< Previous50 RA D A R / D e s ig n Family Values The niece of legendary French-Moroccan decorator Alberto Pinto is adding to his legacy in fi ne style attention to detail was renowned. “Most people are afraid of houses on a grand scale,” he told Architectural Digest in 1992, “but I’ve always been completely at home in them.” His aesthetic was favoured by oligarchs with superyachts and palaces in the Middle East, as well as the most contemporary couturiers in Europe – Hubert de Givenchy was a close friend. He could create the most dramatic, opulent spaces, but always in a refi ned way. Pinto’s eye was well travelled – he hailed originally from Morocco and studied at the Ecole de Louvre in Paris. Much of his work took inspiration from extensive travel in South America and the Far East: one of the most famous books celebrating his work is Orientialism, which explores his obsessions with Asia. “He was always curious,” says Davina. “He knew what all the diff erent kinds of Orientalism were – classic, modern, 15th century … he loved to play with diff erent eras and knew a lot about culture. I remember going to a museum in Istanbul with him and he knew more than the guides. He was a shy man, but incredibly knowledgeable.” Alongside her mother Linda Pinto who heads up the interior design atelier, Davina is well placed to take the family business O ne of the standout pieces of design on show at the most recent PAD events in Paris and London was a dining chair that added a new layer of meaning to ‘painstaking’. The amount of handwork that goes into the new Cottage range of designs by Pinto Paris – with woven coloured straw meticulously wrapped around a frame in perfect symmetry to create a tartan plaid – is astounding. “There is just one woman who creates these for us, in the south of France,” explains Davina Pinto Fdeda, niece of the late interior designer Alberto Pinto, and head of Pinto Paris, which launched as a brand in 2009. “It’s very diffi cult to achieve, because you have to match the lines exactly and it’s immensely technical. It took six trials before we created a single perfect chair. And now, after the craftsperson has made two chairs, she has to take a few days off , because it hurts her hands so much.” The work that goes into everything Pinto Paris produces is impressive, whether it’s straw or elevated marquetry. Which is as it should be. Alberto Pinto, who passed away in 2012, dreamt up some of the grandest interiors of the last 100 years and his FROM LEFT: Davina Pinto Fdeda; The stunning entrance to a family home by Aberto Pinto Interior Design. AD_50-52_Radar Legacy Pinto Paris_10998664.indd 5009/12/2019 01:27:41 PMetr ohomeinteriors.jumbogr oup.it _AD ME-30_DEC 2019_OBERON_.indd 1321/11/2019 11:31:38 AM52 RA D A R / D e s ig n forward. She was immersed in Alberto’s universe for her entire life, remembering watching Gone With the Wind with him as a child in his home cinema (a rarity in the early 1980s) and then hearing his detailed explanation of the history of the American Civil War. She also travelled repeatedly with him. “I wouldn’t say that I can think like him,” she says. “But my eye was trained by him, and there’s always a little voice in my mind guiding me.” Alberto clearly took great delight in being a mentor. “I remember he told me to be ready to leave Paris early one morning,” she recalls, “and he took me to London to see an exhibition of rare coloured diamonds, because he knew I was obsessed with gems. It was so beautiful. We had lunch and then we came back to Paris. All my time with him was important.” The late Pinto’s global outlook continues to inform many of the new designs bearing his surname. Last year the studio created an interior based on Greek materials, entirely in blue and white. This year it launched a series of mirrors that are based on classic Greek shapes, but which have a subtle, modernist 1950s, style to them. “Antiques often spark the inspiration,” says Davina, “but we make things modern so they can suit any kind of interior. And because we make everything to order, we can change the size and scale of things to create a diff erent sensation in a room.” It was the physical experience of design that shaped Alberto Pinto’s vision most. He loved comfort as well as grandeur. Tableware is one of the most popular parts of the range and the ceramics are a paradigm of Pinto – big, bold and beautiful. “He liked generosity in his interiors,” says Davina. “He always felt that a sofa must be comfortable, and that a plate should be generous. Every aspect of design must be an invitation to make you feel at home.” At PAD in London, one whole wall of the Pinto installation was devoted to ceramics, “but we don’t sell them for decoration,” explains Davina. “They are sold very much to use.” These are objects for the ultimate dinner party. They also represented a great way for Pinto to explore his love of graphics from around the world – from Commedia Dell’ Arte in Italy to fi gurative cartoons from China and tribal feather arrangements from South America. It can be diffi cult to pin down the Pinto aesthetic. There isn’t particularly a common denominator, apart from the luxury of the materials and construction. And even then, the mix of low-fi materials – like straw – with rarefi ed ones throws a stylistic curveball. Alberto created a whole interior once from the same relatively cheap striped linens use for tea-towels in French kitchens. He was a visionary. “You might say the work is opulent, or antique style,” says Davina, “but actually when you look back over everything he did, his interiors were also incredibly modern.” The company currently runs on instinct: “I can’t tell you really what our DNA is,” explains Davina, “but we all worked with Alberto for so many years that when we create a new piece, we can all tell if ‘it’s Pinto’ or not. There’s never a debate. We just feel it.” pintoparis.com – MARK C . O ’ FLAHER TY “We can tell if a new piece is ‘Pinto’ or not. There’s no debate – we just feel it” FINE LINES Cottage chair Rift side table Tatou side tables Zanni side table Morena lamp A lavish Orientalist bathroom by Aberto Pinto Interior Design. TOP RIGHT: the late Alberto Pinto. AD_50-52_Radar Legacy Pinto Paris_10998664.indd 5209/12/2019 01:28:04 PM_AD ME-30_DEC 2019_OBERON_.indd 1721/11/2019 11:32:04 AMRA D A R / In s id e S to ry 54 Bosnian furniture firm Zanat makes modern, sustainable designs using a time-honoured chiselling technique HAMMER TIME AD_54-55_RADAR_Inside Story Zanat_10897513.indd 5409/12/2019 01:43:08 PMC ontemporary Bosnian design brand Zanat was offi cially launched in 2015, but its roots spread far deeper into the past; the founders’ forebears were making furniture well over a century ago, and the craft has been passed down through four generations. “Our great grandfather, Gano, stumbled upon an ancient hand-carving technique that originated from a small village close to our hometown of Konjic [ just south of Sarajevo on the Neretva River],” says Orhan Niksic, cofounder of Zanat. “He was a hobbyist who mastered the technique and then improved upon it.” Gano’s son Salih opened a wood-carving business in 1919 and trained his three younger brothers. Adem, the most entrepreneurial, took the helm eight years later and used the distinctive technique to make high-end furniture, building up a buoyant export business. Others followed his example and several fi ne furniture workshops opened in Konjic, producing carved furniture and decorative objects in local hardwoods. The unique carving and furniture style has become known as the ‘Bosnian Konjic style’ and is currently in the process of being added to the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage List. Unfortunately, World War II and the subsequent advent of socialism in Yugoslavia forced virtually all the woodcarvers in Konjic to close their businesses. Although it was extremely diffi cult to run a private business in the post-war years, Adem’s sons Mukerem and Besim reopened the company in the 1950s and ran it until Yugoslavia was torn apart by civil wars in the Nineties. After the Bosnian War ended in 1995, Besim relaunched under the name of Rukotvorine with the help of his sons Adem and Orhan, who developed a new vision for the company, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern design. Based on his experience in international development as a senior economist with the World Bank, Orhan wanted to use his family’s business as a vehicle to help create jobs and boost the economy. Now, the company is creating skilled jobs in Bosnia (which has one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe) and turning the international spotlight on the country by collaborating with notable designers from the Balkans, Scandinavia and the UK, including Ilse Crawford. “The furniture produced by our grandfather could be found in the homes and offi ces of aristocrats and elites in Central Europe,” says Orhan. “Today, we sell throughout Europe, the US and the Middle East.” Zanat uses sustainably harvested wood from local suppliers to make its products. “We know that Bosnia’s abundant forests must be well-managed if succeeding generations are to enjoy both their bounty and their beauty,” adds Orhan. Better still, the company is committed to achieving a carbon neutral footprint through product longevity, zero wood waste, and reforestation and conservation: “While the designs and the scale of the company will continue to evolve, our values won’t. When you buy a piece from Zanat, you should feel secure that you aren’t only improving your home, you are improving our world.” Zanat.org – MOHAMMED A Y A Z CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Adem Niksic at the Belgrade Furniture Fair in 1937; Nera table; Unna chairs; Zanat’s craftsmen at work; Wave sideboard. OPPOSITE PAGE: Nera bowls. “Our great grandfather stumbled upon an ancient hand-carving technique” AD_54-55_RADAR_Inside Story Zanat_10897513.indd 5509/12/2019 01:43:18 PM56 RA D A R / A t H o m e w it h Port of Call Beguiled by the charms of Tangier, decorator Nicolò Castellini Baldissera decided to make a colourful home in the white-walled city P erched between Africa and Europe, the Moroccan port of Tangier has long been a magnet for bohemians seeking a sunny refuge. It has attracted generations of writers, artists and designers, including Henri Matisse and Yves Saint Laurent. The interior designer Nicolò Castellini Baldissera decided to live in Tangier after being asked to scout a property for a client. “In the end, I ended up buying a house and they didn’t,” he says jovially. “I guess I just fell in love with something about the city.” His richly layered, hot pink– and peacock blue–walled home mixes local style with disparate global infl uences, and is capped by a pool terrace with sweeping sea views. The Italian designer’s latest project was documenting the homes of fellow creatives in the city in an evocative new book Inside Tangier: Houses & Gardens (Vendome Press). AD_56-58_Radar_At home with_Nicolo Castellini_11006372.indd 5609/12/2019 01:45:00 PMWhat’s the best part of living in the city? Tangier has a very unique geography and sits between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The hills provide beautiful vistas, and the year-round breeze keeps the air cool, even in the dead of August. What was your home like when you moved in? It was a ruin – the salon had been divided into fi ve bedrooms – so it was basically rebuilt from the inside out. We added a pool on the roof, which required 24 steel-and-cement columns. We also put in an elevator and switched the way the stairs go. Except for the art deco facade, everything has been reworked. How would you describe your decorating style? I layer in colour, antiques, contemporary furniture and fabric. I am not interested in the minimalist goal of seeking decoration in a lack of “A home should be comfortable and have some element of fantasy” P H O T O G R A P H S : M A R K L U S C O M B E -W H Y T E A N D G U ID O T A R O N I objects, colour and texture. A home should be comfortable and have an element of fantasy. What’s your approach to using pattern? In Morocco, I have fallen in love with the wide variety of antique embroidery; each city has its own look, colour and even material. But pattern can also be created with paint. A simple stripe is so classically Italian and is something anyone can incorporate into a communal space to make it stand out. Where in your home are you happiest and why? My bedroom. The walls are painted in my favourite colour: peacock blue. I also love the bed frame, which I purchased in Tangier from Jerry and Meryl Butler, and the little terrace from which I can see parrots in the palms and hear doves cooing in the grape vines. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Castellini Baldissera in the striped green terrace; the rooftop swimming pool; the peacock blue master bedroom. OPPOSITE PAGE FROM LEFT: The lush walled garden; a view into the book-lined dining room AD_56-58_Radar_At home with_Nicolo Castellini_11006372.indd 5709/12/2019 01:45:20 PM58 RA D A R / A t H o m e w it h Your most prized possession? The plants in my garden. I worked with my friend, the garden designer Umberto Pasti, on the layout. I spend a lot of time pruning, training and watching them grow. Your biggest home extravagance? A rooftop pool with a view of the bay of Tangier. Fondest memory of home? The day the three palms in the front arrived from Marrakech. I invited a few friends over and we all watched as they were hoisted into place with a crane. If the walls could talk, what would they say? In Tangier they tend to say “Have fun!” nicolocastellini- baldissera.com GET THE LOOK Mamounia Sky rug, Martyn Lawrence Bullard for the Rug Company therugcompany.com Baku blush cushion, Kushaan kushaan.co Sole mirror by Offi cina Ciani artemest. com Calabash table lamp, Oka oka.com CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM: The Georgian green hallway; the zingy pink drawing room; a view to the garden. AD_56-58_Radar_At home with_Nicolo Castellini_11006372.indd 5809/12/2019 01:45:48 PMYOUR PREMIER DIGITAL DESTINATION FOR INTERIORS, STYLE AND DESIGN ADMiddleEast . com @ADMIDDLEEASTNext >