The craft behind Hortus decoration

The decoration of Hortus begins after the metal leaf has taken shape, when the material has already acquired form, structure, and movement. It is precisely this stage that gives the collection its most vital quality: depth, vibration, and a natural irregularity that makes each piece unique.

The piece is first laser-cut, then hand-worked to shape the veins and guide the surface into a more organic, almost vegetal movement.

It is at this point that the most delicate phase of the process begins: manual decoration, leaf by leaf. A fundamental step, not meant to cover the metal, but to restore depth, nuance, and character. Through layers, accents, and subtle tonal variations, the surface loses any flat or standardized effect and gains a more vibrant quality, made of light, shadow, and slight irregularities.

In Hortus, the goal is not to achieve a perfectly uniform finish, but the opposite: to ensure that each leaf has its own identity. As in nature, no two surfaces are ever the same.

How the decoration takes shape

1.Profile cutting.
The leaf is initially laser-cut in iron, defining its essential shape.

2.Relief construction.
Through manual craftsmanship, the veins are shaped and the surface movement is built, giving tridimensionality and a natural feel.

3.Surface preparation.
The surface is prepared to receive the decoration, ensuring consistency and depth in the following steps.

4.Manual decoration.
The artisan applies layers and stratifications of color, creating nuances, accents, and tonal variations that bring the leaf to life.

Detail refinement.
Veins, edges, and color transitions are carefully calibrated to achieve an organic, never standardized effect.

Final assembly.
The leaf is completed with brass elements, such as the spiral or the backplate, defining the final character of the piece.

In Hortus, decoration is not a final step, but a moment of interpretation. It is here that the material moves away from the idea of a standardized product and comes closer to something more organic, more connected to the natural world.

Each leaf retains traces of the process: subtle variations, marks, and depth that can never be replicated in exactly the same way. It is precisely this controlled imperfection that defines the character of the piece, transforming light into something alive.

More than a finish, it is a language.

And, as in nature, it is never repeated in the same way.

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