The intense and unexpected encounter between black fabric and dark marble gives a majestic appearance to a kitchen environment where details are to be discovered.
Davide Defendi and Roberta Rovaris, founders of Modoo studio, created a monolithic design with deep and dark tones while maintaining the brightness and the sense of absolute openness of the space. “The balance is given by the contrast between the very light walls and the dark furnishing elements that attract the eye and become the protagonists of an elegant and strongly contemporary design,” Defendi says.
The mix of Arpa decors 3317 Sixty Nero in Tex finish and 3446 Pulpis Dark in Kèr finish could seem like a gamble. Instead, by combining the very different material visions of fabric and marble, the result is a harmonious completion of the contrasts characterizing the project.
Photo credits: modoo.it
“We wanted to build a ‘layered’ experience. At first glance, by observing the environment as a whole, you can capture the solid evenness given by the various blocks’ dark tones: from the kitchen island to the doors and the columns behind. But as you get closer, you start delving into a series of subtle and surprising details, discovering little by little the unique peculiarities of the two decors.”
A hardwood table, designed by Defendi, adds a further disruptive element to the monolithic framework and dialogues with the Arpa surfaces. The light veins introduce a new material and aesthetic dimension that breaks up the kitchen’s chromatic depth. The goal was to extend the layering of different sensations, linking the conviviality of the large wooden table with the refinement of the dark decors.
“We have been using Arpa surfaces in our projects for years now,” Defendi says. “Thanks to the original combination of decors and finishes, these surfaces have the ability to create an elegant atmosphere with attention to every detail and without sacrificing the ease of the material, which is essential in environments like the kitchen.”
In 2011, after graduating from ISAD in Milan, Davide Defendi opened Modoo, an interior design studio and concept store, together with Roberta Rovaris. Fascinated by the small furniture shops that in those years were opening in Northern Europe, he decided to combine the taste of Italian design with Scandinavian accessories, addressing a young clientele attentive to the market trends. Since then, Modoo’s research has been aimed to the simplification of design, using few materials and textures for each project and making them the absolute protagonists of the space. In 2017, Defendi and Rovaris created their showroom house by including furnishings designed by them and produced as one-of-a-kind pieces.
