Nero Marquina Marble Pietra L 08 Bookends by Piero Lissoni for Salvatori, Set of 2

Born in 1956 in Brianza, Italian designer and architect Piero Lissoni studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan, graduating in 1985. Together with his longtime partner Nicoletta Canesi, Lissoni founded Studio Lissoni (later renamed Lissoni Associati) in 1986, and the pair cofounded Graph.x in 1996 to focus on graphics projects.

Based in Milan, Lissoni is known for its clean, modern, industrial aesthetic. Lissoni Associati works in all areas of design, including industrial design, art direction, architecture, luxury hotels (notably the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam), showrooms (Cassina in London , Boffi in Milan and New York), corporate headquarters, boats, and private residences. The Lissoni name is perhaps best known, however, for prolific modern designs in furniture, kitchen systems, and housewares. The studio collaborates with some of the world’s most famous brands, including Kartell, Knoll, Flos, Boffi, and Alessi, among others.

Italian design brand Salvatori was founded in 1946 in Querceta, Italy by Guido Salvatori. Still based in the same location in northern Tuscany, nestled between the Mediterranean coast and the Apuan Alps (home to the famed Carrara marble quarries), the family-owned company is currently run by the founder’s grandsons, Gabriele and Guido Salvatori; CEO and CFO, respectively.

Salvatori is renowned for its innovation and expertise in natural stone and marble; working with architects, designers, and builders to inspire sometimes unconventional new ways to work with the stone. Innovation was central to the company’s ethos as early as 1950 when Guido Salvatori invented the Split Face (Spaccatello) finish; a method of cutting stone with a guillotine to create a fractured finish that adds depth and dimension. Later, the company achieved another first; developing Lithoverde, the world’s first recycled stone composite. Lithoverde is the result of combining 99% recycled stone offcuts and 1% natural binding agent to create a beautiful and durable new stone block for use in bathrooms, kitchens, and a wide range of other applications.

Significant designers who have collaborated with the company include Kengo Kuma, Piero Lissoni, Ron Gilad, Elisa Ossino, and John Pawson, to name just a few. In 2012, the collaboration with Piero Lissoni resulted in Salvatori’s first range of tables; the Dritto collection. The incredibly slim profile of the stone tabletops, paired with a bold, geometric iron frame, give an incongruent impression of lightness—a quality not usually associated with stone. Similarly, the Girella bench and objet d’art, designed by Ron Gilad, has an almost magical or alchemic property in the way that the stone has been shaped into a perfect curl. In recent years, Salvatori has expanded into home décor items such as tables, lamps, and accessories—these small, lust-worthy objects bring a touch of Made in Italy luxury into any home.

In 1989, the Italian Trade Commission recognized Salvatori as the most innovative company in the entire stone sector in Italy. In 2012, the company was awarded the Premio di Premi, a prize for innovation and creativity in Italian companies, and presented by the Italian President. In 2013, Wallpaper* magazine named the Girella collaboration with Ron Gilad the winner of its Best Domestic Design competition. The following year, in 2014, Salvatori received an Honourable Mention at the Compasso d’Oro awards. The brand exhibits regularly at the Salone del Mobile and other peak industry events, as well as running its own showrooms in London, Milan, Zurich, and Sydney. Salvatori counts amongst its client list names such as Armani, Donna Karan, Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton, and Boston Consulting Group.