Introducing: The Phantom

Safavieh is bringing back Art Deco style, transformed and updated by designer Lorenzo Bellini, in the new Phantom Collection. While the furniture is conceived and made in Italy, it has the soul of 1930s New York.

Safavieh’s new Phantom Collection was inspired by 1930s design. Some specific inspirations include, from far left, the Chrysler Building, Hollywood fashion (that’s Joan Crawford captured by photographer George Hurrell in 1932) and the Bugatti Type 57SC, considered by many to be the most beautiful automobile of all time.

In spite of—or maybe because of—the Great Depression, the 1930s was a decade of excitement and excellence in design.

Prohibition ended and good cheer flowed. The silent era gave way to talkies, as the glamour of Hollywood enchanted a nation. Jazz gave birth to Swing, and Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Earl Hines became America’s musical aristocracy.

Above is the bold silhouettes of the Flash dining room table.

The Phantom Collection: The Tiffany Console.

Automobiles became faster and sleeker, with movie stars placing custom orders: Marlene Dietrich had her 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom, which appeared in the final scene of the film Morocco, while her co-star, Gary Cooper, strove to outdo her with his 1931 Duesenberg Model J in Primrose Yellow and Parkway Green with leopardskin Upholstery.

Commercial air travel became a reality, with the adventurous rich flying down to Miami or Havana—or even Rio by the sea-o, as Fred Astaire sang—in a big silver bird to soak up the sun.

Designer Lorenzo Bellini’s specific inspirations include the stepped sides of crystal perfume bottles and Art Deco desk clocks. A room setting features various Phantom pieces.

Millions may have been down and out, but they dreamed big dreams in which they drove powerful cars, danced on airplane wings and lived in Modernist mansions filled with Art Deco furniture.

The Phantom Collection: The Emerald dresser.

Today there’s a renewed appreciation of Art Deco, a style born in France that reached its glamorous apex in the New York of the 1930s. The best Art Deco pieces combine exuberant style, striking geometry, pleasing proportions, quality materials and high craftsmanship. Almost a century after their creation, these pieces still seem utterly fresh.

With that in mind, Safavieh set out to create a new collection of furniture inspired by the modern luxury of the 1930s. We partnered with the renowned Italian architect and furniture designer Lorenzo Bellini. What you see on this page is the print world premiere of the new collection, which, in a nod to Marlene Dietrich’s famous touring car, we call The Phantom.

The Phantom Collection: Excelsior credenza with a closeup showing burlwood detail.

As Bellini makes clear, these new designs are not reproductions of historical furniture. Rather, he began with the spirit of American Art Deco pieces, added a touch of Italian Modernism, and used his own proportions, lines, materials and colors to create something new. Bellini calls The Phantom “timeless.” We think you’ll agree.

The Phantom Collection: Diamond dresser.

Radio brought the music of Duke Ellington, above, and other jazz greats to millions of Americans for the first time. Treated as a piece of fine furniture, the radio itself was lavished with attention by designers. Radio cabinets of the ’30s were one of Lorenzo Bellini’s inspirations for Safavieh’s Phantom Collection.

The Phantom was not only designed in Italy. It’s made in Italy too—a rarity in today’s world, where so many home goods are manufactured in Asia. Made-in-Italy means you can have new furniture made with craftsmanship that rivals the best Art Deco originals. The Phantom Collection debuts this spring, only at Safavieh.

Like all pieces in the collection, Safavieh’s Star dining table displays a strong and elegant silhouette.

Lorenzo Bellini: The Maestro Behind The Phantom

Italian architect Lorenzo Bellini, designer of Safavieh’s new Phantom collection, is the architect of some of Europe’s great hotels. Whether he’s designing buildings or furniture, Bellini uses principles of “harmonic dissonance.”

“By this I mean the pleasing fusion of contrasting elements,” he explains. “The turnover of light and shadow, curvilinear forms juxtaposed with straight lines, items with light colors placed next to strongly colorful pieces, rough natural material alternating with smooth surfaces.”

Before designing The Phantom Collection, he continues, “I analyzed the main aspects of the American society of the 1930s: cinema, fashion, luxury cars, pieces of art, prestigious objects. I also deeply analyzed the design of this period, concentrating on those pieces that I felt could be reinterpreted in a contemporary way, giving them new life. This was done by considering new proportions, new finishes and new shapes— always faithful to the concept of harmonic dissonances.”

The result, he believes, are unique contemporary pieces: “I put great passion into conceiving and designing the collection for Safavieh.… I’m proud to say that my design bypasses any trends, becoming something that, with age, acquires added value.”

Italian architect Lorenzo Bellini, designer of Safavieh’s new Phantom collection, is the architect of some of Europe’s great hotels. Whether he’s designing buildings or furniture, Bellini uses principles of “harmonic dissonance.”

“By this I mean the pleasing fusion of contrasting elements,” he explains. “The turnover of light and shadow, curvilinear forms juxtaposed with straight lines, items with light colors placed next to strongly colorful pieces, rough natural material alternating with smooth surfaces.”

Before designing The Phantom Collection, he continues, “I analyzed the main aspects of the American society of the 1930s: cinema, fashion, luxury cars, pieces of art, prestigious objects. I also deeply analyzed the design of this period, concentrating on those pieces that I felt could be reinterpreted in a contemporary way, giving them new life. This was done by considering new proportions, new finishes and new shapes— always faithful to the concept of harmonic dissonances.”

The result, he believes, are unique contemporary pieces: “I put great passion into conceiving and designing the collection for Safavieh.… I’m proud to say that my design bypasses any trends, becoming something that, with age, acquires added value.”