by Eleonora | Jun 12, 2026 | Custom interior Decoration
Designing a home in the mountains involves addressing needs that are very different from those of a traditional home. Space must be optimized, materials must blend with the surrounding landscape, and every element must contribute to creating a welcoming, functional, and durable environment.
The project designed by the Saglietti Group for a duplex in Sestriere stems precisely from this vision. The approximately 60-square-meter apartment, spread over two levels and overlooking the Olympic mountains, has been completely reimagined through custom-designed furnishings that make the most of every available inch.
From the very early stages of the project, it was clear that the goal was not simply to furnish a home but to create an integrated system in which architecture, interior design, mechanical and electrical systems, and woodwork would interact harmoniously. The project was developed in collaboration with the GOODFOR Studio in Turin, led by architect Marco Luciano, who coordinated the architectural and interior design choices, transforming the apartment’s spatial limitations into design opportunities. A key contribution also came from the mechanical and electrical systems, designed and installed directly by the owner, Paolo, through Canavese Impianti. The integration of underfloor heating, controlled mechanical ventilation, and a humidification system ensured maximum living comfort in an alpine setting characterized by low temperatures and particularly dry air.
The Value of Custom Furniture in Small Spaces
When space is limited, furniture shouldn’t just take up room—it should help organize it.
For this reason, every element in the apartment was designed specifically for the space in which it would be placed. The entryway cabinets not only serve a storage function but also become an integral part of the home’s architecture, concealing the technical systems and helping to maintain a neat and clean visual appearance.
The same approach was adopted in the living area, where the staircase unit connects the kitchen and living room while also serving as storage, a space-defining element, and a support for the TV area. In a custom furniture design, every element is designed to fulfill multiple functions simultaneously, eliminating the superfluous and highlighting what is truly needed.
Wood as a design element
Among the materials chosen for the project, ash plays a central role.
This isn’t simply a matter of aesthetics. Wood represents the most direct connection to the mountain environment and helps create the warm, authentic atmosphere that characterizes homes at high altitudes.
In the living room, ash wood takes center stage through one of the most iconic elements of the entire project: the silhouette of the mountains surrounding Sestriere. Created from a real photograph of the landscape and subsequently transformed into a three-dimensional backlit element, this detail perfectly captures the Saglietti Group’s interpretation of custom furniture.
Not just a decorative item, but a solution born from the fusion of technical design, woodworking, and the ability to transform a memory or an emotion into a tangible object.
Carpentry and design: two disciplines that work together
One of the most interesting aspects of this project is the relationship between design and production.
Each piece of furniture was designed with the material’s characteristics, the necessary craftsmanship, and the owners’ daily needs in mind. This approach yields results that would be difficult to achieve with standard solutions.
The creation of the ash wood profile is a concrete example of this. During the development phase, the material’s natural flexibility could have compromised the precision of the design. For this reason, our engineering department completely redesigned the construction system, dividing the element into several parts and developing a solution capable of ensuring stability, visual continuity, and proper lighting.
It is precisely in these details that the value of custom woodworking becomes apparent: in its ability to find specific solutions to specific needs.
Customization and functionality in the bedroom
The same design philosophy carries over into the bedroom area, where every decision was guided by the need to make the most of the limited space available.
The master bedroom combines storage and comfort within a single coordinated system, while the children’s room has been designed to accommodate up to five beds without compromising on everyday livability. Solutions typically found in the nautical world and in RVs have been reimagined for the home, creating a flexible, organized space that adapts to the family’s changing needs.
Once again, the value of custom furniture lies in its ability to create spaces that revolve around people, rather than the other way around.
Custom Furniture for Mountain Homes
The Sestriere project perfectly embodies our approach to interior design.
Every decision—from the choice of wood to the finishes, from the layout of the spaces to the technical solutions—stems from a desire to create environments that reflect the personality of those who live there and the setting in which they are situated.
For Saglietti Group, custom furniture isn’t just about creating personalized pieces. It means designing spaces that enhance the quality of daily life, highlighting materials, functionality, and details through a continuous dialogue between design, craftsmanship, and construction techniques.
It is precisely this approach that allows us to transform every project into a unique space, designed to stand the test of time and tell an authentic story.
Photo credits: Studio GOODFOR
by Eleonora | May 26, 2026 | Custom interior Decoration
The evolution of contemporary living requires an increasingly deep fusion between architectural design and excellent craftsmanship. The project signed by Saglietti Group in Alassio perfectly embodies this synergy by translating into a custom-made interior design intervention where the structural constraints of the building site are transformed into key elements of spatial aesthetics. Born from the ongoing collaboration withArchitect Giorgio Domenino and coordinated by the technical expertise of Daria Bergese, this path was developed in two distinct temporal phases redefining an original dwelling of about 60 square meters and integrating it, in 2025, with an extension of an additional 23 square meters.
Wood as structure and design language
The material core of the entire apartment is birch plywood. Far from being a simple choice of finish, this material was elected as a true architectural language because of its inherent stability and visual cleanliness. Unlike standard commercial plywood, normally finished on one side only, special panels with a high-quality laminated finish on both sides were engineered and produced for this realization. This technical choice made it possible to ensure uniform surfaces even in double-sided, multi-sided furniture elements. In keeping with this quest for formal purity, all cabinet openings exclude traditional handles in favor of grooves carved directly into the wood.
“Without Walls” interior architecture: the wall-furnishings and the technical core
The initial challenge of the construction site was radical as the accommodation was completely devoid of internal partitions. The design choice was not to erect wall partitions but to entrust the compartmentalization of the rooms entirely to the custom-made wall-furnishings separating the entrance from the bathrooms and fluidly distributing the living area and bedrooms. The real engineering fulcrum lies in the gray lacquered MDF ceiling. Integrated within it is a custom engineered beam system that serves a triple function: it houses the plenums and aeraulic ducts for air conditioning, supports the tracks of the sliding doors, and provides the substructure for attaching the closing panels. The result is an invisible plant integration that does not compromise with the formal cleanliness of the architecture.
Millimeter solutions for space optimization
When working on geometrically dense floor plans, millimeter precision becomes a prerequisite for solving structural constraints such as non-removable concrete pillars. In the guest bathroom, conceived as a true three-dimensional puzzle, a custom paneling wraps around the central pillar. On one side of the structure, a folding door conceals a column laundry room and a full-height trapezoidal compartment; on the other, the same thickness encases the adjacent kitchen refrigerator column. The kitchen area is developed around a peninsula with a top in bromine gray Fenix, a high-strength soft-touch matte finish. Here the structural pillar is absorbed by the countertop, which extends at the back to generate a snack top. To allow standard-height seating and avoid high stools, the base was set on a 12-cm raised platform, improving overall ergonomics. Smoke evacuation also required a timely study by routing the vent from the integrated hood directly into the front plinth of the kitchen.
The fusion of art, carpentry and oriental graphisms
Interior design dialogues directly with contemporary art through the involvement of Japanese artist Tomoko Nagao. In the living room, a storage unit only 30 cm deep houses three large sliding doors on which the artist has painted the work “Narcissus”. For this occasion, the historic woodworking shop in Narzole (just during the move to the new factory in Novello) was transformed into an ad hoc workshop. The technical team performed numerous tests to identify a specific protective clear coating formulated to stabilize acrylic pigments and avoid adverse chemical reactions by sealing the artwork within the furniture finishing cycle. A second work on canvas by the artist, the “Mona Lisa Green Ribbon Black Dotts”, was later framed in plywood and suspended on the partition wall of the master bedroom. The graphic theme of the apartment is strongly influenced by oriental geometric motifs. The access doors to the sleeping area were made by coupling two layers of numerically controlled pantographed wood with an inner core of opal plexiglass that diffuses light evenly, transforming the doors into scenic light elements. This pattern is repeated in the master bedroom where the closet doors feature non-passing millings lacquered in butter color (color evolution of the previous Tiffany shade defined in 2025). The concept finds maximum customization in the boys’ room: here the headboards of the single beds, equipped with large lower drawers, feature the names of the young occupants engraved in Morse code through greenish-colored millings.
The 2025 Expansion: connecting two housing units
In 2025, the project faced a new development with the purchase of the adjacent apartment requiring unification work on an area of 23 square meters. After the survey carried out in mid-March and the demolition of the old entrance doors by the construction company to create a single central access, the installation phase was completed in July. A large eight-door cabinet was installed in the new hallway, incorporating an existing pillar and accommodating a central sliding door to separate rooms. To allow the door to disappear within the niche created behind the master bathroom cabinet, the designers had to engineer an exclusively side-fixing system for the suspended washbasin, freeing the back wall from constraints and anchors. To maintain visual consistency between the two accommodations, it was necessary to connect the old plant ceiling with the new one by making several structural adjustments and filings in place to compensate for misalignments in elevations. The intervention concludes in the new master bathroom where a full-height column cabinet dialogues with the washbasin top and window sill, both clad in a single block of Emperador marble, inserting a natural and refined material accent that enhances the essentiality of the birch plywood. Outdoor appurtenances also received attention: at an intermediate stage (2022), the cellar on the ground floor was equipped with a bilaminate bench-changing room raised on a blue metal structure designed for marine equipment.
Saglietti Group confirms itself as a strategic partner for designers who consider space a challenge of sartorial precision, demonstrating how invisible structures and advanced technical detail are the true drivers of a project’s aesthetic success.
by Eleonora | Apr 30, 2026 | Museum layouts and exhibition spaces
It is a pleasure to find ourselves, just over two months later, once again involved in a project that we had already loved bringing to light at the end of last year. The multimedia and interactive exhibition Intelligènzæ returns in a new guise: not a replica, but a profound transformation that keeps the heart of the project intact, exploring one of the most fascinating questions in science: what is intelligence?
A new format: the exhibition becomes traveling
This edition marks a major paradigm shift: new content, new venue, and above all a rethought design to make the exhibition itinerant and replicable. The challenge was to transform an immersive and complex exhibit into a modular and transportable system. Fundamental was the concept of architect Stefano Grande, who together with our technical and production work shaped an exhibition system “on wheels.”
7 chests and a modular narrative pathway
The new layout consists of seven main caissons plus one final element, designed as autonomous narrative units but part of a single system. Made of okumé, they are designed for strength, lightness and repeatability in transport. Each module opens with different geometries-symmetrical and asymmetrical-creating a dynamic exhibition rhythm.
The interiors, lacquered in light blue, recall the previous edition, while each caisson houses interactive elements such as monitors, digital devices and control systems, creating distinct but coherent experiential micro-environments.
Reuse and design continuity
The final element of the itinerary introduces a key principle: reuse.
An exhibition rack was in fact made from a structure of the previous edition, transformed and repurposed to become a vertical support for a new graphic panel. A gesture that combines memory and design, maintaining continuity between the different stages of the project.
Engineering and technical solutions
Behind the formal neatness is articulate engineering work driven by transportability, safety and durability.
Each caisson is a self-contained system with integrated wheels for handling and a structure designed to distribute loads, reducing stress on hinges and opening points. Plant systems are fully integrated and accessible via removable panels, with ventilation and technical hatches to ensure maintenance and reliability. Dimmable LED lighting is an integral part of the design, helping to define spaces without altering their formal cleanliness.
Industrial language as visual identity
The boxes echo theaesthetics of industrial transport crates, inspired by professional flight cases. A language that is not decorative, but part of the design narrative: logistics becomes visual storytelling.
An interdisciplinary project
Intelligènzæ was born from a network of expertise that combines design, research, and communication.
A central role is played by Taxi1729, a Turin-based organization specializing in science popularization, together with figures such as. Vincenzo Guarnieri and the concept of architect Stefano Grande.
Our contribution focuses on engineering and production, transforming the concept into a concrete, modular and transportable system. Special thanks to Federico Verdi and Davide Di Polito for the technical development of the most complex elements.
Conclusion
Intelligènzæ is not an exhibition to be observed, but an experience to be walked through.
Each element is designed to activate the visitor and turn the visit into a process of discovery.
You leave with more questions than you had upon entering. And that is what the project is all about: an intelligence that is constantly evolving, like the design that houses it.
Photo credits: Paolo Saglia – GiustiEventi
by Eleonora | Apr 17, 2026 | Museum layouts and exhibition spaces
Water, even before being a natural resource, is a true cultural infrastructure. This perspective inspired the design of the new headquarters for the Consorzio Canale Sarmassa, which was inaugurated on March 22, 2025, in the hamlet of Podio, Bene Vagienna.
The Canale Sarmassa, documented as far back as 1596, crosses the Cuneo plain, connecting territories, communities, and agricultural systems along a route that still irrigates approximately 3,000 hectares today. It is a historic infrastructure that is not merely technical but also a defining element of identity. The interior and exhibition design project interprets precisely this dimension, transforming the consortium headquarters into a hybrid space that combines administrative functions, a training center, and a museum dedicated to the memory of water.
An open and collaborative design process
The project was not developed according to a traditional construction drawing, but through an open and iterative process, carried out in close collaboration with architect Michele Bossio (A&T Progetti srl). The continuous dialogue between design and production made it possible to define spatial and technical solutions iteratively, starting from essential guidelines and progressively transforming them into concrete elements of the installation. This approach enabled very direct control over the details and a strong integration between concept and execution. Construction, which began in January 2025 following the site survey in October 2024, was completed in an extremely short timeframe, maintaining design consistency and precision of execution throughout all phases.
Three rooms, one narrative
The exhibition is divided into three distinct yet closely interconnected spaces, designed as a single narrative system that guides visitors from the institutional dimension through the educational dimension to the historical memory.
Conference Hall
The conference hall serves as the primary operational and institutional space. Here, the design focuses on a minimalist and restrained aesthetic, centered around a three-meter-long custom-made lacquered MDF counter, conceived as a continuous volume without visual interruptions. This design choice addresses the need to convey an orderly and authoritative image, in which technology and functionality are fully integrated into the design. The 12-centimeter-high raised platform, constructed with a metal frame and laminate finish, serves an exclusively ergonomic function, improving visibility of the speakers and incorporating accessibility and safety features without compromising the clean lines of the space. The space is completed by modular informational panels that allow for the reconfiguration of content over time.
Study Room
The study room introduces a more open and flexible space dedicated to training and teaching. The bright space, visually connected to the conference room via an internal balcony, features tables, seating, and display systems consistent with the lower level. The central element is a custom-designed reversible whiteboard, made of ABET metal laminate on both sides. It is not merely a teaching aid, but a hybrid technical device that combines a writable surface with a magnetic board, capable of rotating thanks to a specially designed metal structure. Its engineering ensures stability, durability, and great flexibility of use, making it a true work tool as well as a piece of furniture.
Water Museum Hall
The Water Museum Hall serves as the narrative heart of the project. Here, the exhibition design takes on a more technical and conservation-oriented approach, featuring a large custom-built cabinet made of lacquered MDF designed for the management and protection of historical maps and cartographic artifacts. The main challenge was managing the wide-span drawers, which was solved by incorporating metal stiffening elements and a slight structural counter-curvature to control deformation over time. The system incorporates multiple locks and discreet technical solutions that ensure security and functionality without compromising the clean aesthetic. Next to it, an interactive table with an integrated touchscreen introduces a digital dimension to the experience of the content, making the museum space dynamic and accessible.
Materials and Continuity in Design Language
One of the central aspects of the project is the material consistency that runs through all the galleries. Lacquered MDF, melamine-faced panels, technical laminates, and graphic surfaces are not used as isolated elements, but as parts of a single design language. Even the display elements and frames for the historical artifacts are designed to ensure visual continuity, with solutions that combine protection, durability, and clarity of presentation. This attention to detail is never merely decorative but serves the purpose of creating an environment that must simultaneously meet institutional, educational, and museum requirements, while always maintaining a strong overall coherence.
Design as Cultural Infrastructure
The design of the new headquarters for the Consorzio Canale Sarmassa serves as an example of how interior design can become a tool for interpreting the local area. The design does not merely organize functional spaces but constructs a continuous narrative that connects historical memory, contemporary use, and cultural identity. In this sense, the project transcends the logic of traditional furnishing or interior design to approach a form of narrative architecture, in which every element contributes to the creation of a coherent and layered spatial experience.
Collaboration and shared process
The project is the result of a collaborative effort, in which dialogue between the design team, the production team, and the client played a decisive role. The collaboration with architect Michele Bossio and the operational team made it possible to address complex technical challenges, transforming them into solutions that are seamlessly integrated into the overall design, while consistently maintaining alignment between the vision and its execution.
by Eleonora | Mar 25, 2026 | Design Hub Projects
Some projects arise from a practical need, others from a hunch. The Astra project stems from both.
In this project, the Saglietti Group applied its approach through Design Hub, a space where design, engineering, and production work together to transform ideas into tangible products, ready for industrial-scale production.
Design Hub represents the intersection of creativity and technology. It is not merely a design space, but a working method that allows us to oversee every stage of product development, from the initial concept to the physical realization.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Architects, designers, and companies are supported throughout the entire process, with the goal of translating real needs into concrete solutions while ensuring consistency between the aesthetic vision and production feasibility.
The Astra Project
Astra, a Tuscan company operating in the fashion and luxury sector, approached us with a very specific request: to design a drawer unit capable of holding 1,200 spools of thread, perfectly organized, visible, and easily accessible, without any overlap.
The challenge was to develop a technical object—but also an everyday work tool—that was functional, sleek, and consistent with the company’s identity.
From the comparison to the 3D model
The first step was direct communication with the client. In collaboration with the sales department and the engineering office, every requirement was analyzed and translated into a comprehensive 3D model, including all system components.
Starting from this digital model, the second engineering department developed the machine programs, precisely defining all necessary machining operations. Every production phase was studied in detail, from cutting to milling, through drilling, and to the correct positioning of the hardware, with the goal of ensuring maximum precision and repeatability.
Materials and Construction
The chest of drawers is made entirely of white laminated MDF, a material chosen for its stability, durability, and aesthetic appeal. The unit consists of ten drawers, each designed to hold 120 beech pegs, for a total of 1,200 pieces.
The pegs, with precise dimensions of 90 mm in height and 8 mm in diameter, are positioned at perfectly equal distances. This design choice is not random but responds to the need to ensure order, accessibility, and true functionality in daily use.
Visibility and functionality
To allow for an immediate view of the spools, a transparent plexiglass panel has been integrated. Two circular holes have been cut into this panel for each drawer, enabling convenient access without compromising the clean lines and continuity of the design.
The finishes have also been carefully designed: the base and top have been chamfered using an edge-banding machine, resulting in a clean, uniform surface without the addition of applied edges.
Production and Prototyping
Now that the design and planning phases are complete, the project has entered the pilot production phase. Each chest of drawers was assembled in-house, with components labeled to ensure order and control at every stage. To date, thirty units have been produced. However, the value of the project lies not in the quantity, but in the process that led to its completion.
Un approccio orientato all’industrializzazione
The Astra project is a perfect example of the Design Hub’s approach: an environment where ideas don’t remain mere concepts, but become tangible prototypes that are tested and ready for mass production.
It is a process that enables the development of scalable products, while consistently maintaining a balance between design quality, production efficiency, and attention to detail.
Conclusion
That is why the Design Hub was created: to transform complex needs into tangible solutions, guiding each project from the initial sketch through to production. This same approach has guided the development of projects such as StarsBOX and the Home Office collection, reaffirming the Saglietti Group’s role as a bridge between design and industry, between vision and reality.
Because an idea is the starting point.
But it is only when it takes shape, becomes precise, and can be replicated that it can truly enter the world.
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