Made in Italy: Dolce & Gabbana and Smeg launch collection of hand-painted fridges

It may seem the most unlikely of unions, but Dolce & Gabbana and Smeg’s new project – unveiled at this year’s Salone del Mobile – felt strangely harmonious. The Italian powerhouses have collaborated on a bespoke collection of limited-edition, individually hand-painted ‘FAB28’ refrigerators, each one forming a canvas on which Sicilian artists have conjured elaborate scenes.
The refrigerators are embellished with traditional, provincial emblems, such as lemons, the trinacria flag, carts, medieval knights and battle scenes, and finished off with elaborate floral motifs. Contributing artists include Salvatore Sapienza, who has been restoring and decorating Sicilian carts since he was a teenager, and today works from a fruit shop he took over from his grandfather.
Other artisans include mother-and-daughter duo Adriana Zambonelli and Tiziana Nicosia, whose creations from their artisan workshop in Catania have been displayed across the globe; as well as brothers Antonio and Giuseppe Bevilacqua; and artists Biagio Castilletti and Damiano Rotella, who have been working together for over a decade.
There’s very much a sense of kinship befitting of the family-run Smeg imbued in these one-off pieces, which stake a claim to be artworks in their own right. Many painstaking hours of work have been poured into each fridge, and each one features an individual and unique painting – with a price tag to match.
It may seem like the most unlikely of unions, but the new project – unveiled at this year’s Salone del Mobile – felt strangely harmonious
Each fridge forms a canvas on which Sicilian artists have conjured elaborate scenes
The refrigerators are embellished with traditional, provincial emblems, such as lemons, the trinacria flag, carts, medieval knights and battle scenes, finished off with elaborate floral motifs
Up to 240 painstaking hours of work have been poured into each fridge, and each one features an individual and unique painting, with a price tag to match
INFORMATION
’FAB28’ collection by Dolce & Gabbana and Smeg, price on request. For more information, visit Smeg’s website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Extreme Cashmere reimagines retail with its new Amsterdam store: ‘You want to take your shoes off and stay’
Wallpaper* takes a tour of Extreme Cashmere’s new Amsterdam store, a space which reflects the label’s famed hospitality and unconventional approach to knitwear
By Jack Moss
-
Titanium watches are strong, light and enduring: here are some of the best
Brands including Bremont, Christopher Ward and Grand Seiko are exploring the possibilities of titanium watches
By Chris Hall
-
Warp Records announces its first event in over a decade at the Barbican
‘A Warp Happening,' landing 14 June, is guaranteed to be an epic day out
By Tianna Williams
-
Eight designers to know from Rossana Orlandi Gallery’s Milan Design Week 2025 exhibition
Wallpaper’s highlights from the mega-exhibition at Rossana Orlandi Gallery include some of the most compelling names in design today
By Anna Solomon
-
Bentley’s new home collections bring the ‘potency’ of its cars to Milan Design Week
New furniture, accessories and picnic pieces from Bentley Home take cues from the bold lines and smooth curves of Bentley Motors
By Anna Solomon
-
StoneX partners with Wallpaper* for material alchemy at Milan Design Week and beyond
The natural stone purveyor teams up with Wallpaper* for a three-year partnership of material adventures, starting with an exhibition at Triennale di Milano
By Simon Mills
-
David Rockwell’s Milan Design Week presentation is a love letter to cork
Rockwell Group’s Casa Cork installation showcases this under-appreciated material, which is infinitely recyclable and sequesters carbon for decades
By Anna Solomon
-
Emerging galleries to discover during Milan Design Week
Wallpaper’s Milan editor has the inside track on the younger design galleries coming to town
By Laura May Todd
-
Buccellati brings the forest and Furry Animals to Milan Design Week
The jewellery and silverware maison falls back on tradition for its Milan showcase, presenting its now-emblematic collection of intricately crafted creatures
By Laura May Todd
-
Where next for Salone del Mobile? Maria Porro on the future of the world’s biggest furniture fair
Ahead of Salone del Mobile 2025 in Milan, we sit down with its president to talk design, data and forging the event’s future in a fast-changing world
By Hugo Macdonald
-
What to see at Milan Design Week 2025
A guide to some of the events the Wallpaper* team is checking out at Milan Design Week (7–13 April) – from public installations and major launches to standout venues and must-see exhibitions
By Hugo Macdonald