Playful and artisanal, Studio 140 produces designs that joyously celebrate the tradition of Italian craftsmanship and the benefits of upcycling things of value from the past.
Studio 140 was established in Rome in 2017 by designer Emanuele Pricolo (b. 1971) and Lucia Olmetti (b. 1965). Pricolo is a qualified restorer of paintings by important Italian and international artists and has worked for 27 years for public and private clients. Close collaboration with artists and contemporary galleries between 1997 and 2011 gave him insight into the emotionally expressive potential of objects. After meeting Olmetti through a friend, the duo realized they could apply the principles of art making and restoration to furniture design.
The past is a focal point for many of the pieces produced by Studio 140, and, in true restorer fashion, Pricolo elegantly refreshes and re-frames aspects of material history that might otherwise have gone unnoticed, drawing attention to details of vernacular streetscapes and relics of a bygone world. He expertly and cleverly brings discarded objects back to life by upcycling materials into new practical and versatile designs for the home—all by hand. Along with private clients, Studio 140’s customers include restaurants, cafes, and hotels, like Rome’s Grand Hotel Ritz.
A prime example is the Tino Table. An old, abandoned wine press piqued Pricolo’s curiosity, and he was inspired to use the curving elements to form the basic structure of a table. Pricolo’s Opera Chairs using old-fashioned panel painting techniques. His Gioco d’Ombre Mirror is framed in a chiaroscuro effect, connecting back to the heritage of Italian Renaissance painting.
