Vibia, Molteni and Ferruz Studio on the essence of good design

We discussed the collaboration and explored his fresh vision on the future of design, drawing on his wealth of knowledge as a product designer and as someone who grew up in a family firmly rooted in the world of interior design.

Ferruz Studio is a benchmark in the interior design sector and one of the longest-standing architecture and decorating studios in Barcelona. Born over 40 years ago, Ferruz focuses not only on residential architecture and interior design, but on commercial spaces, ephemeral installations, hospitality, offices, and hotels. Offering a collection of furniture under its own brand, the studio also specialises in identifying and marketing Italian design reference brands such as Molteni. Celebrated as one of the world’s leading Italian furniture design companies, Molteni’s superiority is present not only in its technological advances, but in its elegance, timelessness and quality materials.

Could you please give us a brief introduction to yourself and your career?

I grew up in a family of interior designers. Our whole world revolved around it. I studied interior & industrial design and designed for different brands as well as for our own clients. Now I work as a manager of the Molteni&C. Dada Flagship Store in Barcelona which opened two days before the pandemic lockdown, a fantastic showroom where all the best Italian design brands are shown in a very special environment.

It seems that Molteni shares many of Vibia’s core values: rather than looking for the “wow” factor, we seek essential, timeless design with enduring value. Can you talk to us through your own philosophy?

The Molteni group is one of Italy’s leading international furnishing companies. Molteni offers furnishing all over the world. Founded as a company manufacturing systems, Molteni now produces a complete offer for the home, an important factor for creating those atmospheres that represent the Molteni lifestyle.

Plusminus by Vibia and the 505 Up system by Molteni&C share the quality of being very versatile and adaptable to different types of architecture. Can you talk us through the creative decisions behind the installation in terms of composition and use of space?

The 505 Up, designed by Nicola Gallizia who was in Barcelona a month ago to present it, is tailored to users’ needs. It goes beyond classic bookcase functions, expanding its solutions thanks to the introduction of Display, a new and original protruding cabinet that allows the grid of horizontal and vertical shelves to be moved with maximum compositional and stylistic versatility.

Plusminus is a single tool with unlimited potential for transforming our perception of a space. Professionals can conduct light with complete freedom by drawing the belt to any position and connecting multiple luminaires as desired. To what extent do you think this concept of “light without limits” represents the future of lighting design?

Plusminus is a groundbreaking new lighting system that gives material body to invisible electric currents, allowing light to be sculpted in whatever shape you desire in whatever space you can imagine. The first time we saw Plusminus it was love at first sight, a “sculpture” that dances with the fluidity of a textile ribbon. Our second thought was: it is the perfect match with Molteni&C. Systems, the perfect symbiosis. We must do something together. And we just did: the official presentation in our flagship store.

According to Aristotle, “the chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry and definiteness.” Beyond aesthetics, designers must consider a whole range of criteria, including functionality, harmony, ergonomics, lifestyle, emotion, association and self expression, to name a few. How do you navigate the complexities of design when starting a new project?

When we start a new project we follow the procedure established in the company, where all possible phases and their parts are taken into account. The starting point is understanding our client needs, their ideas and expectations, as a platform from which to create a project where design, aesthetics, functionality, etc… are always present. Then we try to enrich the project by contributing with our own experience, but always hand in hand with the client.

At Vibia, we recognize interior design as fundamental to the culture of wellbeing. Do you approach interior design from a similarly anthropological point of view? Is “design is the language of emotion”?

Yes, we have a similar base. When we start a new project we take into account harmony, balance, preferences and tastes.

For example, a good glass of wine in a perfectly designed space, with the best lighting and in good company are the perfect elements to generate emotion. To touch people.

Fabrics, furniture, objects… These play an important role in our perception of space. In what ways can their form, colour, materiality and texture evoke an emotional experience?

People perceive objects and spaces with sound and touch as well as with vision and smell. We experience sound by feeling vibrations and seeing movement as well as hearing by ear. The more senses we engage, the more strongly we are tied to a moment, an object or a space. As a result, design is evolving to incorporate sensory experience into the places where we live and work. Yes, details matter, but senses do too. This way of seeing and understanding contemporary living is how we see and present the furniture in our flagship Store in Barcelona as a 360º experience. We invite you to come in and experience it.

Beyond its functional purpose, light has the ability to enhance the expressive capacity of a space. How do you approach light when designing an interior?

Lighting is as important as every other element of a design, maybe even the most important. Good lighting changes and transforms a space. We use light and shade to make a room feel comfortable, but also dramatic and atmospheric. We cannot imagine an interior design project without a lighting project.

Digital transformation has turned living spaces into interactive or “live” zones with which the user can interact. How do you approach this new phenomenon in your work?

Connectivity is closely related to technology and has its advantages but also its drawbacks. Without a doubt, it is wonderful when it contributes to our day to day life to make things easier for us, but it must cover needs and not create them in a trivial way. We have adapted to the needs of contemporary living by creating new modular systems such as the new 505 UP, designed for the daytime area and evolving to satisfy new needs and full of functional solutions for our daily life.

How are things changing in the industry? What is your vision for the future of interior design? Is design the key to building a better world?

The industry is adapting to social, environmental and sustainability needs… but often it does not take into account that the essence of good design is durability, both aesthetically (until one day it is considered a classic) and in terms of the material and functional durability of the product.

This vision is confronted with the influence imposed by current markets where cost, consumerism and volatility prevail. The future is evolution and adaptability, but also respect for history and for the craftsmanship of the trade.

And finally, if you had no limits (financially or in terms of resources) what would you design?

Anything that helps people to improve their quality of life, that provides some innovative solution for society in a constructive, sustainable, altruistic and non-capricious way.

Credits:
– Photography: David Querol