MILAN — Under the frescoed ceilings of Milan’s Palazzo Gavazzi, Buccellati jewels, protected in delicate golden and glass cases, glimmered next to Chahan Minassian’s interior designs and vice versa.
Buccellati’s Piano Nobile showroom enhanced by the Armenian Lebanese interior designer was unveiled Wednesday and features furnishings fashioned in biomorphic lines and embellished with fine Italian fabrics from the likes of fabled Venetian textile firms Bevilacqua, Fortuny and Rubelli, infusing the 19th-century space with a refined contemporary edge.
“The ceiling and the floor are already art enough. So the fading of the eye, the voyage of this monochromatic space with my textures have a hint of jewelry [brilliance]. The space itself is so luxurious. You look at the jewelry and you look at the space, you don’t need anything more,” the aesthete told WWD, pointing to a table made of tiger-eye material, a stone that was often used in jewelry in the ’50s and ’60s and serves as a backdrop to the jewelry and tableware. “It’s a crescendo,” he remarked.
Every item of furniture and lighting was tailor-made, with sofas, console tables, chairs, tables, coffee tables and rugs by Chahan Interiors Design with a palette of gold, lunar silver, bronze and metallic notes, seen reflected in finishes and materials, as iridescent silks, champagne-tinged mirrors and wire mesh weaves evoke the Buccellati universe with an air of refinement.
Buccellati’s Piano Nobile showroom.
Silvia Rivoltella
The founder of Chahan Gallery in Paris is also known for his long career as European creative director for Ralph Lauren. In Venice, he transformed the Abbazia San Gregorio, a former Benedictine abbey, into a 21st-century home brimming with curiosity and art for the Venice Biennale in 2019. Since then, Minassian has also put his touch on Venetian palazzos such as Contarini-Michiel, Corner Spinelli and Palazzo Brandolini-Giustinian, where Diane von Furstenberg has made her Italian home.
On Wednesday, he unveiled his vision for Buccellati’s Piano Nobile, which sits on the upper floor of the Balossi Restelli family-owned palace, right above the jewelry and silverware boutiques on the ground floor. The breathtaking space, which was once a residence, was built between 1838 and 1839 with a Neoclassical design, featuring a smooth ashlar facade and a large balcony. It was once the home of Italian patriot, philosopher, political scientist, linguist and writer Carlo Cattaneo, who was the son of the Milanese goldsmith Melchiorre Cattaneo.
This prestigious space marks another step forward in the brand’s evolution. Indeed, following its growth on the international markets in recent years, Buccellati is investing heavily in its city of origin, where Mario Buccellati set up the company in 1919. Buccellati, which is controlled by Compagnie Financière Richemont, is now designed by third-generation heir Andrea Buccellati and his daughter Lucrezia, and is known for its exquisitely engraved and openwork jewels, handmade with traditional goldsmith craftsmanship dating to the Renaissance, and recognized for its tulle, lace and twisted thread motifs, as well as for its silverware.
The Piano Nobile was also envisaged as a haven for loyal customers seeking an immersive, safe, shopping experience and where they are privy to a wide selection of the vintage collections there, some of which are available for purchase while others belong to the Buccellati historical archives. There is also a small workshop, which allows guests to observe the hand craftsmanship and engraving techniques employed by Buccellati’s expert craftspeople. For Maria Cristina Buccellati, the firm’s global marketing and communications director, Piano Nobile is like a home.
“This used to be an apartment. I’m in love with the mosaic. I’m in love with the frescoes. We have an office somewhere else, but we’re planning to stay here more and to make it, you know…a home, not only for us, but also for the clients, for the people who come and visit,” she told WWD, adding that tableware is having a moment. The brand’s silver sales represent about 30 percent of its total, with jewelry comprising 70 percent. “We want to convey the art de la table lifestyle. We want to strengthen home decor but also table decor,” she said, gesturing toward a wall adorned with silver items that included floral and fruit arrangements.
Minassian also teamed with Buccellati during Milan Design Week in 2022, for an exhibition of contemporary table settings with Buccellati silver. The show was curated by Federica Sala and in addition to Chahan Minassian, installation projects were designed by Stefano Boeri Interiors, Dimore Studio, Ashley Hicks and Patricia Urquiola.
In April, Minassian, who also has a home in Venice, was tapped to reenvision the historic Fortuny headquarters and former home of Countess Gozzi into a gallery showcase of contemporary design, which had been opened to the the broader design community for the very first time.
Inside Buccellati’s Piano Nobile.
Silvia Rivoltella
