The Qasr Al Watan presidential complex in Abu Dhabi is made up of interconnected palaces, courtyards, watchtowers and boardrooms – of which two palaces of senior officials are studded with Francesco Molon furniture. It’s a fitting choice. The Italian house, which turns 60 this year, is not only known for its stately pieces, but was also one of the earliest European brands to enter the Middle East, starting with Saudi Arabia in the 1970s.
“I was very young when my father did his first project in Saudi,” says Roberto Molon, the company’s creative director and son of its eponymous founder Francesco Molon. “It was a residential palace for a sheikh. It was not common at the time for an interior designer to be as involved, so the owner himself came to Italy to choose the doors, ceilings, furniture, chandeliers and other materials. I remember him going with darker woods and carvings of gold. The man passed away, but his wife got in touch with my father recently and she is still living in that palace.”
Gold leaf engraving is something of a Molon speciality and can be found trailing up the legs of Macassar ebony dining tables and along the arms of plush chairs inlaid with mother-of-pearl. It offsets the clear glass on display cabinets and complements the marbled domes of soaring ceilings. The Molons also specialise in intricate carvings, bespoke joinery and stonemanship, as well as gem-studded pieces.
Roberto lists as his personal favourites two pieces that seemingly sit in contrast to one another.
The first is from the company’s Classic collection – the Molon sofa, identifiable by the fine carvings along its frame. The second is from the Contemporary collection designed by Italian architect Nicola Galizia.
“It has a sideboard that is special to me – very sleek, very modern, but with a combination of materials from metal and metal inserts, to stitches and veneers on the leather in different directions,” Roberto says. “As with the classic sofa, I appreciate when details and proportion come together.”
Crafting regal homes and hotels between Europe and the Middle East before expanding to the US in the 1980s, the family-run label from Venezia has since made its way to the upper echelons of luxury real estate.
“I feel that furniture should be liveable no matter where it is placed or the size of a room,” Roberto explains. “First, you must have the right proportions and only then can you add aesthetic details, intricate design and luxurious materials. But the base should be proportionally comfortable and the use of the space should be there, always.”
It is this sensibility that Francesco Molon has imbued in projects ranging from Konstantinovsky Palace in St Petersburg, the Presidential Palace in Ashgabat and the Ministry of Justice in Rome, to The Savoy in London, Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach and Palazzo Portinari Salviati in Florence. Next on the list is the Orient Express Hotel in Venice, not counting opulent residences the world over.
As Roberto puts it: “We cater to a very small selection of private clients, perhaps only the top 5 per cent.”
When it comes to premium postcodes, Dubai cannot be far behind – not any more. “I remember coming to Dubai when there was only Sheikh Zayed Road, but nothing else around it. So I’ve seen the transformation, from the cities to the people and their mentality,” Roberto says.
Today, Francesco Molon furnishings can be found in Kempinski Palm Jumeirah – where a dedicated team is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the pieces – as well as the Raffles Imperial Mansion, a private residence on Palm Jumeirah, which is exclusively listed with Dubai Sotheby's International Realty.
“The brief was to create a space that embodies fine luxury with a distinctly Dubai flair,” Roberto says. Accordingly, the home is done up with pieces from the company’s Classic collection, with lashings of gold and silver leaf, custom joinery and artisanal crystal lighting, as well as marble and lush fabrics.
As for the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, Roberto declines to delve into too much detail, save for one nugget: “Think abalone stones and onyx gemstones meet the mashrabiya pattern.”
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