Philip Kron Morelli & Arianne Palla

Atelier Terre

Stone marquetry maker

©Nicolo Panzeri

Patterns in stone, a Renaissance renewal

Philip and Arianne specialise in commesso fiorentino
Together they reinterpret the traditional rules of stone marquetry
Their creations are one-off pieces made mostly on commission

Arianne Palla and Philip Kron Morelli met at the prestigious Scuola di Alta Formazione dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, where they graduated in the conservation and restoration of commesso fiorentino. This stone marquetry technique was prized by Ferdinando I de’ Medici, who established the original Opificio workshops in 1588. “I never contemplated the idea of taking up a profession that was not manual,” says Philip, “and my curiosity to understand how ancient works in semi-precious stones were made was a stimulus to create my own.” Arianne, co-founder of Atelier Terre, shares the same vision. “Thanks to our training and experience as restorers,” she explains, “we can implement our understanding of the craft and its techniques to reinterpret tradition in a contemporary aesthetic.” The duo make interior pieces from stone, adding a playful twist of colour or symbolism through detailed use of stone marquetry at surprising angles.

Interview

©Nicolo Panzeri

©Nicolo Panzeri

Philip, what made you decide to open your own studio?: I needed a place where I could explore the creative possibilities of this technique freely, making new pieces rather than restoring them. I started to develop my own designs in 2018, working in a studio I shared with jewellers and stone carvers.
When did you join Philip in this enterprise, Arianne?: In 2020, when he acquired the stock of an old workshop, which included a traditional cutting bench and hundreds of semi-cut stones. I spent weeks cataloguing them and then, quite naturally, we started working together on our first projects.
How does the creative process begin?: The starting point is always the stones, with their wealth of shapes, colours and shades. We like to source them personally, in Italy but also abroad, like in France and Germany. It is also a great opportunity to discover places and make new connections.
In what ways are you innovating this traditional craft?: In trying to enhance certain features that have seldom been explored in the past, such as playing with transparencies, shading contours and creating objects that develop in three dimensions, rather than exclusively on a flat surface.

Philip Kron Morelli & Arianne Palla are rising stars: they began their career in 2018 and they started teaching in 2023