During Milan Design Week last spring, the design manufacturer UniFor launched a new collection in collaboration with LSM Studio. Entitled “Andromeda,” it comprised sofas, tables, and sideboards in polished aluminum. The forms of each piece were elongated, razor thin, perfectly angled, and dizzyingly reflective. They embodied the descriptor “sleek.”
The collection’s name was reflected in the stunning setting in which it was photographed for its debut, the Teatro Andromeda. Designed by Lorenzo Reina in the mountains of Sicily, the open-air theater was majestically mirrored on every oh-so-flat surface of furniture. Whitewall caught up with Debra Lehman Smith, who founded the D.C.- and New York–based LSM Studio with James McLeish in 1991, to learn more about the inspiration behind Andromeda.
UniFor’s Andromeda collection, photos by Alberto Strada, courtesy of UniFor.
Andromeda is 10-Years in the Making at UniFor
WHITEWALL: Your Andromeda collection for UniFor is 10 years in the making. Can you tell us what the starting point for this collection was?
DEBRA LEHMAN SMITH: It came from developing projects with UniFor. We started with the credenza, creating something that could float within any space without a front or back. Something that was transparent, floating, and complemented its surroundings. The other pieces followed that lead, reducing each piece to its most elemental form.
WW: How did your work with your clients at LSM Studio inspire the collection? What does this collection provide that they were looking for?
DLS: The entrepreneurial spirit of our clients helped drive us to create pieces that are timeless and elegant. We needed something that complemented the space and architecture around it. We saw a void in the market and created “Andromeda” to fill that opening.
WW: What drew you to the material of polished aluminum as a unifying element?
DLS: UniFor’s machining and crafting of the aluminum is beyond compare. Through their exacting process, the reflective nature of the aluminum allows it to be transformative to and transformed by its environment.
UniFor’s Andromeda collection, photos by Alberto Strada, courtesy of UniFor.
UniFor’s Andromeda collection, photos by Alberto Strada, courtesy of UniFor.
WW: Can you tell us about the ways you then included glass, travertine, and leather?
DLS: Glass is a natural extension of the qualities of the aluminum, while travertine and leather bring a texture and touch to the collection that are as timeless as aluminum and glass.
WW: This collection is full of long, sleek lines. Why does that work with the materials of choice?
DLS: The fundamental nature of glass and aluminum are perceived as infinitely thin and precise, accentuating the idea of lines extending through space.
WW: “Andromeda” is designed for a variety of spaces. What makes it so versatile, do you think?
DLS: The collection’s proportion and elemental nature allow it to fit into any context. There’s nothing extraneous. It allows a designer to see the possibilities in any space and style.
“It allows a designer to see the possibilities in any space and style,”
—Debra Lehman Smith
UniFor’s Andromeda collection, photos by Alberto Strada, courtesy of UniFor.
UniFor Captures the Collection at the Iconic Teatro Adromeda
WW: The photography of the collection is stunning—set within the Teatro Andromeda. What was it like to see the pieces in dialogue with the architecture of Lorenzo Reina?
DLS: It was truly transformative. Lorenzo’s Teatro is a place out of space and time. He brought the spirit of the cosmos onto a mountaintop in Sicily. The collection simultaneously became a part of the Teatro and embedded the spirit of the Teatro within the collection.
WW: You’ve worked with UniFor for nearly three decades. Can you speak to your relationship with the design brand?
DLS: In the last 25 years, UniFor has contributed to many of our most important projects. Their expertise, exactness, and holistic vision of architecture have informed our approach. They have been a true design partner as we create spaces around the world.
WW: Is there a piece that was particularly challenging to achieve?
DLS: The image of simplicity and clarity across the entire collection required dedication from everyone on the team. Reducing each element back to its most simple version required obsessive pursuit of perfection from everyone who touched it.
WW: Were you to have one piece in your home or office from this collection, what would it be?
DLS: Of course, one must say: all of them.
