One to Watch: Family Project’s ‘furniture friends’ are elegant and humorous with lasting emotional value

‘I think I probably began developing a subconscious interest in design early on as a child, spending time in my grandparents’ home and witnessing – perhaps without realising it – how design could transform functional solutions and practical needs into something more,’ says Francesco Paini, the founder of London-based design practice Family Project.

‘I became fascinated by how a domestic need could be met while also doing much more for the space it inhabits and the people it serves.’ By ‘much more’, the Italian-British designer refers to how a well-designed object can enhance the experience of a simple action, elevate its surroundings, and create lasting memories of everyday moments. He tells Wallpaper*, ‘I think this early exposure was one of the main catalysts that led me to pursue a career in architecture and design.’

Get to know Francesco Paini of Family Project

The young design studio was founded by Paini in 2021, with the purpose of creating furniture that offers an emotional connection between objects and their users. After graduating from the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, in Switzerland, Paini went on to train in Basel, and has since practised at a number of internationally acclaimed firms.

However, it was a drawing by Romanian-American artist Saul Steinberg that sparked the idea for Paini to branch off and start Family Project. ‘[The drawing was] a simple, playful piece showing four rectilinear figures embracing around a beloved pet. Something about it made me reflect more deeply on family and relationships,’ he says. ‘At that time, I had been living abroad for several years, far from my loved ones, and was navigating the ups and downs of maintaining long-distance bonds while forming new connections.

‘Being in a culturally diverse environment like London, I began to see and appreciate how the concept of family is incredibly multifaceted, varying greatly across cultures and different stages of life. I came to realise that family means so many different things… I felt there was something powerful in exploring the idea of this, and relationships in general, but I wanted to approach it in a way that wasn’t overly sentimental. Instead, I was drawn to a more elegant, sophisticated, and playful exploration –one that included a touch of humour.’

This outlook, or as Paini calls it ‘portraiture through furniture’, resulted in his debut ‘Pino Collection', a series of pine cabinets adaptable for any interior composition, showcasing modular framework.

Expanding on this concept, Family Project now presents an abstracted iteration titled the ‘Noce Collection'. A rich, deeply polished walnut finish forms the foundation, touched with crisp joinery on spans of wooden folding screens designed to break up spaces. A collection that will be released in 2025 titled 'Artistica' involves colour-blocked screens with angular and geometric prints.

What unites all collections, and is fluid throughout Paini’s work, is his playful charm that merges with each object’s multipurpose functionality. He tells us, ‘This description of my work feels spot on. I’ve noticed that this aspect is resonating with more people, and I’m quite happy about it because, in a way, it’s an extension of my own personality. It’s something I’ve realised I struggled to express fully until recently, and Family Project has been instrumental in helping me convey it more clearly. Through my pieces, I try to express a personality that feels both elegant and humorous. I’m drawn to balancing simplicity with complexity, with a touch that is at the same time playful and sophisticated.’

This colloquial approach has resulted in Paini's ‘furniture friends’, which were inspired by a chapter in Guy de Maupassant’s novel Une Vie. ‘The main character, Jeanne, is preparing to move out from the castle she has lived in for most of her life to a smaller, humbler home, and must decide which furniture pieces to take with her. Though she had known for some time that she would have to leave, it was only during this selection process that she felt a sudden and profound sense of worry.’

Paini continues, ‘As she roamed from room to room, she became almost compulsive in her search for the furniture pieces that had become intertwined with her memories – those that had been with her through both the joyful and the difficult times, ageing alongside her. These were the pieces she recognised as “furniture friends”.’

The relationship this character had with her furniture is the connection Paini seeks to establish between his designs and their users. ‘It’s no longer just an object; it’s something that evokes emotions, reminds us of experiences, and feels like it belongs… By carefully refining shapes and proportions, and drawing on the abstraction of the human body form, I seek to infuse each piece with the character and personality that I believe are fundamental to this project.

‘My process relies on a stripped-back palette of essential “design moves”, allowing me to strike a balance between elegance and friendliness with consistent clarity across the different products and collections. I think this approach ensures Family Project pieces are visually engaging without dominating a space – an aspect that remains central to my work.’

His work can be placed in many diverse settings from Victorian homes in London to converted industrial interiors, modernist apartments, and Renaissance-era historic dwellings in Italy, showcasing the adaptable nature of his designs, all while retaining the core character.

‘I’ve always favoured a lighthearted, approachable style because I tend to dislike when things – or people – take themselves too seriously… Working with the abstraction of the human body adds another layer of personality to my pieces, placing them in a realm that isn’t strictly traditional furniture. I like to think of them as “furniture friends”, a notion that’s quite central to my work and one I often return to. Can furniture be friends? I think so!’

The Noce Collection is available to order via familyproject.co.uk