Stefan Scholten launches collectible design brand Matera at Salone del Mobile
Designer Stefan Scholten and Stone Made Italy founder Manuela Rotta are set to launch their Matera brand, featuring stone pieces by designers including Ronan Bouroullec, at Salone del Mobile during Milan design week.
The inaugural collection by the brand, led by the husband and wife duo, will be unveiled at Salone Raritas, the tradeshow's first-ever collectible design fair.
As well as Bouroullec, it will feature pieces by designers including Joep van Lieshout, Scholten, Job Smeets, Clara von Zweigbergk, Teruhiro Yanagihara, Julie Richoz, Richard Hutten, Maho Motoyama and Bernard Heesen.
Matera came about as a way to harness the combined knowledge of Scholten, who is known for his work in design duo Scholten & Baijings and as a solo designer, and Rotta, who has had a long career in the stone industry.
"Manuela has been working in the stone industry for over 20 years, while I've been involved in design for more than 30," Scholten told Dezeen.
"Bringing these two worlds together felt both natural and inevitable. Matera grew out of this shared foundation – combining deep material knowledge with a long-standing engagement in design."
The Matera collection will feature collectible design pieces made from marble and other stones, including a candle holder by Bouroullec and a miniature chair by Scholten.
All of the designers taking part were asked to create an object with a maximum size of 55 centimetres, and they could choose whether the pieces were functional or not.
Among the decorative designs were a pear by Heesen and a coral sculpture by Von Zweigbergk, as well as a stone cloud by Hutten.
Scholten and Rotta chose the participants for the first collection from their own network of friends.
"We both have an extensive network of creatives – colleagues, friends, and designers we admire," Rossa told Dezeen.
"The first Matera collection is built around a dialogue between generations, bringing together established names and a younger generation of designers, including sons and daughters, creating a layered and personal narrative."
The founders hope to expand Matera to make larger products and furniture in the future.
To Scholten, who has created pieces for companies including Hay, Moroso and Karimoku New Standard, working in collectible design created a sense of freedom.
"As my studio mainly works with industry, focusing on edition design feels like a form of freedom," he explained.
"It allows for a more direct and open collaboration with designers and artists. The objects we create are less constrained by industrial parameters and instead centre on expression, experimentation and authorship."
Other exhibitions to look forward to at Milan design week this year include human-sized candelabras by Muller van Severen and Kelly Wearstler's debut collection for H&M Home.
The photography is courtesy of Matera.
Salone del Mobile takes place from 21 to 26 April 2026 at Fiera Milano, 20017 Rho, Milan, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
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