Friends: Maddalena Casadei
Craftsmanship in symbiosis with design: this could be the synthesis behind Maddalena Casadei’s approach to design, an architect and designer who, after graduating in Architecture in Ferrara and getting her MA in Design at the Domus Academy, moved to Sweden and the United States to return to Italy a few years later to bring back a broader international vision to her language.
Empathy and the love for research are among the distinctive traits of her personality that allow her to face new design challenges and maintain an approach of lively curiosity towards the outside world. With her direct yet elegant character, it became natural for Maddalena Casadei to connect with the people behind Quadrodesign, that produce objects of good design “without the need for shouting” – as she states in the interview – and with a precise and defined approach to research
From this first encounter, Maddalena starts to design objects that go beyond their primary need. Later on in the process, thanks to Quadro’s skillful craftsmanship, the sheet metal transform into three-dimensional elements with, sometimes minimal sometimes eccentric, architectural volumes. Eccetera is conceived with this aim: a series of accessories with flexible use, to be positioned into various domestic environments. And it is precisely to tell us all about the process behind the collection, that she opens the doors to her Milanese abode, where the collection finds a creative landscape, testifying its eclectic use.
“Like a piece of paper you cut and fold, you can cut and fold it in an infinite number of ways: hence the name Eccetera, steel sheets cut and folded to provide inifinite design solutions.”
The flat is furnished with a harmonious combination of furniture and accessories of different styles in which beige and brown tones predominate, inserted in a pure white environment that accentuates the light the flood the beautiful yet eccentric environment. Neo-classical accents, interspersed with breakaway pieces as well as modern antiques and unexpected vintage, create a warm and cosy intimacy. And it is here that one discovers another passion (in addition to research): that for reading, as it is clearly shown by the discreet and elegant presence of books, precisely arranged, a reflection of the designer’s intimate world.
In this frame we discover some of the objects within the Eccetera collection, a balance of functionality and minimalism. An approach that cites rationalism in architecture by which Maddalena Casadei has always been fascinated, and which is represented by the other objects in the house, even the most anonymous ones, with their details and finishes that mixed with savvy experience, dialogue with the designer’s personal creative vision. The Eccetera accessories, manufactured using AISI316L stainless steel sheets, vary from elements who are specific to the bathroom, such as the toilet-paper or the toilet-brush holder, and others that are more transversal and flexible.