Designer story: Maurizio Pellizzoni

With an impressive portfolio and awards to his name including from SBID, the ID&A Awards, the International Design Awards and International Property Awards, Maurizio Pellizzoni is one of the most talented interior designers in the UK. Growing up near Lake Como in a family who is already in the design trade, Maurizio was able to hone his skills and eye for design from a very young age.

These days Maurizio runs his namesake design studio from the heart of London’s design district, managing luxe interior projects of listed, period properties, new buildings, spacious country mansions and bijou townhouses in the UK and abroad. It is very clear that Maurizio’s signature aesthetic is inspired by his own experiences and travel, from glamour of Lake Como, cosmopolitan New York to daily life in London where he lives.

Can you tell us more about your journey and how you got into interiors?

I have always been passionate about design, coming from a family working in this field and from a beautiful place like Lake Como, it was natural for me to take this path. However, it was not until after moving to London in January 1998 and furthermore, working form Ralph Lauren, that I knew this was what I wanted to do. After a few years at Ralph Lauren, I decided to go back to University and study Interior Architecture at the London Metropolitan University.

I then spent more than a decade as part of the creative team at Ralph Lauren Home where I directed the presentation of the home collections in London, Milan and Brussels. I founded my London based studio in 2007 and have since launched my online boutique. It has been an amazing journey where I have learnt a lot and have been extremely lucky to design beautiful interiors all over the world, for which I am very proud of.

What did you find most challenging in early days of your business in terms of project management and getting new clients?

When I first went solo, I was very lucky to have clients of Ralph Lauren as my launch pad who were looking to implement the same look but wanted a designer to work for them on their entire home. The challenging part was to work alone on some of those projects. When I was at university and then at Ralph Lauren, I always had the support of a team.

When I started to work solo I was on my own and had to start from scratch, initially working from my kitchen table at home. I had to learn to project manage all aspects of each project from the ordering to installation, plus all the smaller issues whilst managing client relations to get a project completed on time.

After the first few years, I knew it was time to open a design studio and settled for Chelsea, near the Design Centre. With the new office and employees to take care of, I had to start to find new clients, breaking away from the whole Ralph Lauren look. This was a particular challenge as there’s no real formula to winning clients. With many interior designers in London and more specifically in my area, the competition is so high and building a reputation and portfolio takes time. It was challenging to get noticed and is still one of the big challenges designers face today.

We love your quote: “Life as art, art as life: design is an art, and this is my life”. How important is art in your design work?

Art is a must have. I love art and I think it’s the key piece to any interior scheme. From photography to sketches or even on old cinema poster, I love the way art can change the final mood of each room.

When you look at the projects and / or collaborations you’ve done so far, what would you say is your favourite and why?

I love all of my projects the same way, but if I must choose one, I would say Surrey Hills Country Mansion. This is simply because of the size of the property and the fact that the client was very trustful of my ideas, so we were able to create a beautiful family mansion together.

My favourite collaboration was guest designer for British GQ three years in a row, designing interior sets for features to inspire the readers. I sourced some of the finest pieces internationally, some very special one off items and brought together the very best of design with furniture, accessories and art to create stunning interior shots that were splashed across their pages!

Can you tell us a little bit more about what you’re currently working on?

I recently launched a very exciting project, as I was able to create a mono brand property in the heart of Mayfair. I’ve just completed a stunning 6,000 sq.ft family home in the heart of Chelsea and now working on two new projects, an apartment in Shoreditch for a young businesswoman and another family home in Chelsea. I am also working on my first Italian project, a large apartment in Milan, which is and will always be my first love!

About Maurizio Pellizzoni

Interior designer Maurizio Pellizzoni has design in his DNA. It’s no surprise, as he grew up near Lake Como and comes from a family who work in the business. Since founding his consultancy Maurizio Pellizzoni Ltd in 2007, he has applied his Italian appreciation of style and design to a range of residential and commercial projects. Based in the Chelsea Design Quarter, Maurizio Pellizzoni Ltd has many of Europe’s best suppliers and services on its doorstep and over the years Maurizio has fostered relationships with the most highly skilled builders, architects and specialists in the field.

Personal relationships with clients are central to Maurizio Pellizzoni Ltd’s work ethos. Maurizio believes that close, direct contact creates a better project. He will interpret his clients’ tastes and styles – rather than imposing his own – to ensure a unique and characterful end-result. And he’s equally comfortable working on a project from scratch, with an open brief and a blank canvas.

Maurizio Pellizzoni Ltd has created interiors for listed, period properties, new buildings, spacious country mansions and bijou townhouses in the UK and abroad. Maurizio’s aesthetic is inspired by the glamour of Lake Como, cosmopolitan New York, and daily life in London where he lives.

He spent more than a decade as part of the creative team at Ralph Lauren Home where he directed the presentation of collections in London, Milan and Brussels. Aesthetic rigour and discipline reigned and Maurizio developed a meticulous eye for detail and a complete understanding of how to create a luxe interior.

Maurizio completed a BA in Interior Architecture at London Metropolitan University and has received awards from SBID, the ID&A Awards, the International Design Awards and the International Property Awards. Maurizio Pellizzoni Ltd’s projects have been featured in publications all over the world.

Photography: Jake Fitzjones

Maurizio Pellizzoni details:

Website: mauriziopellizzoni.co.uk

This article was first published in ESTILA Vol10/2019