While some Maltese are addicted to Gozo, some Gozitans have upped and left, crossing more than the mere channel and forging a life and successful career overseas. But while Francis Sultana from Nadur may be flying high in the international world of interior design, he tells Fiona Galea Debono he is also flying home to his roots whenever he can.
If you were to say that furniture designer and decorator Francis Sultana is the only Gozitan to be participating in the Paris AD Inétrieurs exhibition, organised by the French magazine in collaboration with Louis Vuitton, it would not be that surprising.
My mother started to build my home in Nadur 30 years ago. Thankfully, against the fashion of the time, she built something simple, so when I started to develop my style, and having the budgets to help, it was easy for me to turn it into something that has both her and my personalities
Let’s face it: how many Gozitans could actually be among 13 interior designers invited to decorate a room within the Artcurial building, inspired by the theme of Voyage Imaginaires?
So what is even more striking about his achievements is that he is also the only British designer to participate in the September event. That sort of sums up how far from his roots Sultana has flown in his field. But in the run-up to the Paris exhibition, he is also flying out for his Nadur stopover.
“I visit once a month – brief trips of about 48 hours, but just about enough to be with my mother and take some time to be quiet, away from my ‘normal’ life,” he says.
Born and raised in Nadur, Sultana left for London in his gap year over 20 years ago... never to return. In the past, he has missed home badly, but not anymore.
“I think you miss things like home when you have your insecurities. I now know what I want from my life and from my creativity in my business, and this is only possible being based in an international city like London.”
Sultana has described it as “the most excitingly creative city on the planet” and the ideal location to launch his aesthetic to a wider world. Gozo, on the other hand, is “a place of beauty; a life that is rural yet sophisticated”.
It represents his formative years and “did nothing but encourage me to achieve the life I wanted”.
In the last two decades, Sultana has been creative director at David Gill Galleries, accumulating experience from his work with “international visionary creatives”, including renowned Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, designer Mattia Bonetti, design duo Fredrikson Stallard and artist Oriel Harwood.
Some of these have accompanied him back to Nadur: Harwood, known in London as the queen of Baroque, has even created many works for the Gozo house, her style being well suited to the islands; Bonetti, Fredrikson and Stallard and others have also visited and all are taken by Gozo’s charm and rich cultural past, Sultana admits.
The London-based interior designer recently opened his eponymous showroom on Fulham Road, launching a namesake furniture collection, characterised by his love for glamour and luxury. Francis Sultana Ltd also showcases antiques, luxurious textiles and signature accessories, offering bespoke services for customers to acquire 20th-century and contemporary design and commission unique works by international artists. He had launched his first furniture collection in the elegant setting of Claridge’s in Mayfair.
But in Gozo, he inhabits another world: “My home in Nadur is something my mother started to build 30 years ago. Thankfully, against the fashion of the time, she built something of simplicity, so when I started to develop my style, and having the budgets to help, it was easy for me to turn the home into something that has both her and my personalities in its choice of decoration.
“I think it’s very Maltese in many ways, but I know it is very international in others. I was very proud when it was accepted by World of Interiors magazine and was the cover story in the best issue of the year. It’s still the top magazine, and since I was a teenager in Gozo, it had opened my eyes to what decoration is all about...”
Of course, Sultana’s Nadur home is worlds apart from where he lives in London – and Valletta.
“My life in London requires a city home that works for me. It is a showcase of my work and personality. I live in part of a Georgian mansion in Mayfair, a building I had always aspired to live in. Its English classicism works wonderfully with my collection of 20th-century and contemporary furniture and is a great backdrop for the art collection that is another of my passions.
“It must also work for my lifestyle, so it has an impressive salon and dining room as I entertain a great deal. It also gives me space to organise meetings for my philanthropic work.”
His Valletta home is a project that has been going on for the past six years with his partner, renowned design gallerist and mentor, David Gill. Gill first came to Malta 19 years ago when the two had just met and was captivated by both islands.
“We found this beautiful Baroque palazzo and we wanted to bring it back to its former elegance. It has been a painstaking labour to restore what was lost from its original architecture and to create a modern city home for the way we live today. It is almost finished and we are hoping to spend our first Christmas at the house this year, so I have already ordered all the decorations!”
Outside Gozo, Sultana is interior decorator, art collector and furniture designer, but on his native island, his time is kept very quiet. “I dress down – as I am known in London for being very controlled in my look and in my love of Savile Row tailoring; even at weekends dressing down is Tom Ford!
“All my old cashmeres and clothes retire to Gozo, so I am totally relaxed and easy. I am not sociable here at all, and apart from a handful of very close friends, mostly from Malta, I see no one else apart from family.
“I am the same person in Gozo, but I try to use the time when I am not with my mother to plan work and design, look at books and watch old movies to get inspired.”
As for ever considering doing any work in Gozo, Sultana says he would if a potential client had an interesting project. But his roots have only inspired his work at home and his inspiration on the job comes primarily from his patrons and the location of their homes, from Greek island retreats to an Upper East Side pied-à-terre and a grand-scale SoHo apartment.
Sultana’s clients are the “elite few” – a perfectionist, he oversees every project personally. He has designed several bespoke pieces for his discerning clients, and his recently launched signature collection, including upholstery, tables and lighting, is founded on “noble” and rich materials, which he is passionate about, attention to luxurious detailing and the harnessing of the increasingly rare skills of dedicated craftsmen.
“I would love to use materials that are typical of Gozo, and I have thought about it. But it would mean spending time developing innovative ways of doing so. Now that I am creating my own furniture lines (the second collection is out in October), I should perhaps develop production in Malta and Gozo as I know we have the workmanship and it would be good for my business to build commerce in the place I came from.”
That place holds a special place in his heart. Asked if he ever sees himself returning, he replies:
“Of course, always...”