How would you design the interior of a house? Materials? Furniture? Design? No, sir: talking to who’s supposed to live there.

New York Interiors by Ermes Ponti

Whoever works in the interior designer industry, like us, can choose different approached to a new project.

She can choose to go the famous-design-object way.

She can choose to design and manufacture bespoke furniture.

Or else, all this can be left aside, to sit down and talk.

Talk and understand. Not only the residents’ needs, but also their taste.

Look around. Try to get the feeling.

Find the aesthetic and functional solutions for that specific person.

It may seem trivial, but almost everythng we see around is designed and manufactured with different criteria, often standard.

Something taking no account of the people who actually will leave in that space.

Take for example the house of an American writer, on 5th Avenue in New York, a project carried out thanks to the network Design-Apart of which we are partner (the project of “living showroom” head office of D-A on the 23rd is our work too – case history here).

It’s a flat with significantly particular tastes – far from our own, to be honest – but by no means despicable, of course.

Bright colours, ethnic flavor, different materials: many objects from all over the world, mixed together, for an environment with a defined personality, expression of the eclectic tastes of the hostess.

The project was born spontaneously as a reinterpretation of her own tastes, of pre-existing structures and its contenitive and functional requirements.

We have selected for her just a few samples, the ones you see in the picture:

Sample 1: a rare sycamore frisè shellac lacquered (natural gloss finish) with an hot orange-red colour, with an almost exotic flavor, suited to her ethnic taste

Sample 2: a very light – almost iridescent- sycamore grooved (flute), reminiscence of the Parisian decorations of the thirties of our colleague J-E. Rulhmann.

Sample 3: stone gray Sahara (on the top) suggested by the colour of the kitchen’s floor

New York Interiors by Ermes Ponti

The writer was thrilled to recognize herself in the choice of her designers, who came from Italy to propose her a kitchen retrieving the design of her beloved column.

She appreciated the selection of mixed colours and materials so consistent with her tastes and with the essences, materials and objects of art of her apartment.

Now she can say to have an apartment unique in the world; her best portrait! Finally!

NY Residential interiors by ermes ponti

Sounds easy enough, right?

Not so, appearently.

Each time is a surprise for us to find that very, very few work truly consider the real needs and tastes of customers.

A method that – if applied by the principle, from the beginning of the project – combines the advantage of a “tailored” job to the pleasure of a unique solution in the world, even for a house of two rooms.

New York Interiors by Ermes Ponti

[Photo gallery + video] The new Corneliani’s extension in via Montenapoleone, Milan

How did you spent your summer holidays? Seaside or mountains? We chose Milan, Via Montenapoleone. We only had month to do all the site works – furnishings included – for the opening of the new additional wing of the Corneliani’s boutique in Milan fashion high street (btw, the PoddaPontiArchitetti Studio mentioned on Corneliani’s website is… us: an architect firm within a handicraft workshop). 1-foto iniziale During the last week of July we gradually removed the fittings and demolished the wall to open and enlarge the ground floor space on the right side of the entrance. We did a thorough survey and started the furniture production. In the meanwhile, we organized the works on site from floor to ceilings, from lighting to plants. On August 22nd everything was ready to start the installation of our furnishing.

You’d never guess how difficult it can be to work together – bricklayers, plumbers, electricians and carpenters – in such a small room… But as we accepted the project, we knew perfectly how things should have been done.

panoramica alberto scala Despite all the problems of the site – including the problematic height of the stairs – we  were finally able to fit everything in a perfect way. All the cables behind the wall panelings, the air conditioning diffusers perfectly aligned with the ceilings and the furniture, impressive handmade wooden details on the new brand wall… dettaglio

Have you seen the brand wall, do you recognize it ? We designed this pattern for the first time for the facade of the Corneliani flagship in Shanghai reinventing it from the famous Mantegna‘s fresco of the “Camera degli Sposi” at Palazzo Ducale in Mantua.

After that, Corneliani decided to use it in his next winter collection and soon it became the new Corneliani brand pattern, also for the strong bond with the cultural heritage of Mantua, where the company is located. In Milan, you can find the brand wall in front of the entrance doors. It is built by backlit ebony circles and iron bracelets fixed on a chessboard of leather panels decorated by special drawstrings sewed on its backside (produced by our friend Berto Salotti in record time for us!). Please take a look at the impressive details of the ebony frame junction: we must thank our master carpenter Alberto for making them with such a loving care! brand wall The opening day was scheduled for the first week of September, but we were ready almost a week ahead! The Corneliani Creative Director – Mr. Sergio Corneliani in person – opened the doors of his renovated Montenapoleone store on Monday September 1st and, while doing so, was perfectly aware about the key figure to credit for such a perfect job: his trustworthy architect Paolo Ponti! foto finale

[Video] Three questions to Barbara Santoro, co-author of “Italian Factor”

Barbara SantoroWe had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Santoro a few weeks ago in Rome, at the presentation of the book co-authored with Francesco Morace, “Italian Factor – How to multiply the value of a country”.

While we have been following, with great interest, the work of Francesco Morace for many years, meeting Barbara Santoro was a revelation and a pleasure both for her entrepreneurial passion and  her talent for communication.

We asked her to answer a few questions for our blog.

ermes ponti – I understand that the book Italian Factor, co-authored with Francesco Morace, was your idea, “ a sudden intuition” as you put it.  Can you tell us what inspired you?

Barbara Santoro – – Like all apparently “sudden” intuitions this too was the fruit of a complex series of different events, personal and professional experiences and reflections.

The most significant of these goes way back to when I was seven, when my family and I emigrated to Canada.

The moment the Leonardo Da Vinci  left the port of Genoa, I became profoundly aware of being Italian, and when I finally set foot in Vancouver, I understood what it meant to be a foreigner.

The first few years were tough; I learned the language quickly enough, but there were more profound issues:  back then, being Italian was seen with diffidence and prejudice.

In the span of only a few years however, thanks to the talent, the courage and the entrepreneurial spirit of my fellow Italians, everything changed:  being Italian became something to be proud of and everything that was Italian, tasty, tasteful and masterfully crafted became extremely desirable.

I came  back to Italy many  years ago, and in my work with Italian businesspeople,  managers and professionals in every field, on the development of their international communication skills , I realized  just how precious my intercultural experience had been.  Because I learned, without a doubt, that each one of us, besides our individual talent, education and determination, can count on the added value of a brand which is universally recognized and positioned as the third most important in the world:  Made in Italy.

Because  the sheer fact that WE are Made in Italy means we can count on an extraordinary competitive advantage.

The question is: how can we leverage this heritage?

A year ago, or so, I was working with an entrepreneur who in a few days was going to have to take part in an international press conference, in Brazil, in English, for the inauguration of his project.

He was in a state of panic not because his English wasn’t adequate but because he didn’t know how to describe what he did in a few, effective words.  When I asked him the question he said: “it’ll take at least a couple of days”.

After a torrent of words I understood that his company “italianizes” huge construction projects in the world.  Simply put, they complete office buildings, hospitals, shopping centers, and hotels with finishings, flooring, fixtures, furnishings and art, strictly Made in Italy.  The result is, that without incrementing expenditures, and  staying within the original budget,  market value  and sales are increased by 30%.

The challenge was: how to tell the story not just effectively but with marketing flair?  How to condense genius, beauty, artistry, innovation, tradition, culture and the know-how of a family, a business a regional territory and a country?

I suddenly realized that the sum total of all these typically Italian attributes constituted in fact a business development “factor”, a multiplier of value, that could be expressed in three words:  The Italian Factor!

italian factorep – Let’s start from “The missing ingredient”… you mentioned it in your presentation  at the Chamber of Deputies in Rome.  What do you think it is?  And what is the recipe?  And finally, who do you think can benefit the most from it?

BS – Every company is unique; the specific ingredients may vary, but the recipe is the same in every case:

For every company or value offering we need to

1) recognize the value and uniqueness of what we have to offer (The Italian Factor);

2) acquire with humility and determination that which know and aknowledge is missing or weak;

3) study, study, and keep studying  the market, the competition, the trends and the best practices of the major players;

4) enter the International arena armed with the most appropriate and effective marketing and communication tools possible.

We  must use the language and the tools of communication (brand identity, country of origin heritage, narrative and storytelling) and marketing (relations-based and  cultural)  using the media channels appropriately: web-based, social and interpersonal.

In my experience with Italian companies, the “missing ingredient”  lies almost always in the ability to communicate and promote the unique value proposition with confidence, and absolute effectiveness not only in Italian but most importantly in English, the language of International marketing.

This, I believe is one of the most important ingredients, which combined with the distinctive qualities summarized in the “Italian Factor”, can give the necessary propulsive energy to people, enterprises and to our Italian economy.

ep  – You repeatedly stressed the importance of self-branding as essential for Italian companies:  where would you begin?  And which, would you say, are some of the best practices to emulate?

BS– I stress the point because the talent and creative originality of our “cultural heritage” is uniquely ours; it cannot be acquired or imitated, whereas the techniques and strategies of International marketing and communication can and must be learned.

To underestimate the importance of this often means handing over, on a silver platter, our brands and our excellence to foreign groups who know how to leverage, enhance and promote our distinctive quality characteristics  and cultural value summarized in “The Italian Factor”.

Best practices?

There are many among the brands which are fortunately still Italian-owned:  Prada, Tod’s, Cucinelli, Ferragamo, to name just a few.

But among those acquired and repositioned by International groups we have historic brands such as Poltrona Frau, Gucci, Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Cova and Acqua di Parma.

The list is long, painful to read,  and it cries out for serious reflection.

There may be any number of negative factors which can critically affect the life of a business: from inter-generational transition to the hair-raising evolution of new technologies, to the sudden challenges of socio-demographic changes and the threats of International competition from emerging markets.

But the same factors, if faced with entrepreneurial passion, creativity , courage and the drive to affirm the quality of our work, can profoundly modify the destiny not only of a single company but of an entire country.

We thank Barbara for kindly sharing with us her personal experience, her observations and her vision.

And now, a brief video excerpt from the “Italian Factor” presentation in Rome.