Elena Salmistraro x LITHEA launch new lifestyle collection, Pensieri Panteschi

Sicily based furniture brand, LITHEA, recently launched a new collection of homeware objects designed by Elena Salmistraro. The collection, titled Pensieri Panteschi, is inspired by the arresting landscape features of a charming little island called Pantelleria in Italy. “It is a succession of symbols, extrapolated from the territory and told through marble and stone in an unprecedented graphic composition,” says product designer and artist Elena Salmistraro about the collection. First showcased at EDIT Napoli 2021, the lifestyle collection comprises a dining table, stools, vases and a decorative wall panel, all of which mimic the topography of the island.

The collection, designed by Milan based product designer and artist, Elena Salmistrato, bears abstract geometries and organic shapes on their surfaces, all sculpted out of marble. Characterised by mirrored patterns and wavy lines, the furniture pieces look no less than artworks. The shapes and forms that adorn the surfaces of the tables, stools and panels of Pensieri Panteschi were inspired by the visual beauty, geographical features and historic traditions of the Pantelleria island.

The overall design and composition of the furniture pieces, while favouring modern design aesthetics, bear a stark resemblance to the natural features of the island. The curved legs of the table resemble the waves of the sea, while the rounded edges of the table resemble the volcanic lake on the island. “Elena has created items which have a highly scenographic presence. They are all three-dimensional graphics made up of multiple tones and extraordinary layering of different materials thanks to the use of multicoloured, precious marble,” shared the brand in a statement.

The small landmass, dotted with Dammussi stone houses, majestic stone walls, volcanic rocks and cavernous sea-and-wind-eroded mountains, and surrounded by a clear blue ocean, has also been the centre of several famous folktales still retold by the Sicilian locals. The region was considered a fertile land by both the Greeks and the Byzantines and continues to hold the status of a magical little island. The objects from the furniture collection seem to carry a little bit of the same charm that so briskly permeates the picturesque town-island.

Derived from a sweet Sicilian gesture known as ‘Panteschi kisses’, the name of the collection serves as an ode to the rugged Italian island. Made out of materials unique to the island, like Bianco Fenice, Bardiglio Imperiale, Pietra Pece, Rosalia, Green Forrest and Copper, and crafted out through sculptural and inlay methods popular in Pantelleria, the Pensieri Panteschi objects keep alive the traditions of Sicily.

LITHEA is an Italian interior design and furniture brand that produces both indoor and outdoor furnishing items made out of natural stone. The company was founded by Patrizia Furnari and Fabio Fazio in 2008. Based in Patti, a small Sicilian town, the brand was borne out of the intention to combine the ancient knowledge and tradition of producing natural stone products with modern technological offerings, in order to sustain and evolve the craft of stone production. LITHEA products are made out of several different natural stones, namely lava stone, pitchstone, Comiso stone, Tunisi stone and Carrara stone amongst others.