KBB - April 2012 - (Page 56)

LAST WORD Keeping It Real A Q&A with Piero Lissoni, of Lissoni Associati Architect and designer Piero Lissoni has done it all. His vast portfolio of international projects encompasses high-profile hospitality, retail and residential work, as well as yachts, and he has lent his vision to a multitude of wellknown furniture, accessory, lighting and kitchen and bath brands, such as Alessi, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Flos, Kartell, Knoll International and Poltrona Frau, to name a just few. Lissoni is the recipient of several awards, including an Elle Decoration International Design Award for the Glass Bathtub by Boffi and a Good Design Award for the Hi Tech chair by Divani. What’s the biggest misconception about what you do? We’re only workers, really. It’s nothing to be too impressed by. Of course, we work with incredible levels of activity, and we’ve had many good opportunities. I don’t wake up each day with a fantastic idea and convince a client to spend lots of money on that idea.This is completely not true of my experience. For me, the best projects require constant discussion. What “words of wisdom” can/do you share with others? Whom you work with makes all the difference. Without a good client, designers alone are a non-existent entity. My work depends entirely on the continuous dialogue with my clients. But a great entrepreneur is someone who is able to choose and take risks. What are some issues that you’re passionate about? Today everybody talks about ecology and the environment, but more importantly, we need to produce less and to produce better. Plastic is as ecological as wood. It is not an issue of material but how you use those materials. What is the most intriguing aspect of your job? That we make lots of mistakes. Mistakes are the secret to working. We throw away nearly 90 percent of our ideas. Sometimes we create a prototype, modify it again and again, until finally we decide it is OK. Mistakes often lead to better ideas… Do you have a signature style? Personal design philosophy? The good design produced by the great masters was simple, functional, ethical and beautiful. I am inspired by that. Design, for me, is the application of my own taste. When I work, I invent, I revisit and I draw elements that allow me to be part of this world aesthetically. What do your kitchen and bath collections tell us about contemporary life? They allow the expression of an individual’s attitudes and worldview—your own history, your culture, your capacity to combine different worlds and make them work together. What is your favorite color? Beside white, I like orange. I use it very often when I work on product design and interiors. The Italian designer Bruno Munari was once asked about the meaning of “good design.” He replied that the best example of design for him was the orange, an object almost perfect for the absolute coherence between shape, function and the minimal usage of decoration in its texture and the color of its skin; blue would have been totally wrong. n —Alice Liao Lissoni designed Boffi’s Duemilaotto kitchen and PHW basin collection. For the complete interview, go to www.kbbonline.com/PieroLissoni. 56 + K BB April 2012 / www.kbbonline.com / The Official Sponsor of KBIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com/PieroLissoni http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - April 2012

KBB - April 2012
Contents
Online Contents
Editorial
Show Director's Note
Road to KBIS
Web Savvy
Consumer
Trends
Products
City Smart
Design
Cinderella Story
Education
Ad Index
Last Word

KBB - April 2012