Design history is often told through the objects we recognise — the chair, the lamp, the table that becomes iconic over time. Yet behind these objects are designers whose ideas shape how we experience space, material, and daily life.
This Women’s Month, Royal Interiors reflects on the contributions of women whose work continues to influence contemporary furniture and interior design. Across generations and disciplines, these designers have brought new perspectives to materials, form, and the relationship between objects and the spaces they inhabit.
From pioneers who redefined entire materials to contemporary voices exploring new ways of living, their work remains an essential part of the design conversation.
Patricia Urquiola
Few contemporary designers have had an influence as wide-ranging as Patricia Urquiola. Born in Spain and based in Milan, Urquiola is recognised for her ability to merge experimental materials with designs that remain warm and approachable.
Her work spans multiple brands represented at Royal Interiors, including Kartell, Cappellini, and Andreu World. Across these collaborations, Urquiola explores soft geometries, tactile materials, and forms that encourage comfort and interaction.
Rather than treating furniture purely as sculptural objects, Urquiola’s designs often focus on how people engage with them in everyday life. Textures, curves, and unexpected material combinations create pieces that feel contemporary yet deeply human.
Her work reflects a broader shift in modern design: a movement toward interiors that prioritise emotion, flexibility, and comfort without sacrificing innovation.
Cini Boeri
Italian architect Cini Boeri stands among the most influential figures in twentieth-century design. Her work helped challenge traditional ideas about both materials and spatial design.
Boeri’s collaboration with Fiam Italia produced one of the most celebrated glass furniture pieces ever created: the Ghost armchair. Formed from a single sheet of curved glass, the chair demonstrated that glass could be both sculptural and structurally sound.
At a time when glass was often considered fragile or purely decorative, Boeri’s work revealed its architectural potential. Her designs continue to inspire designers exploring transparency, lightness, and structural innovation.
Beyond individual objects, Boeri’s approach reflected a broader architectural philosophy — one that emphasised clarity, functionality, and the relationship between people and their environment.
Paola Navone
Paola Navone’s work is defined by its remarkable breadth. Architect, designer, art director, and creative thinker, Navone has spent decades shaping interiors that combine Italian refinement with global influences.
Her collaborations with brands such as Giorgetti reveal a design language that balances sophistication with ease. Natural materials, relaxed proportions, and subtle contrasts give her interiors an atmosphere that feels both curated and lived-in.
Navone’s work is often inspired by travel, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange. Rather than adhering to a rigid stylistic approach, she embraces a fluid design philosophy that allows objects and spaces to evolve organically.
This ability to blend elegance with informality has made her one of the most respected figures in contemporary design.
Cristina Celestino
Cristina Celestino represents a younger generation of Italian designers redefining contemporary interiors through a dialogue with history.
Trained as an architect, Celestino often draws inspiration from the decorative arts, translating historical references into modern objects and spaces. Her collaborations with Kartell showcase an approach that balances craftsmanship, colour, and material experimentation.
Celestino’s work frequently explores the emotional qualities of interiors — how light interacts with surfaces, how textures influence atmosphere, and how furniture contributes to the character of a room.
Her designs demonstrate that contemporary interiors can be both forward-looking and deeply rooted in tradition.
Elena Salmistraro
For Italian designer Elena Salmistraro, design is a form of storytelling. Her work often blurs the line between furniture, art, and narrative object.
Through collaborations with brands such as Qeeboo and Cappellini, Salmistraro creates pieces that are expressive, imaginative, and visually distinctive. Her designs frequently incorporate bold colours, sculptural silhouettes, and symbolic details.
Rather than pursuing minimalism, Salmistraro embraces a playful and artistic approach to design — one that invites curiosity and conversation.
In doing so, she represents a growing movement within contemporary design that values personality and emotional connection as much as formal purity.
Nika Zupanc
Slovenian designer Nika Zupanc has built a reputation for creating objects that combine elegance with bold conceptual ideas.
Her work with brands like Qeeboo explores themes of femininity, symbolism, and pop culture. Zupanc’s designs often reinterpret familiar forms in unexpected ways, transforming everyday objects into expressive design statements.
While her work is visually striking, it also reflects a deeper design philosophy: that objects can carry meaning, emotion, and cultural references beyond their functional role.
Zupanc’s distinctive voice has helped broaden the conversation around identity and expression in contemporary furniture design.
Gae Aulenti
Among the pioneers of Italian design, Gae Aulenti occupies a singular place in architectural and design history. Her work spanned architecture, exhibition design, furniture, and lighting.
Aulenti’s approach was deeply architectural. She believed that furniture should interact with space in the same way buildings do — through proportion, structure, and presence.
Her collaborations with brands such as Zanotta produced pieces that feel both bold and timeless. Strong forms, confident geometry, and material clarity define her design language.
Beyond furniture, Aulenti also shaped some of the world’s most celebrated museum interiors, including the transformation of Paris’s Gare d’Orsay into the Musée d’Orsay.
Her legacy continues to influence designers who view furniture as part of a larger architectural narrative.
Matali Crasset
French designer Matali Crasset is known for her experimental approach to design and her focus on function as a catalyst for innovation.
Her collaborations with Andreu World explore new ways of structuring furniture, often challenging traditional typologies and encouraging interaction.
Crasset’s work is driven by research and curiosity. Rather than designing objects for aesthetic impact alone, she investigates how design can support evolving lifestyles and social behaviours.
This forward-thinking approach places her among the most intellectually engaging voices in contemporary design.
Doriana Fuksas
Architect Doriana Fuksas has contributed significantly to the intersection of architecture and furniture design through her collaborations with Massimiliano Fuksas.
Her work with brands such as Driade reflects an architectural sensibility translated into objects. Clean lines, sculptural forms, and innovative structures characterise many of her designs.
Fuksas approaches furniture as part of a broader spatial experience — an extension of architecture that influences how people inhabit a space.
Her work demonstrates how architectural thinking can enrich product design, creating objects that feel both functional and conceptually rigorous.
Design as an Evolving Dialogue
Together, these designers represent different generations, cultures, and creative approaches. Yet their work shares a common thread: a commitment to exploring how design can enhance everyday life.
At Royal Interiors Singapore, the collections we present reflect this evolving dialogue between designers, materials, and the spaces they shape.
Furniture is never simply an object. It carries the ideas, experiences, and perspectives of those who create it.
And increasingly, women designers are among the voices shaping the future of contemporary interiors.
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