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Casa Characters
As fashion and furniture continue to
merge their ideals of beauty and form,
you can now dress up your home to
express your personality.
By Dewey Sim
The Extravagant Hedonist
Versace Home stays religiously true to its
iconic over-the-top style even as the lifestyle
arm is brought in-house to complete the
brand universe. Under the artistic direction of
Donatella Versace, the ritzy collection fetes four
new lines. Inspired by the Rosenthal-meets-
Versace porcelain collection, Les Etoiles de la
Mer commits to absolute opulence through
precious materials such as Fiore di pesco
marble, printed velvets, and mercury wood,
with prints awash in marine motifs. Vasmara
evokes wildlife exoticism with leopard and
zebra print, while futuristic Gvardian is defined
by clean lines and a neutral palette, with a
carbon fibre table top conveying a tactile effect.
Finally, the established Via Gesù Palazzo Empire
range is expanded with a one-of-a-kind sky
blue nubuck sofa shaped in the defining “V” of
the brand. Standing out from the christened
collections is the new climate-proof aluminium
chair, Mesedia. Crafted in the image of Versace’s
unmistakable Medusa head, Mesedia is
emblematic of the new Home collection and is
available in five colours that evoke shifting skies:
haze, storm, cloud, purple sunset, and sunrise.

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The Sensitive Homebody
They say home is where your heart is set in stone; is where you go when you’re alone (according to the lyrics of Gabrielle
Aplin’s 2013 hit single, Home). In any case, if home is truly where your heart lies, then you’ll be a fan of the latest home
collection by Hermès that’s inspired by the ideal of the home as shelter for body and mind. Under the aegis of artistic directors
Charlotte Perelman and Alexis Fabry, the home is transformed into a refuge of relaxation with simple, elegant touches.
Different threads of the collection – from the re-edited Oria chairs by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo to the showpiece Sellier
sofa demonstrating the equestrian heritage of the Maison – collectively address the theme of balance, which Hermès believes
thrives and reigns in enclosed spaces. This balancing act is also cleverly propagated in the Équilibre d’Hermès assembly of desk
and decorative accessories, consisting of a harmonious blend of functional and whimsical pieces: a magazine rack in the form of
a horse saddle, an icosahedron paperweight, and a magnifying glass held in perfect equipoise atop a conical base.

4. The Space Rocker
Imagine serving your favourite pasta in Venus, or scooping ice cream from moon craters – if you’re obsessed with astronomy
and the stars, you’re in for a treat. For 2016, Diesel Living parades its latest collaboration with Italian design brand Seletti in its
Cosmic Diner tableware line. Inspired by the universe, the heavenly (or as close as it gets) collection comprises porcelain plates
representing the planets of the solar system, a Starman vase, salt and pepper grinders in the shape of rockets, and meteorite
glasses. The collaboration with Seletti is among five on-going projects that Diesel Living currently has, including Moroso for
furniture, Foscarini for lighting, Iris Ceramica for ceramic tiling, and Scavolini for a new kitchen concept. The Moroso and
Foscarini collections illustrate Diesel’s beliefs of individualistic lifestyle, industrial design, and rock styling, while the Diesel Open
Workshop Kitchen with Scavolini celebrates the ethos of “Come in, we’re open!” with an open-concept social kitchen that
builds on the brand’s creativity and free expression.

5. The Ethereal Minimalist
Unlike those of us who express our feelings through intense rituals – entire mornings spent painting, shouting out at open seas,
retail therapy on useless junk – Giorgio Armani conveys his thoughts in a more refined manner. He translates his obsessions
into elegant collections, and judging from his latest set for Armani/Casa, it’s pretty clear that his current fixation is light. The
Time Of Lightness is based on the notion of light and how its interplay can transform regular architecture into irregular
elements. The collection is gratifyingly considerate, keeping in mind all aspects of one’s lifestyle. It offers a selection of tables –
the Luna rotating table, Lewis oval table, and Egidio low table – and accompanies them with a complete tableware set. It also
pieces together other home elements like the Leonard buffet (two versions, with drawers and shelves or a television unit) and
Club bar cabinet (a 50-piece limited edition, handmade with black straw marquetry and a dramatic Ocean lacquer finish).

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The Pop Artist
Following last year’s series of ceramics-inspired leather bowls, Spanish luxury brand Loewe is back to win hearts with an entire
bag of striking and eccentric designs crafted in leather marquetry. Conceived by creative director Jonathan Anderson, this
latest collection of oak furniture is embellished with leather cut-outs in an array of shapes and colours pieced together to form
mosaic pictures of flowers and landscapes. The project is partly inspired by the radical design ideas of pioneering artist-critic
Roger Fry (furniture covered in bold, hand-painted patterns, for example), and the motifs are taken from silk prints found in
Loewe’s archives, including a carp adapted from a set of centuries-old Japanese wood screens Anderson found in Hong Kong.
The end product is stunning, with six new creations, including a large wardrobe and two Baillie Scott chairs, along with lamps
and cigar boxes as well as notebooks and leather pouches, all coated in fun to brighten up your living space.

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The Unrepentant Gentleman
Bronze tables surfaced in the signature intrecciato leather weave (an exclusive collaboration with Italian designer Osanna
Visconti di Modrone), Murano lamps in new cigar and nero colourations, and suede and leather drawers fitted with iconic
bronzed handles – there’s nothing in Bottega Veneta’s home collection that doesn’t scream masculine decadence. When set
against a backdrop of historic frescoes, coffered ceilings, and stone walls found in a 18th
century palazzo (Palazzo Gallarati Scotti
in the heart of Milan, to be precise), the curated creations by creative director Tomas Maier even leave a taste of medieval
excess. Apart from the aforementioned pieces, the collection boasts a suede seating set (club chair, footrest, three-seat
couch, and daybed) named Rudi in collaboration with Poltrona Frau and a series of sterling silver collectible boxes bearing
semi-precious stones and planetary names. In short, this collection has plenty of complementary pieces that come together
coherently to exude sophistication in the homes of those with discerning tastes.