Over the past decades, adaptive reuse has been utilized as a sustainable alternative for the built environment. It involves repurposing existing buildings for a new use, allowing the past to remain while serving a modern purpose. Here, structures facing potential demolition or no longer serviceable are seen as sources of raw materials for new projects. […]
Salvatori’s Art of Stone Unveiled at Home Studio
In an exclusive event that brought together luminaries of the Philippine design community, Home Studio, in partnership with BluPrint, proudly unveiled the exquisite world of Salvatori. The evening was a celebration of Italian luxury, showcasing the unparalleled craftsmanship of the design company renowned for its specialization in natural stone. Guests were treated to an immersive experience, exploring a curated selection of Salvatori’s award-winning products while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
The event, hosted at the elegant Home Studio Showroom, was officially opened by its founder, Grant Lim, followed by welcoming remarks from BluPrint’s Editor-in-Chief, Geewel Fuster. A highlight of the evening was an insightful interview with Salvatori’s Head of Sales, Alessio Luciani, conducted by BluPrint’s Digital Editor, Chad Rialp.
Home Studio CEO Grant Lim (above) and BluPrint Editor-in-Chief Geewel Fuster (below) welcome guests to the exclusive event.
Luciani delved into the rich heritage of the family-owned brand, founded in 1946 as a supplier of fine Italian marble. He recounted the pivotal moment when the third generation of the Salvatori family transitioned the company from a materials supplier to a design-centric powerhouse, a move that would solidify its legacy in the world of luxury design.
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Luciani explained that a big part of the brand’s DNA is collaboration and customization, working closely with designers to achieve their vision by providing a beautiful toolkit of elements from which they can build on.
Voices from the Design Community
Esteemed architects and designers in the industry shared their impressions of the brand’s unique appeal. For architect Royal Pineda, Salvatori’s innovation lies in its ability to bridge the ancient and the modern. “The fact that they modernize something very natural, very ancient, something very organic, I think that’s where the play becomes really more exciting,” he noted. “The textures, the lines, and the way they really play with lights with their product, I think it triggers creativity within the architects and designers to really be able to work with these materials that they’re offering.”
Isabel Berenguer-Asuncion, Principal Architect of Asuncion-Berenguer Inc., who has specified the brand for projects, praised its tangible quality. “You get a lot of textural material. With Salvatori you get something that’s from solid stone,” she shared. “Of course Italian craftsmanship, you can’t question that, and we find that the way that they finish the stone is very elegant… it feels hand-sanded or hand-polished. They’re very nice, we like them!”
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This enthusiasm was shared by the hosts. Grant Lim, CEO of Home Studio, emphasized the brand’s core identity. “The whole essence of this event is that we have some authority today who’s not just a stone company but a design company as well,” he stated. “The DNA of Salvatori is very rich [with a] subtle elegance… I’m happy people are just going around experiencing and touching the surfaces.”
The successful partnership was further articulated by Federico Vaccari, Salvatori’s Asia Sales Head. “We brought Salvatori to the Philippines 8 years ago and it’s been a path of growth and success thanks to Grant, who is really believing in what we are doing,” Vaccari said. He highlighted the brand’s synergy with the local aesthetic: “It goes very well together with the taste of the designers and architects, and it really merges well with the local design as well because the Filipino people understand the value of natural stone, the value of natural material.”
This spirit of collaboration has led to remarkable collections with some of the most celebrated names in design, including Yabu Pushelberg, Patricia Urquiola, and Piero Lissoni.
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Yabu Pushelberg: The Poetry of Water in Stone
The collaboration with Toronto and New York-based design duo George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg is a testament to their narrative-driven and human-centric design philosophy. Yabu Pushelberg is renowned for creating immersive experiences that evoke emotion and are meticulously tailored to their context. Their work with Salvatori beautifully translates the ephemeral qualities of nature into the enduring medium of stone.
A prime example is the recently unveiled ‘Nagi’ texture, inspired by the gentle, concentric ripples that form when a stone meets water. The name itself, derived from the Japanese word for “calmness of the sea,” reflects the serene and rhythmic quality of the design. This collection, along with their previous creations such as the ‘Anima’ and ‘Punto’ bathroom collections and the ‘Assembly’ series, showcases their ability to craft pieces that exist in harmony with spaces shaped by water, transforming solid stone into a canvas of fluid movement.
Patricia Urquiola: A Playful Fusion of Material and Form
Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola brings her characteristically eclectic and vibrant style to her collaborations with Salvatori. Known for her playful approach to mixing materials, patterns, and forms, often with unexpected and feminine touches, Urquiola’s work is a celebration of texture and color.
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Her “The Small Hours” bathroom collection for Salvatori is a masterful exploration of this ethos. The collection artfully combines the natural beauty of Salvatori’s stone with the sleekness of steel and the warmth of wood. The recurring cylindrical shapes bring a sense of architectural harmony to the pieces, which include washbasins, bathtubs, and shelves. Following her earlier successful collaborations on the ‘Kore’ miniature houses and the ‘Taula’ table series, “The Small Hours” further solidifies Urquiola’s ability to infuse functionality with a distinctive and expressive aesthetic, transforming the bathroom into a sanctuary of sophisticated design.
Piero Lissoni: The Soul of Stone and the Beauty of Imperfection
The partnership with Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni is deeply rooted in a shared philosophy of simplicity, rigor, and a profound respect for the material. Lissoni’s design is humanistic, focusing on creating durable, functional products that possess a timeless and instantly recognizable visual identity. His collaborations with Salvatori are a powerful expression of this, with a strong emphasis on sustainability.
The ‘Lost Stones’ and ‘Design for Soul’ collections are poignant examples of this commitment. These series give new life to discarded and historic stone remnants, drawing inspiration from the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, highlighting the beauty of imperfection. Similarly, the ‘Patchwork’ collection cleverly utilizes offcuts from some of Salvatori’s most iconic textures, creating unique and exclusive wall features. This approach not only demonstrates a dedication to zero-waste principles but also tells a story of transformation and the enduring soul of the stone. The long-standing friendship between Lissoni and Salvatori CEO Gabriele Salvatori infuses their collaborations with a unique spirit of shared passion and creative synergy.
The evening at Home Studio showcased the enduring allure of natural stone when placed in the hands of visionary designers. As guests mingled and explored the tactile beauty of Salvatori’s collections, they were invited to participate in a lamp-making workshop, creating their own interpretations of the ‘Teo’ lamp, a recent addition to the Salvatori lighting family.
The event was a resounding success, leaving the Philippine design community inspired by the boundless possibilities that arise when heritage, innovation, and collaborative genius converge.
Discover Salvatori at the Home Studio showroom or visit www.homestudioinc.com.
Photographed by Ed Simon.
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