Waiting room inspo: Inside Studioutte’s cinematic Sala D’Attesa at Milan Design Week

The Milan-based design firm Studioutte unveiled its second collection at Milan Design Week 2024 with a cinematic presentation at its Nolo-district headquarters. Titled ‘Sala D’Attesa’, the exhibition took the form of an imagined waiting room. Set on the ground floor of a conventional residential building, visitors crossed a courtyard filled with plants and bicycles, only to be ushered into a low-lit space that transported them into a captivating chamber where time stood still. Further north at the Rho Fiera, Studioutte presented its first collection with Vietnamese furniture brand Studio Eight.

Sala D’Attesa by Studioutte

‘Sala D’Attesa’ was the second presentation by Guglielmo Giagnotti and Patrizio Gola, who founded Studioutte in 2020 after beginning their career with different firms. Giagnotti spent several years in Antwerp, working for famed Belgian minimalist Vincent Van Duysen, while Gola cut his teeth at Milan's Dimorestudio, designing characteristically lush hospitality, residential and retail projects.

The scenography was a potent mix of both of those sensibilities. Constructed using largely industrial materials, metal frames (typically used to erect drywall) were affixed to the wall and upholstered with matte satin Dedar fabric in oxblood red. Vertical tube lighting was arranged in a rhythmic pattern around the perimeter of the room, casting a yellowish glow on the reflective metal floor and the glossy lacquered furniture. In addition to the furniture in the collection, there were framed artworks and a tiered ceramic vessel bursting with fresh blooms, which created an atmosphere that was equal parts intimate and futuristic.

The collection, meanwhile, was a blend of art deco influences and strict geometric configurations. The ‘Linz’ chair, for instance, is defined by a reduced, square-shaped form and is composed of brilliantly lacquered black plywood. Its silhouette is cleverly mirrored in the ‘Biga’ armchair. However, where the ‘Linz’s thin profile gives way to negative space, the ‘Biga’ is formed of solid blocks of varnished sucupira wood. The ‘Ant’ lounge chair continues with a similar language; set atop four blocky eucalyptus legs, a U-shaped backrest upholstered in a white Dedar linen blend seemingly floats above the low seat. The collection also includes an aluminium table, ‘Timpano’, which features a pyramidal base and a thin square-shaped tabletop.

Studioutte also made its debut at the Salone del Mobile this year, collaborating with Vietnamese furniture brand District Eight. In addition to designing its booth at the Fiera, which resembled a sensuously adorned home rendered in shades of grey, cream and black, the studio created a collection of beautifully wrought wooden furniture. The ‘Limen’ collection comprises a coffee table, a console and a nightstand, which form a dialogue between the traditional codes of Vietnamese woodworking and Studioutte’s Italian-inflected style.

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