Kartell Componibili Storage Unit - Smile

Anna Castelli Ferrieri (1918–2006) was an influential Italian architect and designer whose work helped shape modern furniture and industrial design in the post-war era. Trained in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, she developed a strong interest in how new materials and manufacturing techniques could improve everyday living, particularly through functional, accessible design.

In the late 1940s, she co-founded Kartell alongside her husband Giulio Castelli, playing a pivotal role in defining the company’s design identity. Ferrieri was especially fascinated by the possibilities of plastics, seeing them not as cheap substitutes but as materials capable of precision, durability, and refined aesthetics when used intelligently. Her approach combined technical rigour with a deep understanding of domestic needs.

Among her most enduring creations is the Componibili storage system, introduced in the 1960s, which remains a benchmark of modular, practical design. Throughout her career, Ferrieri balanced architectural thinking with product design, producing objects that were rational, adaptable, and visually understated. Her legacy lives on through designs that continue to be manufactured and widely used, embodying her belief that good design should be both innovative and genuinely useful in everyday life.