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interiors
Luxurious simplicity
Dubai-based, Italian-born Marianna Piccolo fuses cultures with luxurious simplicity in an unmistakably Parisian apartment. TEXT: DoroThy waLDMan
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arianna Piccolo, an avid reader of identity, is an architect and interior designer who in 2014 founded My Pick One Studio Design in Dubai Design District (d3). Her aesthetics were moulded by the beauty, culture, music and art of her childhood home in southern Italy, and her skills were developed at the legendary Polytechnic University of Milan. Under the esteemed tutelage of identity Design Awards juror Marco Piva, Piccolo honed her philosophy of discovering the beauty of luxurious simplicity. Piva taught her a rational approach to design and encouraged her to listen to her inner creative voice and think beyond the established norms. Her love for imperial Italian architecture, as well as the beauty of the simple and rustic, makes all her designs pleasingly elegant and workable. In February this year, the 38-eight-year-old creative entrepreneur was named as one of the ‘Top 50 Most Influential Designers in the Middle East’, a major accomplishment for the head of a young boutique firm. In each of its 50 high-end commercial, hospitality, residential and retail projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Italy and France, My One Pick has always been mindful of each client’s requirements, budgets and timelines in their bespoke designs. For duplex apartments in picturesque Saint Germain, Piccolo merged the historical, literary and artistic charm of the Parisian location with contemporary residential elements. Nestled between quaint shops and homes, the structure itself is a major landmark. My Pick One wanted to reflect the elegant and artistic European essence of the neighbourhood, and so incorporated French architectural features such as high ceilings, panelling and ornate fireplace surrounds, while simultaneously catering to 21st-century lifestyles. The elegance of the spaces is enhanced with mirrors – some with ornate, typically French frames and others in more subdued, contemporary shapes and sizes. At the owners’ request, the apartments have a highly simplistic and minimalist design to provide a relaxing, clean atmosphere. Open spaces give a spacious, uncluttered feel, enabling the occupants to decompress and think more clearly while enjoying the excitement of the City of Lights. The timeless, sophisticated elegance of French culture was achieved through a complex yet subtle palette of beige, black, brown and white, with varied contrasts of red, vibrant blue and other surprising hues inserted throughout.
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