Italian Renaissance - Piero Lissoni

Boffi’s creative director Piero Lissoni shares his eclectic vision of design as he unveils a swathe of the company’s latest collections at its refurbished Chelsea showroom

Something’s afoot behind the wide glass windows of Boffi’s Chelsea showroom. Celebrated architect, designer and Boffi’s creative director Piero Lissoni is about to arrive from Milan to unveil the company’s latest kitchen and bathroom concepts, and there’s a frisson of excitement among the guests, most of whom seem to be immaculately dressed in designer black, as if to match the purist furniture on show. Charcoal grey painted walls, monochrome displays and not a speck of pattern in sight add to the high sense of design.

It comes as something of a surprise, therefore, when the great man arrives, casually, but oh-so-stylishly, dressed in jeans and a heather-coloured jacket and scarf. “I feel like a student let out of school,” he says, laughing gently, obviously pleased to be in London.

While the latest collections may focus on cutting-edge design and functionality, Piero is keen to stress the enjoyment to be had from a Boffi kitchen and bathroom. “My philosophy of design is to create a space you want to be in,” he says. “Yes, Boffi is an industrial, high-level product, but it is tailored to each individual.”

Looking around the displays of the new Duemilaotto kitchen and storage system, the On/Off kitchen and the classic Xila range updated for 2009, he’s keen to point out another aspect of his design approach. “Of course the Boffi image and my consciousness is about purity and the minimal, simple and chic aesthetic, but things need to be a little bit shabby too,” he says.  “I like a little bit of imperfection.” 

It means that the Duemilaotto display, for example, features a peninsula of very slightly bent reclaimed solid Alpine acacia wood, which retains the irregular grain and contrasts with the crisply linear Corian and Moonstone island. Boffi Chelsea’s manager, Steven Salt, expands on this point. “I would describe two types of Boffi customer: those who want a super-minimalist look which is very pared down and muted in colour; and the bigger category, those who want a warmer, more comfortable idea of minimalism,” he says. Clean lines are still the name of the game, but blended with natural materials and perhaps textured surfaces or hand-made tiles to create a slightly softer, more easy-to-live-with look. 

It’s this mood that has encouraged Boffi to refresh its showroom with new displays only a year after it first opened. Piero explains that he and his creative team work hard to ensure that Boffi stays ahead. “When somebody copies us, I’m a bit angry, but it’s also the best example of our success,” he says. “We have to keep moving fast – in fact, in our creative room, Roberto Gavazzi, md of Boffi, has a picture of a wild rabbit. Every time we look at this picture, we are reminded that we too have to move fast, not like an elephant which might be big and strong, but is also slow.” 

One of the latest development innovations is the On/Off kitchen, designed by Alberto Colonello, and described by Piero as “a technical disappearing piece”. And disappearing it is: press the touch sensor on its side or flick the remote control and folding doors electronically close. When not in use, kitchen clutter disappears behind sleek doors, when open, it’s a unique working area with domestic devices and appliances ready to roll. “I like the idea of transformation,” says Alberto, “and the idea that the kitchen can be multi-functional and used in different areas of the house or even in an office.”

It’s clear that Boffi’s designers have an individual approach to design – just one pink button stands out among the white ones on the front of Piero’s shirt. “Design can be so serious – I like to include one wrong thing,” he explains.  “I like a bit of humour – can you imagine how we’d survive without it? I design pure spaces with pure kitchens, but inside them I might put a little Japanese Manga figure as a little joke. In the same way, when I dress, I might combine a flea market shirt with a suit from Savile Row – otherwise it’s ridiculous. Everything from Savile Row would be quite vulgar.”