Milan, early afternoon — the door opens onto a studio that feels lived in. Not in a domestic sense, but in the visible traces of creativity and invention. Material samples line the walls, sketches are scattered across the desk, and recognisable prototypes on the shelves speak to a fascinating career. Light moves through the room like a second presence, revealing the layers of an ongoing process. This is not a showroom, but a place where ideas take shape.
At the centre of the room on a table is CHIAROSCURO — a curved, minimal form designed to hold NOON ALL DAY’s daily supplement. It is the first in a series of ritual objects conceived by Federico Peri. Interactive where at first it might appear to be totally passive, light performs a fascinating dance over its surface. As such, its presence is subtly felt, drawing our attention without ever demanding it.
AN OBJECT WORTHY OF RITUAL
‘It needs to disappear a little,’ says Peri, introducing the object and explaining its unique gravitas. ‘Not physically, but emotionally. It should let you slow down without telling you to. That’s the work I’m interested in.’
CHIAROSCURO is quiet. Made from medical grade stainless steel, it is both durable and refined. The lid closes very slowly, creating a vacuum within. It is a mechanism of surprising grace that steadies the senses and promotes a moment of quiet introspection.
‘That gesture is considered,’ he says. ‘It’s not about closing something forcefully. It’s about letting it come to rest. The way the lid settles — that’s what makes it feel different.’
Inspired by noon, the form captures a moment of equilibrium. The slight curve of the lid creates a space for light to pool at its centre, reflecting that moment of noon when the sun is at its highest point and the light is most direct and intense. That one detail creates the impression that the pulse of midday has been suspended. CHIAROSCURO does not imitate the sun. It recalls the condition of light at its fullest.
‘I didn’t want the object to make literal reference to the sun,’ says Federico. ‘It’s more about the memory of the sun. The feeling that light could literally be held in the palm of the hand. The way that shadows recede and clarity of light is all that is left.’
FINALISED FORMS
‘You know an object is finished when nothing more needs to be explained,’ he says. ‘The moment of completion is when the piece begins to speak for itself. Quietly, but clearly.’
Even at its smallest scale, Peri’s work follows the logic of an architectural practice: removing the excess detail until only the most essential forms remain. With CHIARO, the scale is intimate, but the thinking is large. Each piece is made to order and produced by hand.
Federico Peri is an interior and product designer based in Milan. Famed for his architectural approach, and deep sensitivity to the interplay between light, space and form, he has twice been named in the 100 best designers by AD France.
federicoperi.com
