In the work of Molteni Vernici, the surface is never a simple coating.
It is the meeting point between matter, industrial process and design vision.
ARGÉTEN was born from this philosophy: to interpret the aesthetics of antique silver through a contemporary metallic finish, designed to meet the needs of architecture, design and international contract.
Antique silver tells a story made of time, natural oxidation, marks left by use and by the material itself. However, in the contemporary design context, that aesthetic cannot be entrusted to chance, nor to unstable or non-replicable decorative solutions. ARGÉTEN was created precisely to bridge this gap: to maintain the lived and profound character of ancient silver, translating it into a controlled, reliable and consistent industrial surface.
Molteni Vernici develops its finishes according to strict production standards, applied daily in international projects for architecture, luxury retail, hospitality and bespoke design. Each surface is designed to guarantee chromatic continuity, repeatability between batches and compatibility with certified cycles, essential elements for those who work in the professional field. ARGÉTEN is part of this journey as a new expression of research on advanced metal surfaces.
From an aesthetic point of view, ARGÉTEN looks like a metallic finish with a controlled patina, inspired by antique silver. The surface is characterized by light chromatic variations, visual layers and calibrated micro-irregularities that restore depth and naturalness, without ever being decorative or artificial. Each plate, each element, maintains its own perceptual uniqueness, while respecting an overall aesthetic coherence that is fundamental in architectural projects.
ARGÉTEN's patina is not an effect applied superficially, but the result of a proprietary technical process that governs oxidations, stratifications and controlled reactions. This approach makes it possible to obtain surfaces with an ancient appearance but with performance consistent with the needs of the contemporary industry. The result is a finish that communicates with time without suffering it.
One of the central elements in the development of ARGÉTEN was compliance with Molteni Vernici quality standards. The Maison's finishes are subject to mechanical, chemical and environmental resistance tests, and are integrated into painting cycles compatible with the main industry regulations. This allows ARGÉTEN to be used in complex environments, both indoors and outdoors, maintaining aesthetic and material stability over time.
ARGÉTEN is applicable on a wide range of substrates, including metal, wood and plastic, through dedicated cycles and specific adhesion primers. On metal supports such as iron, steel, aluminum, brass and zamak, the finish fully expresses its material nature, making it ideal for facades, windows, architectural elements, furnishing accessories and decorative elements. On wooden supports, ARGÉTEN allows the aesthetics of ancient metal to be transferred to non-metallic surfaces, expanding design possibilities and ensuring visual uniformity even in complex contexts.
The ability to communicate with materials such as stone, marble, cement, natural wood and mineral surfaces makes ARGÉTEN particularly suitable for contemporary projects, where the surface is never an isolated element, but part of a larger material language. In retail and hospitality settings, ARGÉTEN helps to build sophisticated, discreet and timeless atmospheres, avoiding fashion effects or overly distinctive solutions.
ARGÉTEN is not a finish designed to impose itself visually, but to accompany the project. It is a surface that works in depth, which is revealed with light, with use, with distance and with detail. An approach that reflects the Molteni Vernici vision: to create surfaces that do not seek immediate effect, but build value over time.
With ARGÉTEN, Molteni Vernici expands its language on metal surfaces, offering architects, designers and brands a new design tool, capable of combining memory, matter and industrial control. A finish that does not replicate the past, but interprets it with rigor, technology and contemporary sensitivity.
ARGÉTEN thus represents a further step in the Maison's research on advanced finishes, confirming an approach that combines aesthetics, technical reliability and design culture. A surface designed to last, to be used and to become an integral part of architecture.
