Andrea Marcante and Adelaide Testa, of the Turin studio Marcante Testa, are maestros of spatial curation. The pair has designed a steady stream of elegant retail and residential interiors – including this stunning apartment in Milan – that display elevated artisanship and impeccable styling. Defined by their layered materials, patterns and colours, Marcante Testa projects are decorative yet sophisticated, drawing on multiple references old and new.

Recently, the duo teamed up with the young Tuscan bathroom brand Ex.t to create the Frieze series of bathroom fittings and furniture; it is set to debut next month at Maison&Objet. The way that the company describes the result – “aesthetically exuberant, full of colour and with a strong architectural imprint” – is pretty apt.

In creating this unique series of washbasins and cabinets, Marcante Testa was inspired by Roy Lichtenstein’s Entablatures series, which vibrantly explored ornament as form. The Frieze line brings together contrasting textures – ridged and gridded sink surfaces paired with smooth cabinets, for instance – that add dimension and character to a space. (Ex.t makes its products with high-end materials, from LivingTec solid surfacing to a range of marble varieties.)

Even when the firm is devising products, it’s thinking about spaces. According to the press release, “the position of the sink is defined from a central wall strip, the upper and a lower part of the wall can be covered in different materials, creating space to install the mirror, shelves, furniture and towel hooks.” It’s the rules of interior design that delineate the collection’s parameters – from the position of its various elements to the mix of impeccably calibrated materials and colour finishes.