Davide Tonelli presents Fio.Clorofilla!

Nature plays a starring role in one of the main interior design trends

The designer Davide Tonelli has been working with Ceramica Fioranese for several years now, helping the Modena company to create some of its most original collections. The driver and container of all this is the Fio. Project, aimed at focusing on Italian craftsmanship and creativity at its most vibrant. Fio.Clorofilla is the latest addition to the project, and nature is very much the hallmark of this striking, distinctive collection, which follows one of today’s macro-trends for interiors: “Biophilic Design”. The project comprises a series of tiles inspired by hand-designed botanical patterns that bring the natural universe indoors. The designs are presented in a particular Primavera and Autunno variant, and are complemented by four coordinated plain colours that can be combined with the natural patterns. It’s impossible not to fall in love with this extraordinary graphic project, perfect for embellishing both floors and walls, where it takes on the appearance of a painting or a window looking onto a marvellous garden. We asked Davide Tonelli a few questions to understand the secrets behind this new collection.

LifeTiles: Another beautiful collection designed along with Fioranese for the Fio. Project. What’s the hallmark of the Fio.Clorofilla concept?

D. Tonelli: The project comprises a series of hand-designed graphics inspired by botanical patterns that bring the natural universe indoors. This collection can be used on both floors and walls. Presented in two sizes, a 20×20 tile and a large 120×260 cm slab, the range is completed with four coordinated colours that can easily be combined with the patchwork formed by the patterns.

LifeTiles: How does this new collection slot into the FIO. project?

D. Tonelli: Following one of next season’s macro-trends for interiors design, Biophilic Design, Fio.Clorofilla seeks to pursue the process of experimentation and innovation initiated with Fio. two years ago now; the aim is to “stand out” on the market, by proposing projects with a fil rouge that seeks to team design with trends and craftsmanship with technology, in line with the traditional core values of the brand.

LifeTiles: What is meant by Biophilic Design?

D. Tonelli: This trend focuses on the relationship between Man and Nature, working to create spaces able to “bring the outside indoors” so that people can enjoy it to the full. People wish to restore contact with Nature, both emotionally and physically, and the use of natural, organic patterns indoors brings renewed vigour to our relationship with Nature, in response to the growing desire to take a step back from busy city life and its increasing levels of pollution. Embracing Nature in our living spaces has a positive impact on mood and well-being, reducing stress levels and creating inviting, welcoming settings.

LifeTiles: Which settings are best suited to Fio.Clorofilla?

D. Tonelli: Plants and botanical patterns have enormous decorative potential in the home, and have a lasting appeal. Botanical prints on tiles and wallpaper are attractive without being too feminine, and look equally good in modern, country or classic settings. Companies on the leading edge of workspace design, such as Apple, Google and Amazon, are investing heavily in elements of biophilic design. As regards design in the hospitality sector, it would appear that guests are prepared to pay 23% extra for a room with a view that includes biophilic elements. In the retail sector, it has been found that the presence of vegetation and landscape architecture boosts retail income, with customers willing to pay 8-10% more for goods and services. The advantages of biophilic design can be extended to our homes, which can become new spaces in which to recharge our batteries.

LifeTiles: What kind of atmospheres can be recreated with the shades of colour chosen for this collection?

D. Tonelli: The colour range is composed of natural shades, with an appealing blend of green and brown tones. Green is one of the top colour trends for 2021, with almost all the major paint brands featuring shades of green in their collections. Hybrid combinations of traditional techniques with digital printing process shape new style variants, with a clear connection with the natural environment. The texture of the surfaces is an invitation to reach out and touch them.

LifeTiles: Engaging with nature in interior design projects with a contemporary approach: is this really possible today?

D. Tonelli: The growing interest in Biophilic Design shows that in an increasingly busy, digital world, Man is desperately keen to reconnect with Nature. The elements of biophilic design ought to stimulate more than just the visual senses, offering an authentically multi-sensory experience; so engaging with nature is not only a possible experience, and it has become a driver able to guide our lifestyles towards the rediscovery of values that seemed lost, and a heightened awareness of the ecosystem around us.