When everyday storage solutions become beautiful elements of design
03.2022
“Light vibration"
Finding sculptural solutions for functional and domestic objects is something of a passion for Elisa Ossino. “Over the years I have been developing the concept of a kind of abstract house,” says the designer. “I always try and hide the function in my design – I want to remove all the quotidian objects and create an interior that is more like an art gallery.”
As part of her research Ossino has reinterpreted two pieces of furniture, the sideboard and display cabinet, for her latest collaboration with Salvatori. Pliss – which takes its name from the Plissé texture used on the front panels – removes the need for handles by extending the front of the deep drawers above the top of the unit. Supported by slender metal legs, the cabinet appears to be one monumental piece, animated by the subtle undulating panelling, the “light vibration,’ as Ossino puts it – a beautiful sculptural addition to a room as well as a plinth for objets d’art and accessories.
While Pliss hides its function by concealing the objects stored in its drawers, Theca's elegant iron structure and shatterproof glass shelves reduce its visual impact, especially if the marble panelling at the back of the cabinet is matched to the walls, or the glass option is chosen. “I did not want to detract from the importance of the objects presented,” Ossino explains, “I wanted it to be as simple as possible while paying close attention to the proportions.”
The cabinet is versatile – it can be used in the dining room to store kitchenware, in the bathroom for towels and toiletries, or in the living room to present decorative objects – but the customisable natural stone backdrop ensures that it always contributes to the aesthetic of a space regardless of the setting. To enhance the dramatic staging of the objects presented in the cabinet, Theca is also available with LED lighting.
Ossino has previously explored a sculptural approach to furniture with Salvatori in Urano, a perfectly spherical lamp, and Balnea, a monumental bathtub, both carefully shaped from a single block of marble. Channelling the great sculptors of the past and harnessing Salvatori’s expertise in working natural stone, Pliss and Theca continue our exploration of the presence and beauty of marble, beyond the simply functional.
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