Design Duo

From pool houses to penthouses, Italian-Brazilian sisters Cecilia and Elena Maresca, create stunning spaces with a unique international flavour. Julia Millen spoke to the inspirational designers to find out more

Tell us about Maresca Interiors? 

The company was established in 2016. In the beginning, we focused on mid-century furniture and art, but over time we began to focus more on interior design projects, which brought about the company’s expansion. We now work with a wide range of clients across commercial and residential sectors. We’ve recently decided to merge with GN Architecture and open a brand-new branch of the firm solely focused on architecture and interior design called NENMAR, which specialises in offering a comprehensive service to HNW individuals.

How would you describe your signature style?

We believe in architecture made for people. Our style follows very much the roots of our being; a mix of Brazilian exoticism and classic Italian style, where functionality and attention to detail result in finely crafted buildings tailormade for the end user.

How do your Brazilian-Italian roots shape your work?

Growing up within different cultures is a blessing, because it teaches you from an early age that life doesn’t just have a single interpretation, rather it’s a set of facets that changes depending on your point of view.

While Italy taught us to take in every street, palace and church of countless civilizations, Brazil helped us understand the value of nature and natural materials, which is immeasurable compared to the smallness of man. But more than anything else, what made us grow both personally and professionally, was a common binomial: the joy of living and enjoying life to the fullest, always keeping our feet on the ground and never taking ourselves too seriously.

This is clearly visible in our style; a perfect balance between strong and vibrant colours and defined and elegant shapes.

What’s your favourite project to date?

We don’t really have a favourite as such, we enjoy the process of defining the ingredients and constraints of each project, but a few certainly stand out, from Thom Sweeney’s flagship in London, to the DP House in Trancoso, Brazil, to the luxury penthouse in Celerina Switzerland.

What’s next for Maresca Interiors?

We have several exciting projects in the pipeline that we look forward to sharing. We are incredibly excited about the merge and the launch of NENMAR. Led by Gianluca Nencini and Elena Maresca, the consultancy works across commercial, retail, and residential sectors, offering a comprehensive service from conception through to completion, while allowing Maresca Interiors to focus on furniture, mid-century art and on pursuing the many collaborations with designer brands we’ve established over the years. www.nenmar.com

What are your interior design predictions for 2022?

After recent times, more than ever, we believe in architecture made for people, with design as a force for good. We want to work with clients and deliver new ways of living by idealising spaces in more thoughtful ways. It’s quite a cathartic journey. More than anything, we want to sweep away the tyranny of lockdown from the past year.

www.marescainteriors.com

Photo Credit – Ash James