Fornasetti is a design atelier that produces
furniture and accessories. The brand head is Barnaba Fornasetti, son of the renowned Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti (Milan, 1913-1988). In continuity with his father's legacy, Barnaba has strengthened the brand's international presence maintaining the original values that today guarantee its uniqueness: the merging of art and craft, independence, direct control over production and choice of local raw materials. Over the last ten years, the company has grown considerably and now employs more than 100 people. Every Fornasetti item is made in Italy and decorated strictly by hand, according to the founder's methods and processes inaugurated in the 1940s. The works, released in limited annual editions, straddle art and design. Fornasetti's creative universe includes furniture, ceramics, furnishing accessories and wallpapers developed according to the principle of "practical madness" that considers aesthetics and ornamentation as structural design elements, even for everyday objects.
Fornasetti: designer furniture and accessories
Barnaba Fornasetti remained faithful to his father's artistic vision while bringing the brand into the contemporary world. The most iconic item is the
trumeau, designed by Piero Fornasetti and
Gio Ponti, first presented in the Architettura decoration category at the 1951 Milan Triennale and today available in various motifs. Fornasetti storage furniture includes a
curved chest of drawers with exotic decorations or pieces inspired by Palladio's architecture (to whom the
Palladiana chest of drawers is dedicated). The company also produces linear and curved cabinets, whose soft shapes designed by Barnaba Fornasetti have various inspirations. The focal point of the
Lux Gstaad chair is the face of Fornasetti's muse, Lina Cavalieri, half-hidden by coloured balaclavas. The Ionic and
Corinthian Capitello chairs are a tribute to classical antiquity. Fornasetti's accessories are authentic cult objects sought by discerning collectors - from the iconic Tema e Variazioni plates, a series initiated in 1952 and now numbering over 400 versions, to Fornasetti Profumi home candles, recently renewed in design and fragrance. Fornasetti wallpapers are produced by the British company Cole & Son, sharing the crafts tradition and attention to detail promoted by the atelier.
Fornasetti bespoke: custom service
Following in the footsteps of the past, like the interiors designed by Piero Fornasetti with Gio Ponti for the luxury suite of the Andrea Doria ocean liner, the Fornasetti bespoke service interprets custom products based on the same fundamental values. Imagination plays a central role in the creative process, and handcrafted production makes each object a unique artistic creation. Bespoke projects include custom residential interiors, private yachts and hotels, including the Fornasetti Suite at the Mandarin Oriental, Milan, decorated at the invitation of Citterio-Viel & Partners, and the pool at L'Albereta Relais & Chateaux, decorated with Ortensia mosaics from the Fornasetti collection for Bisazza.
