Simone Mussa: Unique & Thoughtful Design

Story by Wib Middleton

It’s undeniable that the dramatic beauty of what is known today as Sedona uniquely inspires all forms of artistic expression. No doubt it has since the first humans happened upon this magnificent area and left their marks in pictographs 10,000 years ago. It could also be said that just by being present among the majesty of Sedona’s towering red cliffs one is gifted with the impulse to create, to make art, or in Simone Mussa’s case, to design gorgeous homes and commercial spaces with an inspired, contemporary look and feel.

Like most Sedona transplants, Simone has a story and it begins in his hometown of Torino, Italy. Simone is immediately open and friendly with a boyish charm that belies a passion for design. It’s in his bones — his Italian aesthetic formed early. Growing up, the Mussa household was filled with art on the walls. His photographer father and art consultant step-mother made a point of exposing their four kids to the ubiquitous art of Italy, taking them to art exhibits and gallery openings.

Early on Simone developed a keen interest in architecture, studying that and art and architecture throughout high school. The Italian education system allowed students to immerse themselves in specific disciplines to prepare them for college, then a career. Let’s just say that the first year of college was more fun than work. “My father was not happy with my first year so I was sent to live with grandparents for six months… on their boat in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida!” Simone immediately enrolled in a local college and went through an intensive English language immersion program. Later enrolling in a local college, Simone was introduced to industrial design. It would be pivotal to his creative life and career. “I fell in love with it,” Simone beams, and recalls thinking this is great, you get to design whatever you want not just a house or a building but a glass, a watch, a motorcycle, a car, anything.

For Simone, passion turned to winning design competitions and he graduated from the industrial design program with a BS and the best class portfolio. Graduation day scouts showed up with employment offers. That day Simone was offered a position with the Michael Wolk interior design firm in Miami. He was to join a creative team designing furniture and lighting first, then subsequently, spaces for large luxury hotels, from lobbies and spas to restaurants, corporate offices and lobby reception areas. Simone laughs that he never had to interview for his first job nor has he had any interviews since. He was always recruited.

Simone Mussa, owner of Mussa + Associates design firm, is enhancing the architectural landscape of Sedona one project at a time. His
homes and commercial properties both stand out and then blend in… with the natural world here. Angular rooflines, abundant glass, stunning rock facades, unusual wood textures on the outside invite one to enter into a special space. Inside a Mussa-designed home is where harmony and balance reside. Whether it’s earth-toned walls that come alive in late afternoon sunlight, or clean, elegant cabinetry that adds to the interior spaciousness and enveloping beauty, it all has to work, and does.
Simone considers himself to be a modern/contemporary designer. “Modern, when well designed, can be super warm, not cold or stark, with clean lines, subtle details, but ‘wow’ details, with unexpected simplicity and beauty.” Conscious, sensitive design, inside and out that pays homage to the natural beauty of Sedona, is signature Mussa. Getting to that place requires a back and forth dance—the creative gifts of the designer Simone in partnership with the dreams and aspirations of Simone’s clients.

Five years later Simone gets a call from a family friend in New York City, Aldo Andreoli, who had an architectural firm and was embarking on a big commercial project — supper club, wine bar, VIP lounge — and wanted Simone to join his firm. Bags packed, off Simone went.
His three-year stint ended abruptly on 9/11. Aldo’s office was near the Twin Towers. Shaken by what had happened, he closed the office. Simone’s co-workers headed to Europe mostly. Aldo moved to Sedona. Simone went back to Miami to his old job. Simone had never heard of Sedona. Two years later in 2003, Simone, now married, and at Aldo’s urging, headed west to Sedona to help build out the spa at the new Hyatt. Eighteen months later Aldo splits for New York and Simone, having proved his design abilities locally, stays and opens Mussa + Associates and works solo. Back story complete Simone talks about his approach to design.

“I tend to see a house or a commercial building like a big product. I really like to design from the inside out. I ask my clients about their dreams, how do they want to feel inside their home, what are their priorities, their loves? Colors are very important. I take all those ideas, bring them together and begin my sketching sessions
to come up with floor plans. Once I feel that the entire space flows well, I start getting into the outside design.” Some clients will give me a book full of pictures, others say ‘let’s see what you come up with.’” That can be both a little intimidating and at the same time very liberating in a perfect-client kind of way.
Simone always imparts to his clients that the conceptual design phase is the most important part of the project. “It’s like creating a painting on blank canvas. Sometimes the painting looks one way one day, and you may feel differently the next day. It’s kind of like a morphing process. We can’t rush this part of the process… it is the essence of the house or commercial design. Between us we need to make sure we have the right formula, the right floor plan, the right flows, and we need to believe in it.”
Simone’s success comes from his deep listening and setting aside any attempt to overtake the project from an egotistical place.

He remains humble, incorporating his client’s wishes and offering – and sometimes respectfully arguing – his point of view. “I take their ideas and hopes, then massage them. I add my input, my style, and that’s what I love about design. It can be challenging, venerable and very psychological. It’s an intimate process and a lot of back and forth.”

“Modern, when well-designed, can be super warm, not cold or stark, with clean lines, subtle details, but ‘wow’ details, with unexpected simplicity and beauty.”

As contemporary homes and commercial spaces gain more acceptability in this Southwestern-centric architectural landscape, Mussa + Associates (a staff of three) has a bright future. Simone is always 100 percent involved in the project from concept to the end of construction. “We want to create the best experience throughout the whole process. As a creative services design firm we do the architectural design, the interior design, we select all the materials, the fixtures, the finishes, create the 3D renderings, and we spend a lot of time ensuring that the project as a whole is complete,” assures Simone.

When it’s all said and done that magical moment when a Mussa client opens the door to their new home for the first time, that moment is emblazoned in their memory forever. Thankfully for Simone that moment almost always results in a tearful outburst of joy or a jaw-dropping moment of awe. And so the process is complete. All in the best way possible!

For more information:

Simone + Associates Design & Consultants
http://www.mussa-associates.com/
Call Simone at: (928) 274-3060

https://www.facebook.com/mussa.associates