DIMORESTUDIO founders Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci reveal how they transformed the interior one of Paris’ historical buildings into an Art Déco haven
Set up in 2003 by Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci, Milanese interior design outfit DIMORESTUDIO has come a long way since making its first ever presentation at Salone del Mobile 13 years ago. In the time that has passed, the duo has worked on numerous private homes, concept stores for Australian skin care brand Aesop, site-specific furniture for the Musée Delacroix, and more recently, the Hotel Saint-Marc in Paris.
Built in 1791, the Hotel Saint-Marc was once the home of the Duke of Choiseul and later the headquarters of Le National newspaper, a title that had a pivotal role in the French Revolution of 1830. In 2013, the hotel was purchased by Nadia Murano and Denis Nourry, who later commissioned DIMORESTUDIO to oversee the refurbishment. Over the course of two years, Moran and Salci overhauled the five-storey building with a distinctive Art Déco-inspired interior, and designed each of the 25 bedrooms to look and feel like private apartments.
Here, we talk to the design duo about reconciling modernity with legacy and tradition, bringing together past and present, and how they create unique and unusual environments.
Where did your working relationship begin?
We met in Milan in 2000. Common friends who knew about our passion for design and interior decoration introduced us, and then we became business partners. Emiliano is in charge of the creative team, whereas I’m involved in the client relations and administration side. For every project, we exchange views and ideas, and work in a complementary way.
Why did you set up DIMORESTUDIO?
We decided to set up DIMORESTUDIO to apply our longtime passion and skills to a work scenario. Our first presentation at Salone del Mobile was a pivotal moment, as the interest generated led to our first commissioned works, for interior projects (for private homes and hospitality) and furniture.
How would you define the DIMORESTUDIO aesthetic?
The trademark style of DIMORESTUDIO’s work is that of a design practice constantly moving between design, art, architecture and fashion. It is a widely recognised vision in that it allows the co-existence of different materials and different periods – a constant dialogue between past and present, tradition and contemporaneity – in order to create and shape a specific atmosphere in every project.
You have a very diverse repertoire. What do you think attracts such a broad range of clients to your practice?
For every space or environment we create, we always try to infuse it with a unique flavour through the use of unusual and unexpected colours, using different materials, and mixing past and present with tradition and contemporaneity. This is what appeals to our clients.
What interested you most about redesigning the interior of Hotel Saint Marc?
It was the fact that the client asked us to preserve the legacy of its history, as well as allowing the co-existence of past and present through the use of iconic objects designed by the masters of design, combined with recovered pieces and new custom-made items.
What were your main influences for this project?
Art Déco with a French touch and a Parisian jazz club with Josephine Baker.
What projects are you working on now?
We’re working on residential projects in New York, London and Vienna, Turin and Florence, and new stores in Paris, Tokyo and London.
Interview by Cécile Fischer
