Isn't he the bathroom guy? And the cutlery, tableware, office chairs (such as the Vitra, left), couches, lamps, beds, kitchen furnishings and doorknobs guy. Born, bred and based in Milan, Italy, 50-something Antonio Citterio considers the home a second skin. Bathrooms, however, are his passion.
Why bathrooms? Citterio, who was in Hong Kong recently to promote his new Axor Citterio line of baths, basins and mixer taps for sanitary ware giant Hansgrohe, feels the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house and should have the maximum space possible devoted to it. 'The bathroom is no longer just about hygiene and necessity. Desire is now included,' he says.
What about a typical tiny Hong Kong bathroom? According to Citterio, you can still make it a place of calm ritual, uncluttered, private and relaxing. 'The source of water is important. Some people in this world have to walk many kilometres to find it and water is wealth. I wanted my collection to show the value of water,' he says.
How did he start? His father was a designer and carpenter so creativity is in his blood. He studied architecture at the Polytechnic Institute in Milan and graduated in 1972. He began collaborating on projects with the likes of Kartell, Flos, B&B Italia (including the lounge, below) and Arclinea and later founded his design studio.
He sounds like a busy man. He has also managed to find time to lecture at universities and has won awards for his work including the Compasso d'Oro at the Milan Triennale in 1987 and 1995, Designer of the Year 2002 from Architecture & Living magazine and the Hall of Fame award from Interior Design magazine.
Where can I see his work? His Mobil container unit and Battista trolley designed for Kartell are on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; the Gastone and Oxo trolley systems and Dolly chair, all for Kartell, are on show at the Pompidou Centre in Paris.