How a bathroom-focused brand started to conquer the whole domestic environment

antoniolupi’s CEO and Art Director Andrea Lupi is very confident and easygoing about the change of strategy of his brand. He says that it was a very intuitive and consequent step in the evolution of the firm, historically focused on the production of high-end essentially designed, sophisticated and innovative bathroom solutions. Three years ago, after the introduction of wallpapers, lamps and carpets, the brand launched its first collection of furniture.

“It wasn’t a sudden decision but the consequence of a more and more visible hybridization of the bathroom space with the rest of the home”. The spaces dedicated to well-being and taking care of oneself weren’t anymore confined in what has always been perceived as the most intimate and private part of the house. They were trespassing the borders, while the house became a relaxing and cocooning setting in any of its parts: the living room, the sleeping room, the studio. 

Now antoniolupi is more and more into its new strategy, most of all because of the good results and the enthusiastic reaction of its market and its clients. 

It is anyway important to recall that the brand is not just one of the dozens in the Italian bathroom trade. Since its birth, the company acted as a real innovator by experimenting with new materials, new production techniques, a highly sensitive perception of precious natural stones and, above all, proposing a different vision of the bathroom. “We were the first to use Corian in 2002: we understood the numberless aesthetical possibilities this new material was promising. Then we started to develop our own resins in-house and we developed new production processes also for natural stones. Our efforts in R&D amplified the creativity of designers, giving them more freedom to express and experiment”.

The transition from the bathroom to other environments was smooth, both for the company and for the long-time collaborating designers. Andrea Lupi confirms that: “This project reminds me of when, in 1995, I decided to revolutionize the sector by creating the first design collection for the bathroom. Today, with over forty years of experience, I face this new challenge with an even more conscious vision.” antoniolupi products are designed to be modular and flexible, ever evolving pieces able to adapt through time and space. 

The latest novelties embody this philosophy: sofas, beds, coffee tables, rugs, coat racks, sideboards and armchairs, all designed by designers with whom the company has collaborated successfully for many years, such as Carlo Colombo and Gumdesign. 

Carlo Colombo found the challenge of redefining the relationship between the bathroom and the rest of the house positively challenging and stimulating. He created a versatile collection designed to flawlessly serve in any room of the house. Charlie is an upholstered bed whose shape is a smart visual conversation between the thin metal frame and the softness and lightness of the padded parts. Geometry plays an important role: the rectangular basis is dynamically counteracted by the trapezoid-shaped headboard. The whole aesthetic is underlined by the bench, which is the ideal complement to this very classic piece of furniture.

Carlo Colombo is the author of the beds Ginevra and Sofi. The first one is a very classical piece matched with a pairing bench. High-quality handcrafted upholstering is one of the main features of made in Italy design and this bed is an antoniolupi’s signature piece of this traditional manufacturing technique. The second bed on the other hand is the contemporary counterpart: slim, geometrical, light and volumeless. 

Speaking of sofas, antoniolupi is reiterating a similar productive strategy. On the one hand, there are very classical samples of typically Italian upholstered pieces designed by Carlo Colombo: the sofas Oliver and Neverland. Both of them are highly customizable with textiles, leathers and colors. On the other hand, there is Teorema, a more geometrical, modular and very flexible sofa system signed by Gumdesign. This concept is the result of a reflection on the ever-changing function of architectural spaces and their needing adaptive sofas collections without hinges or joints. 

We already spoke about antoniolupi’s production and manufacturing competence, which becomes even more evident when natural and precious stones are involved. The collection of coffee tables Orbit is made of marble worked in a very thin and aerial thickness to enhance the beauty and the unexpected combination of solidity and lightness. 

Italian craftsmanship is also the theme of the carpet collection Arrosu by AL Studio and Atlante designed by Mario Trimarchi made of sheep’s wool worked with the ancient Sardinian Pibiones technique, a grain weaving building a pattern of pixels, defining the final image. Arrosu offers an elegant and sophisticated aesthetic with a dense and regular weave. 

By drawing on its decades-long experience and design competence, material innovation, and manufacturing prowess, antoniolupi has expanded its offerings to encompass the whole home, creating coherent and highly customizable solutions. From the classic upholstery pieces to the modular, adaptable sofa systems, and the marble and textile creations, antoniolupi’s vision emerges as a holistic approach to creating domestic sanctuaries that embody contemporary lifestyle.