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85 Working From Home: East 67th Street Once again, the Vignellis intertwined personal and professional life by combining home and office. Initially this decision seemed like it was imposed upon them by circumstances, not chosen with excitement. Michael Donovan, who has continued to be a close friend, knew that this transition was hard for them, but he wasn’t surprised when they adapted and moved forward. He said, “The thing about Massimo and Lella is that they are both very rational. Logic works and Massimo takes great pride in using it.”1 Although the Vignellis disparage the transitory nature of fashion, they are acutely conscious of style and visual impressions. Giving up the Tenth Avenue office worried Massimo because it had been an imposing space, but it quickly became obvious that their home office also created a positive impression for professional visitors. That shouldn’t have surprised him, but seemingly it did. The Vignellis were social, hosting parties and gathering friends, so many people were familiar with their home. Their associations with it were already favorable. Newcomers entered and saw the dramatic leaded window, the art, the Vignelli furnishings, the sleek organization. They recognized a Vignelli sensibility in the spare and smart functionality, and they too were comfortable. Several people said that in some respects it was better than Tenth Avenue because it felt more personal. “Our apartment became office during the day, home at night. Having a duplex made the transition easy. The bottom floor becomes office, the top floor is always residence; the whole thing is still grand and dignified. It did not look like a miserable home office. Gradually I got used to it and loved it, more than any other alternative,” said Massimo. Most signficantly, he realized people were there to see him, to see Lella, and to seek strong solutions to their design problems. In that respect, nothing had changed. The balance of projects between Vignelli Associates (graphic design and interiors), and Vignelli Design (products), stayed relatively consistent though there was a shift in their work. They had fewer corporate clients, which 86 meant less emphasis on massive identity projects. Their aversion to middle management from the Unimark days continued (“They are people who are terrified of making mistakes,” says Massimo), but that was rarely an issue for them. The Vignellis worked with company presidents and trusted decisionmakers . Massimo and Lella continued to create most of their work based upon personal rapport, long-standing relationships, and shared affinities. They continued to be busy, and happy. Lella was particularly satisfied as they settled into their home office. When the business was downsized, she had fewer administrative responsibilities. She could focus more on creative aspects of her projects and that realignment was well deserved. In addition, she was finally achieving individual recognition for her work, particularly the showrooms and interiors. “Now is the best time of my life,” Lella said in 2009. “I enjoy working on products, because they are focused, but now I am doing the showrooms and they please me. I am traveling—I have fewer responsibilities with record-keeping, with home, with cooking. I am in control of myself; it is very different from the earlier years. Being older helps too.” Sometimes they paused to reflect on their accomplishments. “The greatest part of life for us has been growing together,” said Lella. “In a relationship, it is important that you don’t let yourself be taken over.” She laughed, explaining, “I am practical. Massimo is creative even if what he is thinking is not always possible. We do our own projects, but we listen to each other.” A good leader has a sense of empathy and an ability to listen. Lella had both. “Massimo is purely about design—it is you, him, the project. Lella is a passionate pragmatist,” said Michael Bierut. “She was the boss who called the shots on budgets, salaries, personnel—and she freed Massimo to drive his vision single-mindedly forward. She would be the first to interpret resistance from a client or to hear information that needed to be taken into consideration. ‘Listen to what he is saying, Massimo,’ she’d say.”2 “One of the dynamics that’s important about the way they worked is that Lella created a shield around Massimo, where he was free to do his work. They were very critical of each other, so of course there were arguments,” said Luca. One argument has become legendary. It rose from the design of the Heller...

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