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British luxury wallcovering studio Fromental, along with the iconic Italian furniture brand, Marta Sala Éditions, transformed Italian designer Marta Sala's apartment in Saint-Germain-des-Prés with their latest collaboration City of Light/ La Ville Lumière. Visitors were ushered into a space harbouring serenity at its core, a pleasant contrast to the world outside. Each installation accentuated the ambience of tranquillity, each piece being a vision of excellence in tandem with creativity. “The previous installation in the same space was a riot of colour and texture. We wanted to reimagine the setting as a haven for calm and reflection with subtle shifts of colour and texture. Abstract forms juxtaposed with elements from nature create a serene environment,” said Tim Butcher, co-founder of Fromental.
Moving from one room to the next was characterised by a subtle shift in the aura, analogous to light mutating throughout the day. The clever play in colour, use of texture and signature handwriting in the Fromental wallcoverings was set against the elegant Marta Sala Éditions furniture, designed by architects Lazzarini Pickering, with its muted palette of greys and whites enclosed in chic brass frames: a counterbalance of energies and expression. “Declining a model, we try to give different solutions for different needs, different cultures. We don’t know how people will choose to live with our furniture, but a true appreciation for quality is always constant,” explains Marta Sala.
The drawing room featured Fromental’s new ‘Ombré’ conjuring an element of mystery and romance in the room with a splash of the colours of dusk and dawn and a choreography of light and shade. A side-by-side arrangement of modular pieces 'Dudina' and 'Dudotta' maximised the element of style and finesse within the alastair sofa. Two ‘Guya’ standing lamps and ‘Renoir’ mirrors elevated the play of light, while their matte brass finishes complemented the warm colours they stood against.
The ‘Raw’ wallcovering adorning the centre room was a collaboration between Fromental and Maresca Interiors, playing with the theme of Brazilian tapestries. The original pattern was reimagined with softened handpainted geometric shapes and toned down, neutral tints of white, sand, and greys on white silk. The room is completed by The new ‘Penelope’ dining table flanked by two ‘Murena’ chairs’ and a chic ‘Guya Shield’ lamp. The soft angles in the backdrop complement the clean lines and precision of Marta Sala Éditions furniture.
Fromental’s hand-embroidered ‘Prumus’ wallcovering, re-coloured with orange flowers along with chartreuse and deep pink embroidered flowers on a white silk ground, rendered the study with an optimistic feel. The cherry blossoms with their sporadic french knots meandered through the space exaggerating its volume. Marta Sala Editions’ ‘Lavinia’ armchair and ‘Lavinia’ pouf complemented the ‘Ranieri’ tables while the ‘Tancredi’ and ‘René’ poufs, also upholstered in white, sit under two square ‘Renoir’ mirrors, all giving a way to an elaborately luminous and intimate room.
The bedroom was ensconced in Fromental’s hand-painted and hand-embroidered textural velvet wallcovering ‘Dawn Song’: modern, artisanal and romantic. ‘Eugenia’ headboard by Marta Sala Editions hung like a painting and was paired with two ‘Narciso’ wall lamps. The ‘Lavinia Light’ armchair and ‘Gelasio’ cabinet concluded the look oozing with a sense of immersion.
The series of rooms displayed the intermingling of abstraction with attention to the detail of contemporary artistry. When all these elements came into play, harmony, evolution and visual relief ensued.
Established in 2005 by Tim Butcher and Lizzie Deshayes, Fromental creates visionary designs with expression conforming to twentieth-century modernist movements, classical architecture, and abstractions from nature. The tailored wallcoverings are elements of visual intrigue and delight.
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