Contemporary-leaning Houstonians who share a keen appreciation for heritage craftsmanship and a need for speed now have something fresh to covet. The ink on the bill of lading is barely dry, yet the hotly-anticipated Giorgetti | Maserati collection has already pulled in to BeDESIGN.
The collection — which premiered at Giorgetti’s flagship showroom in Via della Spiga, Milan, last April — combines the objectively-titillating aesthetics of two classic Italian design houses. As expected, the collaboration has resulted in a collection where precious woods, natural leathers, exclusive fabrics, metals, and lacquers with automotive finishes dialogue in a perfect balance. It is, in a word, alluring.
“The collaboration began with the recognition that Giorgetti and Maserati share a culture of Italian design and making, but have developed that culture in very different worlds. That difference is what made the collaboration interesting,” CEO of Giorgetti USA Rami Riad tells CultureMap. “Klaus Busse, Maserati’s Head of Design, and Giancarlo Bosio, Giorgetti’s Creative Director, brought their teams together not simply to exchange aesthetics, but to exchange ways of thinking. Maserati understands movement, performance, and the relationship between a person and a machine. Giorgetti understands the body in another context — how we sit, touch, inhabit a space, and experience materials over time. You can see that exchange moving in both directions.”
What’s more, the collection introduces playful pieces not particularly common among ultra-luxury lines, something that historically-casual Houstonians will appreciate. There is “Nereo,” a chic foosball table with sleek lines and a slight profile; an accent-table-scaled speaker named “Sibilia;” and “Thalina,” a cozy cashmere and wool blend travel set composed of a rolling blanket with leather strap and a memory foam pillow. More traditional furnishings are, of course, a mainstay of the collection. As a nod to the Maserati tradition of finding inspiration from famous winds, the names of pieces in the Giorgetti | Maserati collection are inspired by legendary water nymphs — quite the splash.
“Maserati’s sense of movement and performance informed the furniture collection, while Giorgetti brought the warmth, tactility, and comfort of the home into a bespoke Maserati Grecale,” explains Riad. “For me, that is the most compelling part of the project. It isn’t simply Giorgetti interpreted by Maserati or Maserati interpreted by Giorgetti. Each company was asked to see what it knows best through the expertise of the other. The result belongs to the space between them.”
Giorgetti is no stranger to Houston; designers and architects have always had an eye for the brand amongst clients who share their luxury Italian sensibilities. What’s new is the opportunity for young designers and casual shoppers to go out and discover Giorgetti in the wild.
“Houston has a sophisticated architecture and design community, and Giorgetti is already known here. What excites me about this new chapter is the opportunity to let designers experience much more of our world,” says Riad. "Giorgetti began in Brianza in 1898 as a cabinetmaking workshop, and that knowledge of making remains fundamental to who we are. But we have never understood heritage as something that should remain unchanged. It gives us a foundation from which to experiment — with materials, technology, engineering, and new ways of living.”
Unlike many Italian furniture manufacturers, Giorgetti is positioned to offer a true 360° design experience. Kitchens, closets, offices, partitions, furniture, objets, and every other aspect of home furnishings and design fall within the purview of what Giorgetti can achieve within the home, even in a more classic style if the design brief calls for it.
“For architects and designers, that creates freedom. Giorgetti has a strong identity, but it doesn’t prescribe a single look,” explains Riad. “Our pieces can enter very different architectural languages and become part of highly-individual interiors. I want designers to see the Houston showroom not simply as a place to select furniture, but as a resource: somewhere to experience materials, discover possibilities, test ideas, and work with us to make a project more particular.”
For those familiar with the comings-and-goings of contemporary design showrooms in Houston, the decision to collaborate with BeDESIGN will seem like the natural choice for Giorgetti. Currently the longest-standing showroom in the city, BeDESIGN and owners Adrian Dueñas and partner Marcelo Saenz have made themselves pillars of the design community.
“For me, the right partnership always starts with the people. Adrian and the BeDESIGN team have a close relationship with Houston’s design community, and we share a belief in quality, knowledge, and a very personal way of working with designers and clients,” says Riad. “Giorgetti is a company that really has to be experienced. A photograph can show you the form, but not the way a chair holds you, the feeling of the wood under your hand, or the precision of a detail. These are things you understand through encounter. BeDESIGN gives us not only the right setting, but people who understand how to communicate that experience and bring it into dialogue with a designer’s own vision. That made the partnership feel very natural.”
With a client roster spanning everyone from famous designers and professional athletes to walk-in design enthusiasts, the range of items found throughout the massive 22,000-square-foot, indoor/outdoor showroom in Montrose allows for a one-stop-shopping experience that is truly singular.
“BeDESIGN is the standard. The showroom is not simply a place to just display design — it’s where a design begins,” explains Riad. “It’s where you take a wife, or husband, or children to build their home. So, it’s really important and we are proud to take this step with them.”
Adrian Dueñas, CEO of BeDESIGN, couldn’t agree more. The addition of Giorgetti — and their collaboration with Maserati — to the showroom is something Dueñas is sure will excite Houstonians. “People compare these lines to fashion. They know what Hermes is, they know Valentino, Prada — in the industry of furniture people don’t. It is evolving, but not everyone knows certain brands. Giorgetti for some reason is a name that Houstonians know; it clicks specifically with the city of Houston. That’s one of the most remarkable things. They may not know all of the brands that we have here, but mention Giorgetti and suddenly you have their ear.”
Photo by Shannon O'Hara Photography
Shop rugs and furniture designed by Klaus Busse of Maserati and Giancarlo Bosio of Giorgetti.
