“Design is all about simplicity, creativity and evolution,” explains Salvatori CEO Gabriele Salvatori, “with Rain, we have all three.” The newly launched texture is a continuation of Lissoni’s previous explorations into Japanese design, an elegant motif that comes from his longstanding fascination with the country’s natural imagery and deep respect for the delicate principles that have long ruled Japan’s historic creative output.
“Piero has taken our original Bamboo, which was inspired by a placemat in a Japanese restaurant almost two decades ago,” says Gabriele of the design, which, like many of Lissoni’s projects for Salvatori also comes from their longstanding friendship and decades-long collaboration, “and created a new texture which takes the simple fluid lines as a starting point and then expands them.” This latest project pushes that aesthetic of his previous design even further, honing and refining it to an even more sophisticated profile.
Formed of a rhythmic pattern of vertical lines in moulded natural stone, Rain melds Lissoni’s essentialist approach to design with an abstracted figurativism that brings to mind a rustling grove of bamboo stalks. Indeed, Lissoni says of the inspiration behind the project: “When designing Rain, my mind led me to the bamboo forests of Japan. I thought of the trunk of a bamboo, magnified for effect.” In person, the stone creates a similar feeling: adding a palpable sense of calm and balance when added to any room.
Rain is the perfect neutral palette to build up a tasteful composition within a room. Its creamy shade of natural stone coupled with its sleek texture of vertical lines have the ability to add height and stature even within the smallest spaces. “In fact, the word Rain [Rye-in] comes from the Japanese for “line” and perfectly captures the visual effect of our new finish,” explains Gabriele of the texture and feel of Lissoni’s design. Bathrooms, particularly, benefit from the Rain motif. Matched with solid volumes and dark architectural marks of Elisa Ossino’s Alfeo collection, Rain adds a sense of lightness and serenity.
