A name synonymous with discreet Italian luxury, Bottega Veneta famously eschews logos, opting instead to use its signature intrecciato weaving technique as a marker of its luxurious aesthetic. Opulent yet rigorous, sumptuous yet sober, traditional yet resolutely modern, Bottega Veneta’s trademark is woven throughout its leather goods, which form its core collection, as well as its ready-to-wear clothing and its ever-expanding home line, started almost by accident in 2006.
The story goes that the brand initially created just a few furniture pieces, like the iconic bench that forms part of the window display in every one of the label's hundreds of global stores, as they felt they could best express their own retail blueprint. Such was the overwhelming demand for these pieces however that one thing led to another until, most recently, home furnishing became a stand-alone enterprise, when in March the brand opened its first and only boutique entirely dedicated to that business. It’s actually a testament to how naturally the brand’s design philosophy expands into more architectural aspects of living.
The man behind it all is, of course, the brand’s German-born creative director, Tomas Maier. He was handpicked for the role in 2001 by Tom Ford, who along with Domenico De Sole were leading Gucci to lofty new heights through influential acquisitions of multiple luxury brands, amongst them Bottega Veneta, which at the time was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Since then, Tomas Maier has made Bottega one of the most profitable luxury brands on the planet, while leaving an indelible creative influence by way of brilliantly confirming and rearticulating its DNA through multiple channels. He is driven by what he calls the brand’s “four cornerstones”: fine-quality materials, extraordinary craftsmanship, contemporary functionality, and innovative design.
A tour of Bottega Veneta’s latest home collection is an experience in itself: handcrafted Murano glass stemware in a colour of silvery ash cigar, captivates through a singular smoky transparency; modular sofas, named Tassello, produced in collaboration with fellow purveyors of fine Italian luxury, Poltrona Frau, invite you to caress their soft leather and suede upholstery; a circular dining table in Tunisian black marble with alabaster and yellow veins, resembles a chef’s plated dessert; and then there’s the family of ‘Floating’ pieces, such as the alluring clear-glass desk supported by a bent gunmetal or brushed-steel frame under which are some magically suspended drawers.
All of these and more can be found at the brand’s new boutique in Milan’s Via Borgospesso, where furniture, lighting, dining and desk accessories are meticulously laid out in a series of vignettes, where each represents a suggestion of fine living through various curated in-situ dining, living, sleeping and working areas.
“The Bottega Veneta home collection is dedicated to those who are drawn to understated luxurious furnishings crafted with the finest materials,” explains Maier. “Located right in the heart of Milan, I wanted to create an intimate, discreet destination for clients
to be able to immerse themselves in the Italian art de vivre of Bottega Veneta,” he continues, speaking of the space that feels more like a private palazzo than a boutique with objects for sale.
That’s because it actually was one. Originally built in the 18th century, the 205-square-metre boutique takes over the ground floor of the grand Palazzo Gallarati Scotti. With its terra-cotta tile floors and timeworn plaster finish walls, the calming, clean lines of Bottega Veneta’s refined yet unostentatious home collection products provide perfect relief to the soaring coffered ceilings and magnificently elaborate frescoes by 18th century masters Carlo Innocenzo Carlone and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
The rich, muted light emanating throughout the space evokes both another era and a contemporaneous moment richly lived. CEO Carlo Beretta said: “The investment in a dedicated home boutique in Milan affirms Bottega Veneta’s commitment to offering the utmost in the approach to both highest quality handcrafted products and excellence in service, and ultimately reflects the next step of the retail experience, while concurrently giving this beautiful collection the distinctive setting it deserves.” Or as Maier puts it: “The evolution of our Home collection has been purposefully gradual and deliberate, as we have never been interested in doing anything flashy or of-the-moment. Some of these new pieces are more rustic, others more refined, but each one is versatile, functional and beautifully crafted to last a lifetime.”
WHAT Bottega Veneta Home Collection
WHERE Via Borgospesso, Milan
DESIGNER Tomas Maier
WHY We always knew Bottega Veneta’s home collection was gorgeous and understated but this new flagship store serves as a point of juxtaposition, highlighting the timelessness of brand’s contemporary design pieces.
