Founded in 2003 by American Britt Moran and Italian Emiliano Salci, Milan-based Dimore Studio is now one of the hottest design firms in the world, lending its modern-meets-vintage aesthetic to projects across the globe.
Moran and Salci have collaborated with Hermès and Bottega Veneta; designed the hip Casa Fayette hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico; imagined menswear brand Boglioli’s first US flagship (in Noho); and created a range of covetable furniture pieces for Cappellini.
Here, Moran shares some of the design tips they’ve learned along the way.
Your Boglioli shop on Bond Street features a colorful, geometric carpet. What’s the secret to using strong color and pattern?
Don’t be scared — that’s the first secret. We did a presentation to the client, and it was very nice and in good taste, but they said they were expecting a lot more color. From then on, we’ve not been afraid to do bold patterns and colors. The carpet is the boldest piece in the store, so obviously you can’t do big geometric block prints and flowers on the wall. There has to be balance.
What’s one home item always worth splurging on?
Lighting can make or break a space. In kitchens and bathrooms we find ways to illuminate work surfaces, with floor lamps or suspension lamps, to make it look very homelike. We rarely use recessed lighting in a home — it looks a little bit out of place.
Your interiors have been described as nostalgic with a twist. What bygone eras most inspire you?
We think Art Deco is amazing for the simplicity and the decoration, and the 1940s for the same reason. We also like the 1970s, Yves Saint Laurent proportions. And we have a friend from Arezzo, a town in Tuscany with houses from the 13th and 14th centuries. It’s incredible.
What’s one interior-design trend you’d like to see go away?
Minimalism. The wave of decorative items and techniques taking the interior-design scene at the moment is really important. From textiles to wallpaper, people want layers, and that’s not something you can get with minimalism.
Dimore is Italian for “dwellings.” Where do you find inspiration to create unique dwellings and spaces?
We love Casa Carlo Mollino in Turin, Italy. It’s the house of the famous architect and designer Carlo Mollino — an incredible two-hour tour, where you can sit on the actual furniture. Carlo was really into Egyptian mythology and the occult, and the whole thing is built around this idea of what your house, as a dwelling, should be like in your afterlife. It was very interesting.