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When building a Tuscan retreat for himself and his family, Piero Lissoni decided that simplicity was the key. Visited by filmmaker Matthew Donaldson for ‘In Residence’ series, the Italian designer and architect created an elementary form that was neither part of the vernacular, nor classic Italian pastiche. Keeping faithful to the size and scale of the surrounding houses, he used a concrete that is mixed with the local earth, giving it a characteristic pinkish hue. The stunning landscape envelops the building, its cool, hard lines playing off against the undulating hills.

“There is a huge connection between inside and out. I used windows like a super huge screen. I don’t need films here: the theatre is outside, the movies are outside.” The Milan-born innovator founded Lissoni Associati with Nicoletta Canesi in 1986 and has since created an extensive catalogue of designs for brands such as Kartell, Porro, Boffi, Cassina and Flos. His house is filled with a combination of found objects, antique and country furniture, and collected works from contemporaries like James Irvine and Jasper Morrison. By his own admission, today Lissoni is lucky enough to be able to pick and choose the projects he wants. The secret of his success? “I like every year to be better than the year before and to be very good at life, with friends, work, culture, books, food, wine,” he notes. “It is a good obsession.” 

Next up, In Residence: Rolf Sachs

To see more episodes from the series ‘In Residence’, click here.

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