Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 34
Occupation: Set and interior designer.
Instagram: @gretacevenini
Hometown: Bologna.
Studio location: Milan.
Describe what you make: I’m a creative consultant with a multidisciplinary approach to set design, interiors, and styling. My creative language is not bound by defined stylistic codes; rather, it is characterized by a continuous search for visual references to create images with strong iconographic impact. Currently, I collaborate with various magazines and work as a creative consultant for design and fashion brands.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Generally, the most significant projects are those related to the Salone del Mobile. Specifically, the Salone 2022 with the project “Why Now?” at the Spotti showroom in collaboration with Tacchini Italia Furniture, and the Salone 2023 with the setup project entirely conceived by me for the company La Manufacture. The latter was located within the Alessandro Manzoni House Museum. The exhibition was inspired by the landscapes depicted in “I Promessi Sposi,” reinterpreted in a modern way.
Describe the problem your work solves: I don’t believe it’s a job that solely solves problems. However, my role is certainly important for companies in terms of visual communication for their brand. For example, through studying and designing effective advertising images or catalogs, or through the arrangement of their exhibition spaces. My role is to provide an external and contemporary perspective to companies and assist them in defining their aesthetic identity.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m working on preparing photo shoots for catalogs that will be released in the fall. However, I’d like to focus on some product design projects that I’ve had in mind for a while between the end of this year and the beginning of next year.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: The interior design project of Spazio Pesca, a multifunctional creative center, includes an exhibition space, an office, a meeting room, a kitchen, and a photography studio. The place is characterized by a series of details that lighten the serious allure of a traditional office, along with a selection of furniture, some of which are custom-made, that amplify the space’s multifaceted nature.
My desire was to tell Studio Pesca’s story and its imagery through the space. Considering the nature of the studio’s work, I decided to base this narrative on images. For example, a curtain featuring prints of some of the studio’s most important works replaces the usual brainstorming whiteboard. The result is a composition with domestic undertones, yet still unconventional, combining accents of vibrant green with mirrored furniture and more neutral tones.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Natural light. I envisioned my studio as a white box. It’s a neutral space, flooded with light, where ideas and materials can flourish and evolve over time.
What you do when you’re not working: My work is closely connected to my passions and hobbies. During my free time, I always strive to find new sources of inspiration and new ways to fuel my creativity. I love visiting art galleries, exploring flea markets, and traveling to places that combine these passions. Honestly, I wish I had more free time to dedicate to something more engaging and liberating physically. I’ve felt this need for a long time. I would love to return to painting or working with ceramics, as I used to do during my high school art years.
Sources of creative envy: I have two figures that have always fascinated me, and I find the fusion of their styles highly indicative of my personal aesthetic. One of them is Nanda Vigo, one of my favorite designers from the past. Nanda was an eclectic artist who was completely outside the box, capable of merging art, architecture, and design through her unique interpretation of space and light.
Another one of my favorite contemporary designers is Faye Toogood. Like Nanda, she approaches design with a multidisciplinary perspective. Her sculptural, rigorous, and poetic style has always captivated me.
The distraction you want to eliminate: My phone: social media, spam emails, and WhatsApp. They’re distractions that make you lose focus and concentration. Unfortunately, both in work and personal life, it’s challenging to set limits and boundaries on these matters.
Concrete or marble? Absolutely concrete. As someone who has studied architecture, I’ve always been fascinated by the simplicity of spaces created with concrete and the purity of their forms.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Light.
