When creating homes for billionaires and celebrities, Nicola Fontanella often adorns living spaces with elements inspired by haute couture and high jewelry.
When your clients are ultra-high, net-worth individuals, royalty and A-listers like Madonna, Guy Ritchie and Naomi Campbell, it makes sense to draw inspiration from their wardrobes to create their bespoke interiors. Adopting this outside-of-the-box approach, Nicola Fontanella, founder and CEO of Argent Design, infuses spaces with a sense of opulence and visual interest.
Fontanella is an expert in luxury. Argent Design’s portfolio spans residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, marine and aviation. Her projects can be found in New York, Miami, London, St. Tropez, Melbourne, Beijing and Hong Kong. This month, she sat down with Fashion Mannuscript to discuss the elements – inspired by haute couture and high jewelry—that she incorporates into her projects, which fuse art deco with a contemporary flair. The results? Interior spaces that rise to the level of masterpieces, command attention and transcend conventional interior design.
Lighting—The Jewelry of The Home
When creating the lighting of a home, Fontanella compares her approach to getting dressed and carefully selecting jewelry to adorn and enhance an ensemble. Argent Design projects often include custom-made crystal chandeliers, reminiscent of high-jewelry earrings or bracelets. These one-of-a-kind pieces, crafted with stunning detail, are collectable items in their own right. Lalique lamps, also designed by Fontanella and functioning as art, complete the effect.
Chanel Pearls
There’s a reason curtains are referred to as window dressing. When dressing the windows of Argent projects, Fontanella has employed pearls, a reference to Chanel. The pearls, meticulously embroidered from a drapery’s top to bottom and complemented by a pearl-tied, add a level of detailing that elevates the overall aesthetic.
Hermès Fabrics
By including touches of vintage designer fabric throughout a space, via cushions, curtains and armchairs, Fontanella adds a sense of history and sophistication to her projects. In one instance, Hermès fabric featured jungle animal motifs, with each animal embellished with Swarovski crystals in various colors representing precious stones. Red for rubies, yellow for yellow emerald stones and green for agate.
Mirrors
Mirrors are commonly associated with fashion, but in Fontanella’s designs, mirrors serve not just as reflective surfaces, but as strategic accessories to accentuate living spaces and views. In her recent project, a $15 million Miami Beach home, each mirror was thoughtfully positioned to amplify the abundant natural light and biophilic elements of the home. These mirrors play a crucial role in accentuating the home’s distinctive textures, forms and shapes.
Raffia Fabric and Coconut Shells
Incorporating wallpaper and textured inlays are a tried-and-true interior design technique, but Fontanella takes it a step further by introducing luxury high-fashion materials. Incorporating raffia fabric sourced from raffia palm trees, as well as palm raffia straw typically reserved for bags and garments, Fontanella applies marquetry techniques to wardrobe doors, infusing her 2000 North Bay Road design with a natural, earthy vibe. In the same home, Fontanella also incorporated coconut shells into the lighting fixtures, adding a touch of local flair.
