Aurea, an Architectural Fiction
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Rekh Magazine met French architect and decorator Oscar Lucien Ono, the founder of Maison Numéro 20. He authored the installation, which, at the Salone del Mobile (April 21-26 at Rho Fiera, Milan), recalls a dream-like hotel, with rare furniture. A kind of total experience where luxury turns from a status to a veritable experience of humanity
by Primavera Fisogni
Walking through the bustling pavilions of Fiera Milano Rho, one encounter stands out as a true "Architectural Fiction": the installation titled “Aurea.” It is nearly impossible to pass by without stopping; the entrance itself acts as a portal, pulling you into what feels like an exclusive, five-star-plus hotel plucked straight from a fairy tale.
At the heart of the "A Luxury Way" pathway, “Aurea” aims to be a total sensory experience. And, believe me, it is. As Oscar Lucien Ono explains, the philosophy behind the exhibition is rooted in a simple, perhaps forgotten, notion: design exists to protect us and, more importantly, to make us dream. The name Aurea draws from the Latin word for "precious" and references the "golden number" of perfect harmony, a theme that resonates through every choreographed corridor and room.
The project, envisioned by Ono’s Paris-based studio Maison Numéro 20, serves as a mise-en-scène of the imaginary. Here, luxury isn't about loud ostentation; it is found in the "emotions" and the "possibility to take time" to truly look and touch. Within this beautiful "box," Art Deco and surrealism dance with mythology and cinema d’auteur.
Ono’s narrative is one of bold contrasts—where high-end Murano glass meets recycled plastic—proving that luxury lies in the courage to mix materials and eras. It is a dialogue between heritage and innovation, a place where interior décor ceases to be mere furniture and instead becomes a living story.
Rekh Magazine met Mr Ono at the Salone. The interview was conducted in English.
I introduce myself. My name is Primavera Fisoni, and I'm the editor of the bilingual magazine Rekh Magazine. First of all, congratulations on this beautiful installation, a sort of sparkling casket, a veritable source of emotions. I want to ask you, first of all, what's the philosophy of this exhibition?
Well, the philosophy of the exhibition... I wanted to make people dream. It's just for one simple thing: there is a notion that maybe we forgot. Design is to make us dream, and design is to protect us. Of course, there are a lot of things with the design—the technicality, etc.—but I just wanted this one emotion. And I created this scenography, which is called Aura. The term Aurea, in Latin, means "precious," and it's also the number Orea, the "gold number," which represents perfect harmony. So I wanted to use this preciousness to develop it and to make every room an inspiration to make people dream. And I created this little hotel. It's a dream-like hotel.
Why did you choose a hotel to explore this topic? Why not a house, for example?
Because for one simple thing: last year was "Villa Heritage" for Mr Rochon (at the Salone del Mobile 2025), so I already did a villa. I'm also an expert in hospitality. So, hospitality—I do hotels, I know how to do hotels. For me, it was my dream-like hotel. So that's why I did a hotel.
Mr Ono I come from Lake Como, which is renowned for its hospitality quality and luxury. We are in a transformative moment just now, but how do you define luxury, especially related to hospitality?
Luxury for me is in the details. Luxury is the emotions. I think the important thing is to have the possibility to take time. So, the time to see, to look, to touch. For me, the emotion you can create is the most important thing in luxury.
Have you ever been to Lake Como and had the opportunity to do some interior design?
No, I haven't.
I also have another question. It is about what kind of people can afford this luxury. How is it possible to translate luxury into everyday life?
The luxury, I think it's to... For me, luxury is how to mix things. Even if it's something luxurious or not, you can mix them. It's the example of the bar which is made with plastic—recycled plastic—and Murano glass. So, the combination, and then, is the emotion that you can create. So, I think you have to... the advice would be to dare and to mix things. Voilà.
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The interviewed
Oscar Lucien Ono is an interior architect and decorator, and the founder of Maison Numéro 20. Since 2014, based in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, he has been leading prestigious projects — private residences and luxury hotels in France and internationally — where contemporary boldness engages in dialogue with the heritage of the decorative arts. Each creation celebrates noble materials, artisanal excellence, and the harmony of textures, shaping interiors that are sophisticated, vibrant, and deeply distinctive.
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