Listening to Satie and sipping long drinks with India Mahdavi

The Iranian designer and architect, who has recently restyled the interiors of The Sketch in London, has three projects at the Salone del Mobile 2018 NightClub
At the Nilufar Gallery, Mahdavi has designed a temporary nightclub called Chez Nina and recreated the interiors. The fabrics are produced by Pierre Frey and the wallpaper is De Gournay. A private club with an atmosphere that colours the night, it is named after Nina Yashar, founder of Nilufar Gallery. It has elegant coloured velvet benches and two-tone glass tables designed for the space, recreating the contrast with the geometric wall lined with silk produced by de Gournay. “The spaces are marked by a combination of rounded forms and graphic patterns specially designed for it,” says architect and designer India Mahdavi. “The ideal place for listening to Satie and sipping long drinks.” An intimate ambiance, where rigorous geometries meet sinuous, feminine forms. Standing out amid backrests recalling the iconic lines of Charlotte armchairs and tables in soft shapes is the precious velvet True Velvet upholstery by India Mahdavi for Pierre Frey and wall coverings in silk created by the designer for de Gournay. The setting is completed by a selection of refined furnishings from the Nilufar collection. Among the vintage pieces, a rare lamp by Angelo Lelli, hanging lamps by Hans-Agne Jakobsson, four Casa e Giardino armchairs by Gio Ponti and an impressive table by Joaquim Tenreiro. Among the contemporary items, a scenic screen and some stools designed by Martino Gamper.

A comic-strip bathroom
India Mahdavi is working with Bisazza, for the second time. She has decided to revolutionise the traditional bathroom in a bubble of colour inspired by comic-strip graphic narrative. Here is the “plouf” bathtub, the “splash” sink, and the “wow” mirror. All in pink hues, because as the designer says, “Pink has become my signature style – a way of expressing boldness and delicacy in a single shade and a single space.”

Paradisiac rugs
For the Golran company, the designer has designed a series of carpets entitled “Garden of Eden”. Inspired by the Persian garden they have the heavenly overtones of a paradise garden. Golran’s artistic direction is by the Parisian firm Francesca Avossa. The designer's motif is inspired by tradition: regular leaves gradually wafted towards the centre as if by a breeze. The designer has created two models. The first garden is more classic with has a rectangular form, a generously framed central pattern and zigzag edges to replace the fringes. The second is created by removing the central motif from the initial design, to reveal a wild garden. The derivation of this piece creates a freer pattern.