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| MATERIALS
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MATERIALS |
STRAW MARQUETRY
INTERTWINED PATTERNS
This unmistakable finish has become an Armani/Casa signature through
the years. The origins of this technique are very ancient: first traces of straw
marquetry can be found in Far East countries and date back to the Middle
Age. Only after the late XVII century this decoration motif spread in central
Europe, becoming very popular especially in France. During the Art Déco
period, it was used for the for first time to decorate luxury furniture.
The process to obtain this finish is entirely handmade and requires several
steps in which the skill of the artisan is crucial: from the cutting of rye straws
to their flattening, from their glueing to the final polishing, everything must
be carefully done to obtain the breath-taking look typical of this precious
material. Available in different colours and designs, straw marquetry is
also proposed in a lacquered version (Shiny Bronze Straw Marquetry) to
make it suitable for the top of the Nelson dining table; on this product, the
marquetry creates an all-over design.
Crisscross Natural Straw is obtained using a base panel covered by
vertical rye straws, contrasting with the horizontal ones glued to leave
the background visible. The alternance of vertical and horizontal stripes
affects the way light hits the surface, giving back several tones of gold and
brown that change depending on the angle of view. The finish is covered
by a layer of matt transparent paint to make the surface smooth and more
resistant. Like marquetries, this finish requires many hours to be completed:
the straws are carefully glued one by one to create the intricate pattern.
Natural-Black Tatami is a textured material obtained by weaving paper
yarns around a core of resistant cotton strings. The tatami-inspired surface
is marked by a three-dimensional motif, recalling a canneté effect thanks
to the two contrasting colours: these features create a strong link to the
world of fashion and Japanese culture at the same time.
Hazelnut Midollino, with its woven detailing, features a three-dimensional
texture obtained through the traditional artisanal technique of wicker.
SHINY BRONZE STRAW
MARQUETRY
BLACK STRAW
MARQUETRY
CRISSCROSS NATURAL
STRAW
BRONZE STRAW
MARQUETRY
NATURAL-BLACK TATAMI
HAZELNUT MIDOLLINO
HANDMADE /
HAND PAINTED LACQUERS
These lacquers represent the highest level of artisanship and are deeply
linked to art.
Caribbean Lacquer is obtained by applying three layers of different
colours on the same surface: the paint is later removed in specific areas in
order to show the contrasting hues underneath, creating irregular stripes
with blurred borders. The whole process is handmade.
Golden Sea Waves Lacquer, instead, presents golden hand painted
streaks on a shellac ground, recreating a play of reflections on water half
way between the softness of Impressionism and the luster of Art Déco.
Sky Lacquer is entirely hand painted and reinterprets the hues of the Cloud
Studies that the English painter J. Constable (1776-1837) painted as a
tribute to his homeland.
GOLDEN SEA WAVES
LACQUER
CARRIBEAN
LACQUER
SKY
LACQUER
MUD DRAFTED
STUCCO
WHITE GOLD DRAFTED
STUCCO
BLACK DRAFTED
STUCCO
WHITE GOLD STRIPED
STUCCO
RED DRAFTED
STUCCO
STUCCO
This typical wall decoration technique has been reinterpreted by Armani/
Casa with the creation of these precious finishes. The drafted versions,
available in four colours, are obtained by creating an irregular grid on
wet stucco; once dry, the surface is finished with a protective layer of
glossy lacquer.
White Gold Striped Stucco, instead, is the result of the combination of
three different elements: a carved wood panel featuring a striped design
reminding the canneté texture of fabrics, a layer of natural stucco and a
final application of silver leaf.
