Black magic: we're escaping to a better place with illusions of grandeur

A magical design dimension
(Image credit: Tommaso Sartori)

For our July issue, we’ve entered a magical design dimension. Inspired by the master illusionist Houdini – and the aesthetic wonders inside Yale’s 2010 book on his melding of Art and Magic – we explored the liminal spaces in which illusion and trickery meet the creative world. In deep shades and hidden corners arrives a trove of glorious, decadent design pieces...

Pictured: ’La Cima3’ wall-mounted hanger, €932, by Lapo Ciatti, for Opinion Ciatti. ‘9.5°’ chair, €3,500, by Rasmus Bækkel Fex, for Frama, from Gallery S Bensimon. ‘Cara’ rug, €3,480, part of the Gio Ponti Carpet Collection, by Amini. ‘1085 Edition’ chair, £2,100, by Bartoli Design, for Kristalia. ‘Tiuku’ pendulum clock, €150, by Ari Kanerva, for Covo. ‘Rosolina’ table, $7,150, by Mauro Lipparini, for Casa International. ‘The Wide Bowl’, £195, by Akiko Hirai, from Rose Uniacke. Black and amber glass bottle, £65, by Ichendorf Milano, from The Conran Shop. ‘Ombra’ fabric as curtain (in left arch), £92 per m, by Rubelli. ‘HC 18’ handcuffs, £145, by Hiatt, from Below Stairs of Hungerford. ‘Mono-Light Copper Edition’, price on request, by Os & OOs, from Galerie Gosserez. ‘Attica TL’ table (through right arch), €1,470, by Studio 65, for Gufram. ‘Crescent’ light, £2,950, by Lee Broom. ‘Twig 4’ chair, €825, by Nendo, for Alias. Neoclassical fluted urn, c.1870, price on request, from Portuondo. ‘53 N 04’ mid-grey; ‘53 N 06’ dark grey; ‘17 D 06’ burgundy Absolute Matt Emulsion, £38 for 2.5 litres, all by Little Greene. ‘Treverktrend’ wood-effect floor tiles, price on request, by Marazzi. ‘Flexi Technic’ tiles, from £60 per sq m, by Philippe Starck, for Ceramica Sant’Agostino

Interiors: Maria Sobrino.

the leather hide being tied together and stitched


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

The ’1085 Edition’ chair by Kristalia marked a starting point for our set, the leather hide being tied together and stitched in a way that nods to Houdini’s epic straitjacket escape trick

shaping the space with its rope-style form


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

Creeping around our cabinet of curiosities is Dutch duo Os & OOs’ dynamic lighting. It subtly illuminates but also ominously hangs, shaping the space with its rope-style form

Starck-designed checkerboard flooring

(Image credit: Tommaso Sartori)

A flurry of magical boxes make up the second room, set on Philippe Starck-designed checkerboard flooring...

Pictured: ‘Scrigno’ containers, price on request, by Fernando and Humberto Campana, for Edra. ‘Giro’ stool, price on request, by Pedro Paulø-Venzon, for Objekto. ‘Moon’ bowls, large £153; small £51, both by Ilona Van Den Bergh, from WallpaperSTORE*. ‘Ladder Light’, from £255, by MSDS Studio. ‘Light Rocks’ light, €610, by Laura Bilde, from Etage Projects. ‘Febo’ chaise longue, £4,392, by Antonio Citterio, for B&B Italia. ‘Mongolian Horn Bow’, $3,500, by Brian Persico, from Chamber. ‘Pixel’ console, £3,600, by Ilia Potemine, from Mint. ‘Hex Edit’ vase, price on request, by Simon Klenell, from Gallery Fumi. Best of... 30010, C-print on aluminium, 2012, £2,200, by Anita Witek, from L’étrangère. ‘Cassettiera Cubick’ rotating drawers, €2,980, by Paolo Nicolò Rusolen, for Laurameroni. Mountains and Clouds 2, $3,000, by Karl Zahn. Paint; ‘Flexi Technic’ tiles, both as before

Interiors: Maria Sobrino.

Hidden back rest


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

In dark velvet is this slender Antonio Citterio ’Febo’ chaise longue, afforded an abstract and secretive quality with a hidden back rest

The smashed fragments that make up this ’Scrigno’ container sideboard


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

The smashed fragments that make up this ’Scrigno’ container sideboard – by the Campana Brothers, for Edra – create a hallucinatory ambiance in the room

a smoking shotgun is surrounded by tables that almost mimic chess piece

(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

This theatrical scene evokes the wanton danger of Russian Roulette: a smoking shotgun is surrounded by tables that almost mimic chess pieces...

Pictured left: ‘Door 302’, price on request, by Jirachai Tangkijngamwong, for Deesawat. ‘Bubbles’ handle, €164, by India Mahdavi, for Maison Vervloet. ‘Graal’ console table, €2,339, by Lapo Ciatti, for Opinion Ciatti. Antique mirror, £1,200, from Rose Uniacke. ‘Playhouse’ cards, €33, by Studio Entice, from WallpaperSTORE*. Snake magnifying glass, £115, by L’Objet, from Harrods. Shadows, €48, by Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant, from Steidl. ‘100 points’ decanter, £540, by James Suckling, for Lalique, from Harrods. Pyrite cubes on matrix, £950, from Dale Rogers Ammonite. ‘Bud Vase 4 – Tripod’, £310, by Christian Liaigre. ‘Las Escaleras’ game, €44, by Pico Pao, for Ludus Ludi. ‘Rise & Shine’ mirror, €399, by Hunting & Narud, for New Works. ‘Alfred’ side chair, €150, by Loris & Livia, from Covo. Paint; ‘Treverktrend’ tiles, both as before.

Right: ‘Container New Antiques’ table, €1,345, by Marcel Wanders, for Moooi. ‘Oxygen’ bowl, price on request, by Vanessa Mitrani. ‘Side by Side’ shotgun, £57,500, by William & Son. Roller blind, from €666, by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, for Kvadrat. ‘Smoke’ rug, £28 per sq m, by Tom Dixon, for Ege. Lagune marble sculpture, €3,000, by Jørgen Missotten. Quartz crystal, £3,800, by Dale Rogers Ammonite. ‘Passepartout’ wall lamp, €375, by Luta Bettonica, for Cini & Nils. ‘Wisp’ table, £1,044, by Ochre. Paint; ‘Treverktrend’ tiles, both as before


Interiors: Maria Sobrino.

Concealing the scene are Kvadrat’s seamless blinds


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

Concealing the scene are Kvadrat's seamless blinds, rendered in minimalist forms for a restrained finish

the pattern on which sets a deep and engaging mood


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

A spotlight in the background is focused on the slight details of Tom Dixon’s ’Smoke’ rug, for Ege, the pattern on which sets a deep and engaging mood

Visionary illusions are created with mirrors

(Image credit: Tommaso Sartori)

Visionary illusions are created with mirrors, archways and enclaves in this room, together with clever floods of light...

Pictured: ‘Mirage’ mirror panels, £427 each, by Tokujin Yoshioka, for Lema. ‘Level’ table, $3,500, by Cooperativa Panorámica, for Ángulo Cero. ‘Small Decanter Tear Drop Amber’, £495, by Joe Cariati, from The Conran Shop. ‘Scatter’ rug, £995 per sq m, by Deirdre Dyson. ‘Layers’ cabinet, price not yet available, by Nendo, for Glas Italia. Perudo set, £395, from William & Son. ‘Me-Far Octo’ sculptural bowls, £1,920, by Brooksbank & Collins, from FBC London. ‘Multi-Lite’ pendant light, £533, by Louis Weisdorf, reissued by Gubi. ‘Geometric 3279’, glass tray, £2,859, by Milan Knížák, for Moser. ‘Ebury’ jewellery box (in cabinet), £795, by Linley. ‘Spatial’ table/object, price on request, by De Intuïtiefabriek. ‘Ladder’ coat rack, $450, by Yenwen Tseng. Told You So photogravure etching, price on request, by Cornelia Parker, from Alan Cristea Gallery. Paint; ‘Flexi Technic’ tiles; ‘Treverktrend’ tiles, all as before

Interiors: Maria Sobrino.

thin Glas Italia table takes centre stage in the room


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

Inspired by the idea of the classic ’sawing a woman in half’ trick, this thin Glas Italia table takes centre stage in the room

’Multi-Lite’ pendant light by Gubi changes shape depending on the angle it is viewed


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

Also providing a little transformative intrigue, the Louis Weisdorf-designed ’Multi-Lite’ pendant light by Gubi changes shape depending on the angle it is viewed 

In the final room is a host of grand treasure chests and magical wares from the likes of Linley

(Image credit: Tommaso Sartori)

In the final room is a host of grand treasure chests and magical wares from the likes of Linley, Agresti and Bertoni...

Pictured: ’American Trunk’, price on request, by Bertoni. Sculpture/lidded box, £1,400, by Laszlo Tompa, from Portuondo. ‘Shooting Companion’ drinks carrier, £3,750, by Linley. ‘Hill House 1’ chair, £1,554, by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, from Cassina. ‘Link Porcelain Tri-light’, $7,400, by Apparatus. ‘Magic Di Ebano’ armoured safe, £31,000, by Agresti; ‘Cozy’ room divider, £9,030, by Tarcisio Colzani, for Porada, both from Harrods. ‘Wardrobe Suitcase’, price on request, by Bertoni. ‘Revolving Bookcase’, price not yet available, by Folkform. ‘Matroschka’ egg cup, £277, by Michael Sieger, for Sieger by Fürstenberg. The Prison, €58, by Koto Bolofo; Fast Nacht, €28, by Axel Hoedt, both from Steidl. ‘Stackabells’ wireless doorbell, price on request, by Gemma Roper and Jakub Pollag, for Studio Deform. ‘Crate’ boxes, from €359, by Antique Mirror. Tool set, £2,250, by WohnGeist, from The Conran Shop. ‘Little Ben’ dinner bell, £325, by Linley. 2nd Souffle sculpture, price on request, by Atelier Peekaboo, for Mobilab. ‘Bunch of Boxes’ hanging cabinet, €16,000, by Ditte Hammerstrøm, for Galerie Maria Wettergren. Paint; ‘Flexi Technic’ tiles; ‘Treverktrend’ tiles, all as before

Interiors: Maria Sobrino.

Bunch of Boxes


(Image credit: Photography: Tommaso Sartori)

Formidably hanging from the ceiling, the ‘Bunch of Boxes’ hanging cabinet by Ditte Hammerstrøm doubles as an art piece, tempting the viewer to peek inside

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.