New Artefacto Collection Honors Cinema and Technology

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Artefacto is committed to designing with function and style in mind, while blending global influences from Italy, France, Brazil and beyond. The new collection arrives this month to the U.S. and embodies Artefacto’s signature contemporary aesthetic, now with a tribute to cinema and technology.

The pieces are all inspired by classic movies, with textures and finishes like exotic marble, stainless steel and sophisticated fabric. Every piece in this new collection features a star-studded name straight from the silver screen, like the Harrison Chaise Lounge, Carrie Lounge Chair, Indiana Lounge and Lauren Chair.

Paulo Bacchi, CEO of Artefacto, feels the new collection perfectly blended the old with the new. “Artefacto borrowed the styles of classic old Hollywood to create a timeless new collection that is simple yet elegant,” he said, “Completely customizable, these pieces have a refined versatility that will add a touch of character to any space.”

As for the Hollywood influenced pieces, Bacchi said, “Hollywood represents an eclectic industry that is all about glamour, sophistication and lasting style. Rich textures, satiny finishes, polished metals and deep colors are central to our new collection.”

Deep, rich tones like navy, dark brown and black inspired this collection, according to Bacchi. evoking luxury and dramatic glamour. His favorite pieces include the Float Shelf and Carrie Swivel Lounge Chair. “Their smooth shape, polished finish and subtle, metal details make them timeless, sophisticated pieces,” said Bacchi.

Carrie Swivel Lounge Chair

This gorgeous swivel chair is made of a stainless steel base and upholstered fabric with leather option. The swivel base of the chair is also equipped with a return system.

Hara Chair

This stunning chair is made of natural, woven Brazilian Burati palm fiber with stainless steel base. Legs and backrest are available in a variety of colors.

Arteriors, a leading provider of luxury lighting, occasional furniture and decorative accessories, is debuting its latest guest designer collaboration with interior designer Celerie Kemble. The collection recently launched online in advance of the April release at the Spring 2018 High Point Market.

“Celerie brings a different design vision to the Arteriors assortment with feminine, soft designs that bring a light and playful element to interior spaces,” says Mark Moussa, founder and creative director for Arteriors. “She has a special sense for shaping materials that, when combined with the skills of our factories, resulted in a truly exciting collection that we are thrilled to share with our customers.”
The Celerie Kemble for Arteriors collection features an assortment of wicker, rattan and bamboo pieces showcasing the natural materials that are signature to Kemble’s design aesthetic. “I designed this collection to be very tactile, with materials that pull from the natural and the handmade, where coastal informs the urbane,” says Kemble. “These pieces are meant to add levity and warmth to interiors — a touch of whimsy or flight of fancy, balanced with a modern edge.”

Waterlilly Sculpture

Rich in organic textures and lifelike details, this aluminum bowl has a polished brass finish to accentuate the intricate veining, leaf textures and natural curves. This piece, offered at $450, makes a great table accent or can be installed on the wall.

Calliope Chandelier

With over 150 stainless steel metal disks, this chandelier, available for $3,300, has an antique brass finish and a unique design. Three fittings hold standard-size bulbs, and a frosted acrylic plate beneath filters downcast light beautifully.

Photos courtesy Arteriors; headshot courtesy Josh Gaddy

Looking at Christopher Guy’s collections, you’re immediately drawn to how beautiful each piece is, so much so that you would assume the hand-carved tables and delicate chairs are items meant to be seen, but not used. However, that is not Guy’s philosophy. While creating beautiful pieces is his top priority, he does not allow function to be sacrificed in the process.

“Furniture is a form of art,” shares Guy. “It is something functional, but it is also art. A chair has to be both beautiful and comfortable.” He describes the two ends of the design spectrum in terms of footwear: the beautiful but uncomfortable high heel and the practical but unattractive sneaker. “My designs are certainly not sneakers, but they are not impractical,” he says. It is this balance that makes Guy’s designs so in demand, from the Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton to Saks Fifth Avenue and Harrods to the sets of “James Bond” and “The Devil Wears Prada.”

While creating an entire collection poses its share of challenges, Guy is a big-picture thinker. He doesn’t just see a chaise or a cabinet, but rather he envisions how all of the pieces will come together. “Today, every piece has to be eclectic; you have to know how to put something together that looks like a collection, but each piece has to look different from one another,” he explains. “My job is to bring pieces of furniture to give designers to help them in their efforts to put a room together, and even though we present them with everything, they buy selected work,” meaning each piece must be able to stand alone, but also complement the other pieces in the set.

His current collection, Mademoiselle, is inspired by the distinct style of Coco Chanel and the design elements for which she was known, and represents Guy’s interpretation of how her home may have looked in today’s world. Not many designers would try to incorporate the world of high fashion into furniture design, but to Guy it makes perfect sense; both embody beauty, style and sophistication. “Chanel had elements that were the foundation of her brand, and we have our own design elements,” he says.

One of his most recognizable elements is the Chris-X (pronounced Chris-cross) chair leg. Rather than four straight legs, the back legs cross over one another to create a more elegant aesthetic. “Most chairs you look at from the front, but a dining chair you look at from behind when it’s pushed under the table, and I wanted to make a chair that was strong and stable (as well as elegant),” describes Guy.

And just as the fashion industry is dictated by ever-changing trends, Guy’s designs are also driven by the need to stay ahead of the market trends. “We manufacture to what the market needs or is looking for,” he explains. “We have to figure out where the market trend is, and my challenge is to deliver to such a market. But it’s a danger to get too far ahead. We design ahead of the market knowing trends will change, but without getting too far ahead.”

To keep his designs fresh, Guy only keeps a particular style for a limited time and then starts over with something new. However, the hallmarks of his brand remain. In the future, Guy says, he would like to work on a James Bond film again from beginning to end, but only if it was made in the same fashion as the earlier films. “They had all the elements I admired. An Aston Martin is elegant. Is a Lamborghini elegant? No, it’s fast and cutting edge, but it’s not elegant.”