Inspiration Press Reviews
February 2, 2018

CHILLISCHILLI brings ECLECTICIST’s design dream to life in state-of-the-art store in Attard

ChillisChilli

Halfway up a busy street in Attard, along a road dotted with stationeries, food shops and the like, ECLECTICIST is definitely a sight for sore eyes. Its traditional shop façade, painted a bright electric blue with brass details instantly draws your attention.

We spoke to the people involved in bringing this project to life: Alan de Battista Managing Director at CHILLISCHILLI and Enrika Pizzuto, designer and owner of ECLECTICIST. ‘The shop’s exterior combines a classical and personal style’ Enrika explains. ‘My idea was to create an exterior which married my eclectic style with that of a classical french/maltese shop façade’. Having worked with CHILLISCHILLI before, Enrika was confident that they would guarantee the required attention to detail making them the right people for the task.

Alan explains how his team was able to combine both the classical and contemporary elements required for the design. This was done by mixing the traditional style of using intricate mouldings and hand-painting to the use of modern materials and incorporating a bold colour throughout.

The facade consists of glazed doors and panels, the frames of which are built in the traditional Red Deal wood, a material known to be ideal for exterior use. The introduction of brass on the hinges, handles and ultimately the shop sign itself adds a striking feature which complements the design.

The project was a joint effort between the two parties. Enrika, an interior architect by profession provided the initial conceptual sketch which the team at CHILLISCHILLI in turn engineered into buildable design which was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. A series of brainstorming sessions led to working drawings on which the manufacture of the facade was to be based.

The facade undoubtedly stands out with its large glass windows that light up a selection of contemporary and original pieces on display, and veers away from the run of the mill design one finds in most shops.  The customer is bound to feel enticed to enter and explore the wide selection of items which range from homeware, loose furniture, to fashion accessories and even baby items, each of which is hand selected to display an eclectic mix of styles – the most iconic pieces from different eras.

Inside the shop the concept of old meets new is echoed throughout the entire shop in which the owner Enrika displays a diverse. She enthusiastically explained how the concept of the shop is an eclectic mix of styles “The shop displays a curated selection of items, the most iconic pieces of each era”. The selection includes homeware, loose furniture, fashion accessories and baby gifts. It is the perfect place to buy that original gift for a loved on, or even for yourself.  Enrika explains how ECLECTICIST has been open for 9 months and the clients simply love being in the shop, which transports them to different cultures, eras and places. ECLECTICIST is a very happy place and is definitely here to stay.

 

ChillisChilli design and create Bespoke Furniture and Interiors for Domestic as well as Commercial environments. The company’s team of skilled craftsmen combine traditional skills and expertise in furniture making with innovative contemporary methods. Collectively, they hold decades of experience in carpentry, joinery and furniture manufacturing. 

 

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Inspiration Press Reviews
July 28, 2017

This is what ChillisChilli is all about

ChillisChilli

We are proud to have just received the below letter following the completion of a very interesting project. This is what ChillisChilli is all about.

Dear all

Yes, the project is complete and it looks grand! Congratulations to all at ChillisChilli who have worked on this. I think you did an excellent job of transforming our ideas and sketches into a beautiful reality and you should really be proud.

Thanks for a great end product but also for being so nice, polite and inviting to work with. We were always made to feel welcome, even when we changed our ideas over and over. Your feedback was always honest, genuine and very timely. I have never had to chase for anything (wow!).

All of you have been fantastic in your approaches, from Colin who led us through the project with much advise, understanding and reassurance (“we can do whatever you want!”) to the great visual helps from Eli and Alex’s careful craftsmanship and assembly on site. Even the corrections done yesterday were done carefully and very satisfactorily. The person (I am sorry that I forget his name) who fixed the blemish on the walnut table actually corrected it. He told me ‘ghax baqet iddejjaqni, allura kelli nirrangaha’. That is a lovely attitude.

So, in summary, thanks for the whole experience. Keep it up. You’ve got a great thing going and do lovely work! Our only regret is that we discovered ChillisChilli only now!

Please pass our thanks to all who contributed!

Dino & Lucianne

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Press
October 24, 2016

Down to the last Detail

ChillisChilli serves up three modern kitchens, with three common denominators: subtle detail, illusory simplicity and a seamless homogenous style.

TODAY’S kitchens seem to be characterised by particular design details, including concealed handles and a minimalist feel. But Alan deBattista, managing director of ChillisChilli, producers of bespoke furniture and interiors, says there are no hard and fast rules, and a general lack of
elaborateness does not translate into monotony, neither for the carpenter, nor for the client.
“Constructing pieces that are defined as minimalist is in no way monotonous. It is sometimes more challenging to combine simplicity and practicality and provide the proverbial ‘less is more’ feel while achieving all that the item is required to accommodate.”
As for the fact that concealed handles seem to be the order of the day, this is not to say that any other sort are a no-go. “They are simply a way of making a kitchen look sleek and modern, giving the minimalist look that is so popular nowadays. But really, there are no strict rules on the way handles should be designed,” Alan says. It’s almost like the idea is to disguise/camouflage the
kitchen to look like any other room, and this sometimes stems from the fact that, nowadays, living spaces are relatively smaller, he points out.
The popular open-plan design concept also plays a part, creating the need to incorporate kitchen, living and dining areas and occasionally even sleeping quarters in a single
floor, and in some cases, even in one sizeable room.

“It follows that the design will require that neither space takes over from the other. Hence the need to blend, and camouflage inevitably evolves,” Alan explains.
Kitchens are deceptively simple these days, so is the use of real and rich materials/woods paramount? For Alan while the quality of the original raw material will always have an effect on the finished product, it does not necessarily mean that the latter will be of a high standard.

“To the trained eye, at the end of the day, it is the quality of the workmanship that shines through,” he continues.

IT IS SOMETIMES MORE CHALLENGING TO COMBINE SIMPLICITY AND PRACTICALITY AND PROVIDE THE PROVERBIAL ‘LESS IS MORE’ FEEL WHILE ACHIEVING ALL THAT THE ITEM IS REQUIRED TO ACCOMMODATE

Asked whether he can envisage the day when kitchens will once again be a display of ornate and detailed
carpentry, Alan says that, as with everything else, fashions come and go.

“It is impossible to predict whether a trend will make a comeback. What is important in design is the proper use of the so-called classic lines, which will never go out of style. Whether modern, minimalist, or ornate, at the end of the day, the key to good design is good proportions, which are aesthetically pleasing, irrespective of age.”

The article was featured on Issue 12 of Places Magazine published on the 23rd of October 2016

 

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Inspiration Press Tips
December 1, 2015

Clad it Slide it

Alan Debattista

Partitions, wall cladding andpocket sliding doors can be the ideal,cost-effective solution to overcome awide range of challenges. through carefulplanning at design stage, they can beingeniously incorporated to achieve goalsand save on precious space.the void within the thickness of apartition, which is lost in traditional buildingmethods, can be used, for example, tocontain shelves and other features, or toaccommodate sliding pocket doors, which,in turn, can add an average 10 square feetof floor space as opposed to a hinged door.

Partitions can replace non-load-bearing walls. if built with a single skin,their thickness can accommodate a wardrobe, or storage area on the inner side, which would not be an option with a conventional wall.although pocket doors are often used for architectural effect, they are the ideal option when there is no room for the swing of a hinged door.a sliding door that disappears, when fully open, into a compartment in the adjacent wall, it usually travels on rollers suspended from an overhead track, although some also feature tracks and guides along the floor. a wall-hung variation called an open pocket door maybe used where in-wall installation is impractical, while both single- and double-door versions are used, depending on how wide an entry is desired.with improvement in hardware and the growth of the market for small properties, there has been a resurgence of interest in this space-saving feature. modern interest and vibrancy, without the expense of actually rebuilding a wall, or partition, it can also cover unsightly areas, such as rough and shoddy masonry, and conceal service installations.A type of decorative covering, intended to make awall look like it is made of a different material, it is primarily a creativecomponent in interior decorating, offering a variety ofstyles from rustic to chic. Usually designed to be permanent, it is, however,non-structural, which means it has no impact on thestability and integrity of a building’s architectural core.The various materials and textures are usually affixed to the existing structure.Though it could cover every surface in a building, it is more common in a couple of key areas. Entrance hallscan be totally transformed, while a single bathroom wallmay be covered in wood panelling, which could give theillusion of depth and warmth.

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Press
December 1, 2015

Custom design furniture manufacturer rebrands as Chillischilli

Alan Debattista

In 2002, Alan deBattista’s fascination for novel design and high quality furniture led him to launch what would eventually become Chillischilli, a custom design furniture manufacturer. The company proved to be a success story with both residential and corporate clients, and soon outgrew its 180m2 workshop manufacturing capacity. As a way of looking forward, Chillischilli is re-launching its brand all together with the opening of a new manufacturing process plant measuring 800m2.

This was announced by Alan deBattista, Founder and Director of Chillischilli Ltd, during a press launch held at Charles Grech World of Wines in Ta’ Xbiex. Mr deBattista said: “The transition of our manufacturing process is a natural step for the company to be able to strengthen its manufacturing assets and significantly increase its production capacity.
Concurrently, we are thrilled to be evolving our brand identity in order to better showcase our natural flair for bespoke furniture, cabinetry and interior works.”

“While staying rooted in our heritage, we are offering our customers a fresh approach to casual luxury with furniture pieces. We want to focus on delighting our clients by exceeding expectations and bringing their bespoke design to life,” continued Mr deBattista, “We understand that today’s clients are exposed to design on so many levels, giving them an increasingly keen eye for style, quality, luxury and comfort. We are confident that thanks to this investment we can successfully cater for this
market evolution.”

When asked about the inspiration of the name, Mr deBattista explained: “The name Chillischilli is in actual fact a catchphrase I used to use when referring to my dog Chilli, who was to me and everyone who knew him more than just a dog. It is not the first time that I was told that Chilli was unlike other dogs to which I would simply reply ‘Chilli’s Chilli’. I felt it quite fitting to name the company after this very expression and the reinvention of our brand is a tribute to those characteristics that made

Chilli so unique and outstanding. Our commitment to innovating original solutions that truly capture client’s requirements remain our hallmark.”

In conjunction with the launch of its new logo and premises, Chillischilli is introducing the new tagline “Bespoke Furniture & Interiors” representing the Company’s elevation beyond furniture manufacturing, to a high quality personalised furniture and interior works solution.

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