Home for the Holidays

LuisaViaRoma transforms its store in Florence into a home to start the festivities of the holiday season. The project is led by Cristina Celestino who reinterprets intimate parts of the home, such as a boudoir, the bedroom, and an eclectic collector’s room. The installation includes a selection of iconic furniture, some pieces designed by Cristina herself and others from brands she has handpicked such as: Antique Mirror, Assouline, Atrezzo Barcelona, Azucena, Besana Carpet Lab, Bottega Veneta, Centro Studi Poltronova, Ceramiche Pugi, Emilio Pucci, Etro, Fontana Arte, Fornace Brioni, Fornasetti, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, Londonart,Pianca, Pineider, Rubelli, Salvatori, Seletti, Sergio Rossi, Stucchichiostri, Tonelli, Torremato, Versace and Vitra.

On November 16th, the installation will be completed with an additional room at the LuisaViaRoma @ Spring Studios pop-up in New York City.

A CONVERSATION WITH CRISTINA CELESTINO

Tell us about the inspiration behind the Home for the Holidays project?

The goal of the project was to transform the space into a holiday home that is intimate and welcoming. The furniture, often pieces that I designed for companies, is interactive and enriches the experience rather than just taking up space. I was inspired by Carlo Mollino’s interiors, where materials, textures, and colors play surreally with bourgeois furnishings and typologies. Another inspiration for this project was the work of the American decorator Dorothy Draper, characterized by an ironic and daring use of color, patterns and revisited decorative elements.

What do Christmas and the holiday season mean to you?

The holiday season reminds me of family and childhood memories when I really looked forward to this magical time of the year. Now I see this same joy and excitement in my daughter’s eyes so Christmas remains a special day. I associate the holidays with dedicated table sets and decorating the Christmas tree.

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the collector’s room? Are you a collector? What do you collect?

The collector’s room is a sort of cabinet of curiosities that holds many peculiar objects and gives insight to who the owner of the house is and their passions – fashion and design. This room really speaks to me personally as I collect many different objects. My first passion is for iconic Italian design pieces, especially lamps. I also collect ceramics (such as Gabbianelli and other more decorative Lenci pieces), shells, and other bizarre objects.

In your opinion, what is the most important factor to consider when designing a space?

Designing a space means thinking about the relationship that is created with the people who will use it. A space, as well as aesthetically beautiful, must be able to surprise and intrigue. I am an architect and even when I think of a product, I always imagine it in a space.

What’s your favorite thing you have designed and why?

Right now I feel well represented by the various surface designs I have designed for different companies in many materials (ceramic, porcelain, terracotta, mirror and marble). These are different projects, but they always start with a reflection on environments and materials.

CRISTINA’S TOP PICKS