“As a child, there were rules to follow at home that I never understood: the shutters were closed even if the sun was shining outside, even on the rare occasion when friends were over to study“. Maybe this is why Erika and Luca Mazza’s house is an illuminated, colorful feast for the eyes; anytime is a good time to throw a party, cook with friends or eat take-away, seated indian-style on the rug.
Luca Mazza, Slamp’s Creative Director since 2006, has aesthetics and art in his DNA, and evident throughout their home where many of his original works are displayed. “At 12, I started drawing a 1:1 scale version of San Giorgio on my bedroom wall. When my father suddenly walked in, I was terrified! He frowned for a moment, and said, ‘Go on, finish it!’”. Erika Martino abandoned the prospect of job security at only 24, choosing to turn her personal passions into her profession. Today, she is Slamp’s Communication Director and Marketing Strategist. They are high school sweethearts, recently married, joined by Ottavia, their two-year-old French bulldog, and a shared desire to enjoy the journey toward their goals.
“ At 12, I started drawing a 1:1 scale version of San Giorgio on my bedroom wall. When my father suddenly walked in, I was terrified! ”
Wander through their home, and you will discover a series of intriguing angles, (Nigel Coates “ex-voto” Cuore illuminates one wall), objects that have their own stories to tell, (like the partial bust of David, that Luca “modified” with a Papua New Guinea-style mask), and a general convivial feeling, seeing as the home doesn’t have any doors. The dining room table, illuminated by Coates’ mirrored, angular Punctum, seems more like a library tabletop, piled with books, than a place to have a meal. There are no lamps above the table; the nature of the space lends to this choice: “We wanted light to come from a corner of the room, transforming something that could have been a negative into an homage to Zaha Hadid; she was the first world-renowned architect we worked with, and left us such beautiful memories”.
“ We wanted light to come from a corner of the room, transforming something that could have been a negative into an homage to Zaha Hadid… ”
They have various pieces from their most beloved designers, (Cibic, Marcantonio, Lorenza Bozzoli, Hayon, Salmistraro and Lunardon), but Slamp’s iconic tube, one of the originals, catches the eye immediately. “We have Coates’ Ecstacity, which has survived us moving house five times, Studio Job’s L’Afrique, a particularly important piece that represents our personal history with the company, and a totem from the Setsu & Shinobu Ito’s collection, a gift from company president, Roberto Ziliani”.
They have a dynamic home that responds to the shifting light and the inhabitants’ good vibrations; here family goes way beyond blood relations.