Vibia, Molteni and Ferruz Studio on the essence of good design

Vibia, Molteni and Ferruz Studio on the essence of good design

As part of Barcelona Design Week 2022, Vibia was invited to present Plusminus in collaboration with Molteni and Ferruz Studio at the Molteni&C. Dada Flagship Store. Ahead of the launch of our collaboration, we were fortunate enough to be able to speak with Marc Ferruz, one of the sons of Carles Ferruz and the Executive Office Manager at Molteni&C. Dada, Barcelona.

We discussed the collaboration and explored his fresh vision on the future of design, drawing on his wealth of knowledge as a product designer and as someone who grew up in a family firmly rooted in the world of interior design.

Ferruz Studio is a benchmark in the interior design sector and one of the longest-standing architecture and decorating studios in Barcelona. Born over 40 years ago, Ferruz focuses not only on residential architecture and interior design, but on commercial spaces, ephemeral installations, hospitality, offices, and hotels. Offering a collection of furniture under its own brand, the studio also specialises in identifying and marketing Italian design reference brands such as Molteni. Celebrated as one of the worldā€™s leading Italian furniture design companies, Molteniā€™s superiority is present not only in its technological advances, but in its elegance, timelessness and quality materials.

Vibia The Edit - Play with Rhythm

Could you please give us a brief introduction to yourself and your career?

I grew up in a family of interior designers. Our whole world revolved around it. I studied interior & industrial design and designed for diļ¬€erent brands as well as for our own clients. Now I work as a manager of the Molteni&C. Dada Flagship Store in Barcelona which opened two days before the pandemic lockdown, a fantastic showroom where all the best Italian design brands are shown in a very special environment.

It seems that Molteni shares many of Vibiaā€™s core values: rather than looking for the ā€œwowā€ factor, we seek essential, timeless design with enduring value. Can you talk to us through your own philosophy?

The Molteni group is one of Italyā€™s leading international furnishing companies. Molteni oļ¬€ers furnishing all over the world. Founded as a company manufacturing systems, Molteni now produces a complete oļ¬€er for the home, an important factor for creating those atmospheres that represent the Molteni lifestyle.

Past and future, research and tradition. All in the name of quality living.

According to Aristotle, ā€œthe chief forms of beauty are order, symmetry and deļ¬niteness.ā€ Beyond aesthetics, designers must consider a whole range of criteria, including functionality, harmony, ergonomics, lifestyle, emotion, association and self expression, to name a few. How do you navigate the complexities of design when starting a new project?

When we start a new project we follow the procedure established in the company, where all possible phases and their parts are taken into account. The starting point is understanding our client needs, their ideas and expectations, as a platform from which to create a project where design, aesthetics, functionality, etcā€¦ are always present. Then we try to enrich the project by contributing with our own experience, but always hand in hand with the client.

At Vibia, we recognize interior design as fundamental to the culture of wellbeing. Do you approach interior design from a similarly anthropological point of view? Is ā€œdesign is the language of emotionā€?

Yes, we have a similar base. When we start a new project we take into account harmony, balance, preferences and tastes.

Design is a language of emotion, of course, but also of well-being, of practicality.

For example, a good glass of wine in a perfectly designed space, with the best lighting and in good company are the perfect elements to generate emotion. To touch people.

Vibia The Edit - Play with Rhythm

Fabrics, furniture, objectsā€¦ These play an important role in our perception of space. In what ways can their form, colour, materiality and texture evoke an emotional experience?

People perceive objects and spaces with sound and touch as well as with vision and smell. We experience sound by feeling vibrations and seeing movement as well as hearing by ear. The more senses we engage, the more strongly we are tied to a moment, an object or a space. As a result, design is evolving to incorporate sensory experience into the places where we live and work. Yes, details matter, but senses do too. This way of seeing and understanding contemporary living is how we see and present the furniture in our ļ¬‚agship Store in Barcelona as a 360Āŗ experience. We invite you to come in and experience it.

Beyond its functional purpose, light has the ability to enhance the expressive capacity of a space. How do you approach light when designing an interior?

Lighting is as important as every other element of a design, maybe even the most important. Good lighting changes and transforms a space. We use light and shade to make a room feel comfortable, but also dramatic and atmospheric. We cannot imagine an interior design project without a lighting project.

Digital transformation has turned living spaces into interactive or ā€œliveā€ zones with which the user can interact. How do you approach this new phenomenon in your work?

Connectivity is closely related to technology and has its advantages but also its drawbacks. Without a doubt, it is wonderful when it contributes to our day to day life to make things easier for us, but it must cover needs and not create them in a trivial way. We have adapted to the needs of contemporary living by creating new modular systems such as the new 505 UP, designed for the daytime area and evolving to satisfy new needs and full of functional solutions for our daily life.

Vibia The Edit - Play with Rhythm

How are things changing in the industry? What is your vision for the future of interior design? Is design the key to building a better world?

The industry is adapting to social, environmental and sustainability needs… but often it does not take into account that the essence of good design is durability, both aesthetically (until one day it is considered a classic) and in terms of the material and functional durability of the product.

A good design is one that is designed to last and made with the resources to make it possible.

This vision is confronted with the inļ¬‚uence imposed by current markets where cost, consumerism and volatility prevail. The future is evolution and adaptability, but also respect for history and for the craftsmanship of the trade.

And ļ¬nally, if you had no limits (ļ¬nancially or in terms of resources) what would you design?

Anything that helps people to improve their quality of life, that provides some innovative solution for society in a constructive, sustainable, altruistic and non-capricious way.

Credits:
– Photography: David Querol

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