antonio aricò presents the archetype of an 'essential room' with the intimacy and tradition of italian life

among the many installations that have taken shape to inspire and excite during milan design week this year, there is a room (or ‘una stanza’ as it is both titled and said in italian). una stanza is a project by designer antonio aricò, made up of a series of furniture made in collaboration with editamateria, that captures the archetype of the ‘essential room’.

all images courtesy of antonio aricó

aricò‘s motivation for the collection was to explore the integral elements of human life. in doing so, the designer dissects the relationship between the room’s inhabitant and their objects with an almost primordial vision. a credenza, desk, daybed, and table and chairs, are formed from elegantly simple shapes. meanwhile a mattress created by serienumerica, is composed of 90 layers of intricately placed material, interspersed with layers of foam and rubber, gives new life to recovered fabric.

made from an eclectic use of wood, told through the various veins of amaranth, rosewood and ziricote, the collection features an impressive palette of colour. as well as natural shades of apricot and lilac, understated accents of bronze and brass further accentuate the warmth of the designer’s vision. all pieces will be available to order via editamateria.  

then there are some immaterial objects crafted with as much care and attention as their physical counterparts. tradition, memory and intimacy all share a rightful place within the room, from the plinth-like surfaces of the credenza built to display treasured keepsakes, to the painting on the wall by daniele galliano, translated from a photo of aricó’s mother.

antonio aricò’s wooden collection is presented alongside ceramics by paolo polloniato and a setting and room created by 997 architecture. ‘the collection represents to me the essential aspect of my work – communicating a message by designing real furniture and dressing it in a way that gives emotion to everyone‘, aricò explains to designboom. 

‘una stanza is a sophisticated way to imagine wooden furniture. the use of wood is sober yet emotional at the same time. I hope that those who visited will go home with the desire of not only buying the furniture but with this message: ‘simplicity and spontaneity can be a graceful and sophisticated way to live in our consumerist world.’ una stanza has to do with our roots and our memories but at the same time wants to aspire to the consciousness that some shapes, colours, perfumes (the wooden ones) and feelings are evergreen icons in our minds.’

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