series of ten lamps, each an elegant and complex work of art designed to bring Made in Italy flair and originality to interior décors.
While Raffaele’s works are in classic white marble, Stephen Burks goes the other way with his abstract Friends & Neighbors series of mirrors. Inspired by his African roots, they are a riot of bold, vivid colours that add an eclectic artistic flourish to a more sober interior design scheme.
Art and accessories meet in Archimera and Omaggio a Morandi
Federico Babina’s Archimera collection of miniature houses are a whimsical, colourful fusion of art and architecture.
All four pieces are created in a different coloured stone and have their own unique personality, making for a series of quirky sculptures that can’t help but lift your mood
For a more classic approach to art and design, we have Omaggio a Morandi, a series of seven sculptural bottles inspired by the iconic still life works of acclaimed Italian artist Giorgio Morandi.
Elisa Ossino has reinterpreted them, bringing them to three-dimensional life through gorgeous Italian natural stone in a palette of soft, muted shades. Whether grouped or placed individually, they are the perfect way to inject a touch of sophisticated yet classic Italian art into your interior décor.
The creativity and spirituality of Gravity Zodiac and Intarsi
The Intarsi range of wall art in natural stone plays with geometry in bold contrasts of Bianco Carrara white marble and near-black Pietra d’Avola limestone. With an array of different patterns and dimensions, it is the natural expression of the concept of “contemporary art meets interior design”.
The final example of interior design elements as artwork is our Gravity Zodiac series of 12 spheres, each in a different stone that reflects the characteristics of the signs of the Zodiac. This is a collection that not only performs a function as a paperweight, but also taps into our spiritual side by transmitting the energy associated with each planet through the beauty of stone.
Art and design are two separate disciplines, yet they are inextricably linked. When fused with vision, precision and expertise they represent the perfect balance of function and form.
If you would like to introduce a distinctive, sophisticated touch of Made in Italy art to your home décor, we invite you to browse our textures and Home Collection where you’ll find hundreds of inspiring ideas and products in beautiful natural stone, where tradition and history meet contemporary design.
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The key to timeless, stylish interior design is a continuous dialogue with the world of art.
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When art and design meet the result is invariably compelling useful objects with a story to tell.
