Armani/Casa Royal bar cabinet listed among top designs of 2022

The Royal bar cabinet by Armani/Casa was recently featured under Best Looks by Wallpaper* in their February issue, which was dedicated to celebrating the winners of the Wallpaper* Design Award 2022. First presented during the Salone del Mobile 2021, the Royal cabinet is a limited edition piece, of which only 88 pieces were created. The elegant piece of furniture utilises minimal ostentation and is characterised by simple forms, which are enhanced by a cladding of specially woven paper and cotton. The result is a textured surface that appears like a Japanese tatami mat.

 The inner compartment of the cabinet comprises shelves and a large drawer placed for storing preparation tools. The inner walls are washed by gold-toned methacrylate and are lit up by delicately fitted backlights, making it appear like a satin backdrop which can imbue any object placed in its vicinity with grandeur. The backlit interiors of the cabinet ensure that this piece of furniture can easily occupy the dark interiors of a bar without the requirement of fitting or shining any extra light in its direction.

 The cylindrical shaped Royal cabinet with semi-circular sides that also double as the base support of the furniture, was meticulously crafted by hand to enhance the details and features that make up the bar cabinet. The smooth curves, motifs and the rectilinear shapes that make up the cabinet are reminiscent of the Art Deco style. The cabinet is shaped to resemble a sécretaire, but with two sliding shutters that smoothly glide to reveal or hide the lit up cabinet enclosure.

While the design of the cabinet is inspired by Oriental features, it also manages to keep intact the quality and characteristics that are typical in all Giorgio Armani designs. In fact, the choice of Oriental aesthetics as an inspiration was derived by Giorgio Armani’s long drawn fascination with East Asian culture. Previously used as a muse for several runway collections, the rich Asian influences have now been utilised in this classy bar cabinet.