A summer palace

A custom portfolio by Cristina Celestino and cc-tapis is destined to become a new commercial collection. COVER traces its origins in the Italian sunshine

Perched on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean near the Italian village of Ravello, Palazzo Avino started life as a private villa for a noble family in the 12th century. The five-star hotel recently had some of its interiors reimagined by Milan-based architect and designer Cristina Celestino, who created a new collection of furniture and rugs in the process. The custom rugs designed by her and made by cc-tapis will eventually be launched as their own capsule collection.

Celestino conceived the rugs with the attributes of the hotel in mind. She comments: ‘The idea was born from understanding the essence of Palazzo Avino and its connection with Ravello and the Amalfi Coast.’ Thus the rugs reference the colour, texture and shapes of the historic building, the pink of the exterior walls with their pointed-arch windows and the light-filled white interior spaces, as well as its spectacular location. The motifs include oversized floral designs based on the flora of the local environment such as pomegranates, citrus trees and asphodel flowers. Geometric shapes also play a part. Celestino chose three colour stories for the project: aquamarine, coral and sand. Here the coastal inspiration is obvious, but also the warm tones of the building and architectural details.

As the rugs were adapted to specific spaces and suites, each was produced in a custom size. The carpets were hand-knotted in Nepal in linen, wool and pure silk. In charge of the project was cc-tapis PROJECT, the new contract sector of the Milan-based rug company. cc-tapis PROJECT is described by the brand as a ‘360° advisory service providing bespoke flooring solutions for the contract market’. The idea is to collaborate with industry professionals to create custom carpets for high-end hospitality, retail and office spaces using the company’s wide range of techniques, textures and finishes. Handknotted, handloom or hand-tufted, the cc-tapis designlab will create the perfect match between technique, material, use and space. Palazzo Avino is not cc-tapis PROJECT’s only prestigious commission—the list of clients already numbers Cartier, MSGM and Nike.

While international travel still seems some time away for most of us, Palazzo Avino in the hands of Cristina Celestino offers a clear idea of just what we are missing.