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Fendi’s new apartment in Rome is the epitome of modern-day luxury
The aptly named Fendi Privè apartment, reserved only for the most exclusive clients, is the jewel in the crown of the newly remodelled Palazzo Fendi, the Rome headquarters of the Italian luxury fashion house. Designed by Dimore Studio, it resides on the second floor of the grand five-storey, 17th-century building that now also houses Fendi’s largest store, which spans almost 1,003 square metres; its very first boutique hotel, named the ‘Fendi Private Suites’; and, on the rooftop, a new branch of celebrated Japanese restaurant and bar Zuma.
American Britt Moran and Italian Emiliano Salci of Dimore Studio were personally selected to design the apartment by Fendi CEO Pietro Beccari and Silvia Venturini Fendi, creative director of accessories and menswear, who wanted to ‘add colour’ to the striking stucco-adorned building. Britt and Emiliano’s response to the brief is sublime: elegantly dressed in sage green with accents of Dedar fabric framed by the building’s original detailing, the interior is set off by glinting jewels of Murano glass and brassaccented lighting. ‘ We wanted to preserve and protect the heritage of the apartment, while adding a modern touch,’ the designers say. ‘The metallic accents further embellish the space.’
At the heart of the apartment is a floor-toceiling iron shelving system inset with colourful slices of mirrored glass. ‘ We designed it specifically for Fendi and first presented it at Miami’s design fair in December 2014 as part of a small collection of furnishings. The inspiration for the mirrored glass came from vintage Fendi scarves, folded into triangles.’
Intended to showcase masterpieces of Italian design old and new, the apartment also features scatterings of Venini lights, which are displayed like functional sculptures. Everywhere, design classics are mixed with Dimore Studio’s own custom-made pieces: the brass details, touches of velvet, gold fringing and Fendi mink add to the air of decadence. ‘The aesthetic is luxurious, cosy and intimate,’ say Britt and Emiliano. dimorestudio.eu; fendi.com
‘ We wanted to preserve and protect the heritage of the apartment while adding a modern touch’