DeKauri, 2017

Designers: Daniel Germani Designs, Phoenix, Arizona, United States, RIVA Industria Mobili SpA., Cantù (CO) Italy, Costenino, Coral Gables, Florida, USA, Fratelli Fantini SpA., Pella (NO), Italy, and Juniper Design Group, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Manufacturer: RIVA Industria Mobili SpA., Cantù (CO) Italy

This is a really exciting project that I had the privilege to develop with four incredible partners: Dekton by Cosentino, Riva1920, Fantini and Juniper. In the process of designing DeKauri, I thought that when it comes to the kitchen there are ingenious, innovative design solutions to hide and store everything. But that it’s not always the case in the bathroom. I realized bathroom sinks and storage has at its core remained the same over the years. It is either a freestanding sink of sorts or some kind of volume, either vertical or horizontal, that hosts in way way or another a washbasin.

The bathroom is an incredible personal and intimate space. I wanted DeKauri to capture that feel and re-inventing a credenza, an ubiquitous piece of furniture found in all Italian households, was the natural choice.

As I processed the different components, I thought how beautiful it would be to combine the incredible craftsmanship of Riva1920 using a super noble and ancient wood as Kauri (50,000 year old wood found buried in the peatlands in Auckland, New Zealand) with the most advanced ultra-compact surface in the market, Dekton by Cosentino, in the wet areas. I thought this marriage would be a match made in heaven. When it came to faucets, the choice was easy: Fantini. I love the craftsmanship, incredible technology and passion they put behind the fabrication of every single faucet. The last piece of the puzzle was how to light the vanity and again the choice was a no brainer: Juniper. Their Thin line, with the 360- degree motion, allows for all different kinds of lighting moods and tasks: a strong, direct light for makeup application or shaving, or a softer, indirect light, when one wakes up or before going to bed.

DeKauri transforms incredibly utilitarian parts of the bath into something incredibly beautiful while taking away the feeling of being in a bathroom. One closes its doors and the piece is as beautiful as when it’s opened. I could very easily see this in a master suite, a power room, or even in an open-concept bedroom where the sleeping space and bath flow into one another. The back of the credenza is fully finished hiding all the electric and plumbing. We are also proposing Dekauri in walnut with wenge and oak inlays in the doors.

I see DeKauri as a modern day heirloom, a beautiful piece of furniture that creates an intimate space where we can still rejoice in flipping a switch to turn on and off the lights, one where we can keep Alexa far away. I hope its timeless appeal and impeccable construction will last generations and defy trends.