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Designer Achille Salvagni Debuts His Perfectly Tailored Atelier in London

The two-story space features handcrafted plaster walls, locally sourced wood floors, and a poetic assortment of sculptural furnishings and lighting

By Jill Sieracki
Modern office interior with wooden desk, chair, parquet floor, abstract light fixtures, and decorative art pieces.
Achille Salvagni’s office in his new London atelier. Photo: Simon Upton

After more than a year, designer Achille Salvagni has finally opened his new London atelier. Located in the city’s posh Mayfair District—which is home to art spaces, shopping destination Saville Row, upscale hotels, and more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other neighborhood—the two-story gallery brings together the full breadth of Salvagni’s oeuvre under one roof.

“Historically, Mayfair is the heart of the London art scene and the location of our first gallery when we opened in 2015,” Salvagni tells Galerie. “This new space affords us the opportunity to expand our footprint within the area and establish long-term roots here.”

Man in a stylish modern interior with elegant furniture and decor, standing beside a plush chair and a small round table.
Achille Salvagni inside his new London atelier. Photo: Simon Upton
Mid-century modern room with a pink cabinet, ceramic vases, a textured wall light, and a curved white armchair on wooden floor.
Achille Salvagn’s Tato armchair, Valentine Magnum wall sconce, and Dido cabinet, which is topped by four new Eos vases in rare Egyptian alabaster. Photo: Simon Upton

The space also allowed Salvagni to be his own client and build his vision from the ground up, transforming the location’s existing rough bricks, uneven concrete floors, and disjointed floor plan into a soothing cocoon for his latest furniture and lighting designs. “I knew that with a refined and simple approach that we could create a very sophisticated space that would hide all the sins of the building and highlight some of the original beautiful details, such as the circular and arched windows,” he says.

Modern living room with stylish cabinet, abstract wall art, unique floor lamp, and plush chairs on a soft green rug.
The Oyster hanging wall mirror, Palatino cabinet, and Divo standing lamp by Achille Salvagni. Photo: Simon Upton
Elegant interior with two gold-framed mirrors, a modern lamp on a white pedestal, and wooden flooring.
Bronze framed window complement Salvagni’s signature Nemo lamp. Photo: Simon Upton

Inside, the architectural designer installed buttery herringbone wood floors, meticulously handcrafted plaster walls, and experimented with suspended ceilings and shapely moldings that conceal modern-day technologies, like digitally controlled spotlights. Windows framed in bronze lend a warm glow while serving as dynamic stage for pieces crafted from likeminded materials.

Linking the two levels is a wavelike staircase composed of blue South American marble, punctuated with whimsical details, including a small sculpture from Salvagni’s cousin and collaborator, Fabio Gnessi, and cast-bronze “coral” detail. “This new gallery has given me a chance to experiment with new techniques and styles that I am adopting into some of my latest projects,” he says. “It has also afforded an experimentation on my time and budget, which we can now confidently grow into the studio’s practice when working on client projects.”

Modern living room with a curved sofa, oval table, blue chandelier, and wall-mounted mirror above a low cabinet.
The new Alligator sofa displayed in Achille Salvagni’s London atelier beneath the Spider Maximus chandelier. Photo: Simon Upton

The atelier’s separate floors allow for Salvagni to demonstrate different settings for his remarkable designs. On the street level, pieces like the sinuous new Alligator sofa are displayed in an unobstructed floor plan, while the lower floor creates cozy nooks for more intimate interactions with items and vignettes.

“On the street level we have this amazing high ceiling and a single large room that echoes the kind of volumes that some of our clients have in their own homes. This provides a great way for them to see the pieces as they can imagine them in their own residences,” says Salvagni. “The lower level is a more intimate environment with a much lower ceiling height, more akin to the yachts that we are used to working on. It has required some creative thinking in how best to create focal points in order to be able to display the pieces in smaller chamber-like spaces.”

Modern hallway with a green accent wall, unique wall-mounted light fixture, and a stylish console table on herringbone wood floor.
Achille Salvagni’s new Indore cabinet and Pillow Magnum onyx wall sconce on view in the Mayfair District atelier. Photo: Simon Upton

An airiness to the atelier allows for visitors to view these new and existing furnishings in a gallery-esque setting, while at the same time demonstrating their functionality. Most prominent, an update of the designer’s iconic Spider chandelier has been rendered in blue-lacquered bronze and expanded to almost 12 feet in diameter.

Hidden sliding doors offer Salvagni ongoing opportunities to reimagine the space, which will hopefully welcome more guests post-pandemic. “Just because the space is now complete does not mean we stop creating. Every day I have new ideas, and the gallery space is a platform for those,” he says.

“My ambition has always been to work with the best, whether that is the craftsmen, our material choices, my team, and my clients. We set very high standards for ourselves, and when you enter the new gallery space you should get that sense. It’s an experience and an opportunity to cross a threshold where at least for a moment you can dream and imagine these pieces in your own life as well as the infinite possibilities we could create for you. The gallery gives a sense of wonder and aspiration and also affirms our position at the forefront of collectible design and contemporary architecture.”

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Achille Salvagni Debuts a Perfectly Tailored New Atelier in London

Achille Salvagniu2019s newly opened London atelier brings together new furnishings and remarkable updates of his current collection in masterfully crafted two-story space. u201cI am particularly proud of the new Alligator sofa, an organic sculptural centerpiece that not only commands a room but is extremely elegant and comfortable whilst being the largest single object we have produced to date,u201d he says.

Photograph by Simon Upton

Salvagniu2019s new parchment cabinet, Hera, and limited-edition Murano glass Ombra candle holders.

Photograph by Simon Upton

u201cMuch of the work coming out of our studio is bronze so this was a great way to tie in one of our production techniques with the architecture of the building and by drawing out the window frames in this bronze I was able to make these focal points for the pieces,u201d says Salvagni of these radiant window details. u201cIt helps with the transition between window and room and provides a compelling stage for the pieces themselves.u201d

Photograph by Simon Upton

u201cThe ground floor is a very large, open space with a high ceiling and interesting architectural details that has a certain grandeur to it,u201d says Salvagni.

Photograph by Simon Upton

The Oyster hanging wall mirror, Palatino cabinet, and Divo standing lamp by Achille Salvagni.

Photograph by Simon Upton

u201cThis is a fun gesture that was a gift from my cousin Fabio Gnessi with whom I collaborate with on the Aldus collection,u201d says Salvagni of the sculptural pieces on the blue South American marble staircase. u201cIt was his way of marking the new space and a testament to the playful elements that you can often find in the work.u201d

Photograph by Simon Upton

Salvagniu2019s office is tucked inside the atelieru2019s lower level where signature pieces like a Spider chandelier and Nemo lamp illuminate the space.

Photograph by Simon Upton

Achille Salvagnu2019s Tato armchair, Valentine Magnum wall sconce, and Dido cabinet, which is topped by four new Eos vases in rare Egyptian alabaster.

Photograph by Simon Upton

Achille Salvagniu2019s new Indore cabinet and Pillow Magnum onyx wall sconce on view in the Mayfair District atelier.

Photograph by Simon Upton

u201cI always craved the opportunity tou00a0 start with a blank canvas and almost be my own client,u201d says Achille Salvagni, here inside his new London atelier. u201cThis new gallery has given me a chance to experiment with new techniques and styles that I am adopting into some of my latest projects.u201d

Photograph by Simon Upton
Modern living room with curved white sofa, armchair, round coffee table, sculptural lighting, and green rug on wooden floor.
Red cabinet with colorful glass vases on top in a modern room with herringbone wood floor and white walls.
Elegant interior with two gold-framed mirrors, a modern lamp on a white pedestal, and wooden flooring.
Modern interior with stylish furniture, arched window, unique lighting fixtures, and a decorative vase on a sideboard.
Modern living room with stylish cabinet, abstract wall art, unique floor lamp, and plush chairs on a soft green rug.
Modern staircase with blue steps and a unique glass railing featuring small artistic sculptures and a decorative handrail.
Modern office interior with unique desk, chair, and contemporary lighting, featuring parquet flooring and decorative sculpture.
Mid-century modern room with a pink cabinet, ceramic vases, a textured wall light, and a curved white armchair on wooden floor.
Modern hallway with a green accent wall, unique wall-mounted light fixture, and a stylish console table on herringbone wood floor.
Man in a stylish modern interior with elegant furniture and decor, standing beside a plush chair and a small round table.
Modern living room with curved white sofa, armchair, round coffee table, sculptural lighting, and green rug on wooden floor.
Red cabinet with colorful glass vases on top in a modern room with herringbone wood floor and white walls.
Elegant interior with two gold-framed mirrors, a modern lamp on a white pedestal, and wooden flooring.
Modern interior with stylish furniture, arched window, unique lighting fixtures, and a decorative vase on a sideboard.
Modern living room with stylish cabinet, abstract wall art, unique floor lamp, and plush chairs on a soft green rug.
Modern staircase with blue steps and a unique glass railing featuring small artistic sculptures and a decorative handrail.
Modern office interior with unique desk, chair, and contemporary lighting, featuring parquet flooring and decorative sculpture.
Mid-century modern room with a pink cabinet, ceramic vases, a textured wall light, and a curved white armchair on wooden floor.
Modern hallway with a green accent wall, unique wall-mounted light fixture, and a stylish console table on herringbone wood floor.
Man in a stylish modern interior with elegant furniture and decor, standing beside a plush chair and a small round table.