Inside Studio Irvine in Milan: Marialaura Irvine on relocating and her quietly dynamic designs

Studio Irvine's recent relocation to a historic 20th century Liberty-style building on Milan’s Via della Moscova has marked a new pivotal chapter in its journey. The studio’s founder, the late James Irvine, who passed away in 2013, and his wife, designer Marialaura Irvine, once lived on this street, and the allure of this stately red-brick block, opposite Giovanni Muzio’s majestic Ca’ Brutta, had left an indelible mark on the couple.

Inside Milan's Studio Irvine

‘Rediscovering and reconstructing the building’s history proved to be a fascinating endeavour,’ says Irvine. ‘Setting up the studio here allowed me to fulfil a long-held dream. I delved into the details, embracing colours and making them become my colours.’ On the ground floor, the studio seamlessly integrates various architectural forms, including the tympanum, circle and square. On the first floor, above the studio, Irvine has crafted her own private sanctuary, a residence that integrates her professional and personal worlds. This space, where she lives with her two sons, has offered up a canvas for her radical design philosophy, allowing her to tell stories and translate her professional ethos into a unique retreat.

Over the past decade, Irvine, who is originally from Naples, has served as the dynamic creative force propelling Studio Irvine forward. Throughout this period, she has demonstrated a steadfast dedication to innovation while honouring the legacy of her late husband. Her thoughtful design approach eschews a rigid adherence to specific styles, and is grounded in a cross-disciplinary philosophy, meticulous research and a deep understanding of design history. 

Irvine’s latest work, which will be unveiled during Salone del Mobile 2024, is the embodiment of her design ethos, and she describes it as ‘a whispered dialogue between objects, surfaces, space and light’. ‘The value of whispering instead of shouting lies in generating projects that are in harmony with each other,’ she explains. ‘Not defining a style but a personality capable of expressing its own value. Creating bold forms, soft colours, endless stories, so that a project can be defined by its user.’

Four years ago, Irvine initiated a transformation of her practice, leaning towards material investigation over client-centric considerations. This evolution has propelled projects that challenge norms and embrace alternative design processes. A noteworthy example is her collaboration with Konstantin Grcic on the quietly elegant ‘Paf Paf’ chair for Mattiazzi. The piece marked the Italian furniture company’s inaugural journey into upholstered furniture, a departure from its portfolio of wooden designs. The chair consisted of an ash or walnut frame adorned with two cushions made from recycled down rather than the more conventional polyurethane. The design facilitates the rotation of the cushions with two plugs, injecting a dynamic element into the structure. Drawing inspiration from the familiar act of adjusting a pillow in the morning (hence the ‘paf paf’ sound), the idea aims to convey simplicity and ease in design. 

Irvine’s research emphasises mono-materiality; she is always ‘in search of a synthesis that, following an industrial approach, reduces material waste. Materials are to be used in a structural sense, and not be merely decorative.’ As if to prove that, at this year’s Salone del Mobile, Studio Irvine will debut a diverse range of projects. Handmade wallcoverings company Fabscarte will release two new designs: ‘Licheni’, inspired by moulds and lichens with evolving landscapes and layered elements creating a three-dimensional effect; and ‘Postgarden’, an unfinished garden that allows additional elements to be added by the user. 

With MDF Italia, the studio has created the ‘Stadium’ table, its juxtaposition of metal legs with a textured glass top challenging the company’s conventions. Other projects include a powder paint collection, SkinClay, for Matteo Brioni, which is defined by natural colours and pays homage to great women in 20th century art and design, from Charlotte Perriand and Georgia O’Keeffe to Lina Bo Bardi. And there is a collaboration with Italian concrete specialist Forma & Cemento in which she blends shapes, colours and textures to redefine two-dimensional surfaces. 

‘My mission is to improve design and its entire process, starting from the material and involving all stages, from production and communication to product strategy,’ says Irvine, whose skilful integration of tradition with modernity, innovation with sustainability, and simplicity with depth, positions her as a trailblazer in the realm of design. Through each project, she invites viewers to take part in nuanced discourse among objects and life, leaving an enduring mark on the contemporary creative landscape.

studio-irvine.com

A version of this article appears in the April 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today