Meet Cosulich Interiors & Antiques – the firm bringing fine Italian design to the Big Apple

BY MANDI KEIGHRAN

Over two decades, husband-and-wife team Fabienne and Franco Cosulich have built a business that encompasses French antiques, mid-century Italian design, and a contemporary bespoke collection that celebrates their passion for design

Fabienne Cosulich grew up immersed in the rarefied world of antiques and design, but it took falling in love with an antiques dealer for her to step back into that world on her own terms. Fabienne’s father was internationally known Italian inventor and designer, Luciano Mattioli, who took his family to Paris. Here, he worked for Philips and her mother became a procurer for American antiques dealers. “My mother used to drag me to flea markets and I vowed never to have anything to do with antiques,” she recalls. “I was extremely drawn to the more technical work of my father – even he appreciated the antiques for their quality and historical significance.”

I love the mid-century Italian designs the most – there was an electricity in the air at that time. - Fabienne Cosulich

It was when she met her husband, antiques dealer Franco Cosulich, however, that she began to embrace the world of her childhood on her own terms. Although Franco specialized in Italian Renaissance furniture and paintings since 1982, he was fascinated by the English passion for antiques. The couple bought a house outside of Leeds and started a family. “Initially, I said: you do your business and I’ll do mine,” tells Fabienne. “Then Franco began to exhibit at fairs and I would help decorate the booths and suggested we introduce French ceramics, like my mother had sourced. He asked me to work for him and I reluctantly said yes.”

The couple founded Cosulich Interiors & Antiques in 2003 and moved to Chicago, then relocated to New York in 2006. In 2010, they opened a boutique gallery on East 60th Street in an area that was known for its Italian design, and it was here they began to really make a name for themselves. “That location helped us to become who we are today, but we needed a bigger space,” says Fabienne. So, in 2017, they moved to the New York Design Center: “It proved to be a good move as people are looking for a more complete destination experience, rather than a single shop or gallery these days.”

At that time, they introduced a contemporary collection that draws inspiration from the vintage pieces but is completely customisable. “We’ve always been known for our ability to adapt to changes in the market,” muses Fabienne.

The “custom design” collection, which features designs by Fabienne as well as pieces from Italian artisans, has been key in tapping into a younger audience. Each piece is handcrafted and is available in bespoke sizes, colors, and materials – think a chandelier composed of hand-cut rock glass elements that can be crafted in a variety of jewel-like colors; postmodern-inspired sideboards that can be personalized in different colors, finishes, and sizes.

“We are always looking for new talent,” says Fabienne, who travels to Italy with Franco several times a year. “We deal directly with the artisans and so we are very removed from mass production – even if a piece is made according to the listing on the website it is unique as it is handcrafted like a sculptural work of art.” Eventually, they hope to have an independent team working in New York to allow them to spend more time on the production in Italy.

Today, Fabienne and Franco have established themselves as leaders in the highly competitive world of antiques and vintage – and they even brought their daughter, Sara, into the family business for six years before she found her own path as a life coach. Throughout it all, the business has flourished thanks to the love on which it was founded. “Our relationship as husband and wife has been so important to our business,” says Fabienne. “We are still in love after more than 30 years, but we are also very different. Franco is the true antique dealer and I am more of a modern girl – but, even though we have completely different tastes, we won’t buy what the other doesn’t like. That has always helped us to be very innovative. Without that, we would not be who we are today.”

www.cosulichinteriors.com | 200 Lexington Av. #509 - New York NY 10016