Material, space, vision: the design balance of Antonello Finiture

For more than ten years, Antonello Finiture has been a long-time partner of Etoile. The company describes its approach to interior design as a combination of technical expertise, aesthetics, and design culture.

In contemporary design, the quality of a space comes from an increasingly close dialogue between architectural vision and technical expertise. This is the context in which Antonello Finiture operates. The company specializes in interior and exterior finishes and works alongside designers and clients throughout the entire process: from material selection to final installation.

This approach is also clearly expressed in its long-standing collaboration with Etoile, of which Antonello Finiture has been an official dealer for over ten years. The relationship has been built over time, based on shared design values and a common vision of space, where walls are no longer just dividing elements, but architectural tools capable of shaping light, acoustics, and the identity of interiors.

In this interview with Enrico Zulian of Antonello Finiture, we explore a working method that combines engineering, customization, and high-quality execution.

A collaboration spanning over a decade: what shared vision has sustained it?

The collaboration with Etoile began in 2010, so it has now lasted for around sixteen years. From the very beginning, we were looking for a strong partner, able to combine reliability with a broad and complete product range.

Over this long journey, we have also gone through the evolution of the market together. In the early years, there was more demand for earlier Ritmica and Metrica systems, while the concept of the monolithic partition wall, as we understand it today, was still in its early stages.

What has really sustained this relationship over time is a shared ability to evolve from a technical point of view, while remaining consistent in quality. This is what has allowed us to take on increasingly complex design challenges. 

Within the Etoile range, is there a solution you consider particularly representative of your design approach? What makes it distinctive compared to competitors?

The Etoile range is very broad, but our internal needs lead us to focus on specific product types. I would say that around 70–80% of our orders are based mainly on the Unica partition wall system, in its three versions: SC1, SC2, and SC3.

It is a monolithic office partition wall system that, with a single profile, can support three types of glass, meeting different acoustic insulation requirements. The advantage is that, even when performance changes, the aesthetic remains the same: a single profile maintains a minimal and consistent look throughout the project, while also allowing costs to be adjusted depending on the space. For example, you can invest more in a meeting room or an executive office, while keeping other areas more standard.

Among the products we consider most representative is also the Quadra equipped partition wall system, a fully functional storage partition that combines space division and storage in a single architectural element. It can be used as full-height partition walls with integrated acoustic back panels, or as built-in cabinet systems designed to conceal technical elements such as fan coil units or ventilation systems within office environments.

Flexibility, acoustic comfort, and natural light control are central themes in office design. From your experience, what really guides the choice of an Etoile system?

Today, acoustics is no longer an optional feature: it is at the core of comfort in many working environments. With Etoile systems, we are able to achieve excellent performance precisely in this area. For example, over the past couple of years, one of the doors we use most often—alongside the solid door and the slim-framed version, is the medium-framed hinged door. With a solid but relatively compact perimeter structure, it delivers high acoustic performance. It can accommodate a 6+6 mm glass panel with acoustic PVB, features concealed hinges, a drop-down seal, and a range of technical details that truly make a difference in this sector. Another key strength of Etoile is the integrability between systems. These are not isolated, standalone products. The monolithic partition wall can be combined with the equipped partition wall system or with more traditional systems such as the Metrica partition wall system, allowing the creation of highly flexible and visually coherent configurations.

Contemporary design requires an increasingly delicate balance between aesthetic quality and technical performance: how does this dialogue take shape in your work?

Customization is a key value. Aesthetic quality is also a way of standing out, almost a signature. Looking more closely, Etoile’s ability to offer any RAL color for its profiles, as well as oxidized finishes, polished chrome effects, and even integration with wooden wall panels, allows us to develop highly tailored projects. This approach offers real creative freedom, as it makes it possible to customize each project according to the client’s vision and to ensure that every solution is different and unique.

Looking at ongoing transformations, what trajectories do you envision for the evolution of workplace spaces in the near future?

Making predictions would require a crystal ball, but I believe that alongside acoustics — already a very central topic today — we will increasingly see greater technological integration related to safety, seismic performance, and other requirements that, in Italy, are still not fully regulated by strict standards. At the same time, we are already beginning to see testing and experimentation in this direction across several products. In addition, I believe we will see more and more partition walls integrated with other architectural elements, such as lighting systems or automated blinds. In this context, Etoile has developed E.Box, a range of phone booths that we have already specified and installed in several projects. It allows the creation of private spaces within offices without compromising brightness or comfort. The partition wall, therefore, will be seen less and less as a standalone element and increasingly as part of a coordinated system, integrated with the other components of the workspace.