Cristina Celestino/ architect and designer
Published on 31 October 2020
She designs objects, furniture and darling wallpapers for her own brand, Attico Design, amongst others, as well as being the creative brain behind some ultra-exclusive interiors.
Self-Portrait. We invite professionals from the lifestyle, culture and communications world to snap six shots that sum up their story. Smartphone in hand, they have fun revealing all the little nothings around which their world revolves. It’s time to take a peek behind closed doors.
Architect and designer Cristina Celestino nurtures an unbridled passion for the big-name designers from her homeland, Italy. An avid collector, she’s also a tireless observer who relentlessly seeks out the perfect equation that marries function and form. Today, she walks us through a few carefully curated examples from her Milan office space.
A useful object
In the studio, we have some of the very first examples of the Ariosto Ottoman. This pouf was designed specifically for my Tram Corallo project for the 2018 Salone del Mobile. It is inspired by vintage jewellery boxes: in actual fact, it is not simply a decorative seat but can also be opened and closed to offer storage. The compartment hidden inside is lined with soft velvet.
A futile object
The studio is overflowing with natural objects such as shells, skeletons and fossils. I like to collect things like that whenever I can. I find them very inspirational. They are totally futile as they have no real purpose, but I feel they really fuel my creativity.
A souvenir
This delicate bowl, which I brought back from my last trip to Japan. It is an original piece that was handmade by a local ceramic artist in Tokyo.
A good luck charm
I have always considered Le Corbusier to be one of the great “maestri”, and his work has shaped my path as an architect and designer. I found this picture of the Ronchamp chapel in a flea market just after graduating, and it follows me wherever I work. It is always given pride of place in the space.
A current crush
For my last collaboration with Maison Matisse, I designed several pieces in rattan. I find it a very interesting material to work with, and I have recently started buying lots of rattan objects. The shelving system in the picture is my most recent purchase.