South-East Milan Apartment Renovation and Furnishing.

West facing and located in South East Milan, this 5th floor apartment was completely empty when the client moved in. A number of simple modifications to the rooms meant a large improvement to the overall look&feel. Classic wood paneling covered the perimeter of the main living space offering shelving/cupboard storage and decoration for the walls. The single color scheme meant the paneling did not stand out, it was a missed opportunity for a characterful space. A touch of contrast resolved this and gave the room more definition. We used a cool mid grey matt color which helped build that background contrast.

The building was designed in the 1960’s, regulations on health and safety were different and parapets did not respect minimum heights. Rectangular and square planters with trellising at the back were placed along the edge of the balcony to offer shading from neighboring sights and created a private garden view outside.

In the living room, 3.5m tall walls meant almost full height glazing allowed bright light and full view to and from the neighboring apartments. The adaptation of John Lewis ready made curtains offered a cost effective and aesthetic solution to the problem. There was also a requirement for a working corner in the open living room, so we had to define 3 distinct areas: Dine, Live and Work. The niche next to the kitchen entrance seemed made just for the purpose, String Shelving units were connected to the wall, a great solution for a flexible home-working space. The other, larger, square shaped niche near the large window seemed ideal for a round MDF Italia Rock table, Four fiberglass Eames chairs complete the set and a Flos String lamp shines a focused light on the table top. In the Living area, a Loaf soft and generous sofa is placed 90 degrees to a blue Long Island Cargo sofa, two Vitra Cork Stools are both coffee tables and small seats, depending on the occasion. A PK22 Fritz Hansen chair completes the living room area and offers seating options for entertainment or for watching films projected onto the wall.