Vintage Reflections: A Journey into the Interior Design of an Apartment in Milan

Vintage Reflections: A Journey into the Interior Design of an Apartment in Milan

In the bustling heart of Milan, architect Lorenzo Visioli has breathed life into an apartment that seamlessly blends vintage charm with modernity through the skillful use of refined materials and details. Let’s explore how the soft reflections and captivating mirrors play a central role in this unique space that we’ve had the pleasure to furnish.

 Reflections, mirrors and roundness

ENTRANCE

The entrance warmly welcomes guests with a floor covered in light gray mortar, illuminating a relatively narrow corridor. A service cabinet entirely clad in mirrors on one side visually expands this confined space, creating an effect of spaciousness and brightness. Inside the cabinet, shelves and hanging space add functionality without compromising style. 

Here’s another example of a mirror-clad cabinet welcoming at the entrance.

mobile entrance open closed
 handle detail

KITCHEN CORNER

The kitchen, the heart of the home, embodies the fusion of style and functionality. Structured in a niche divided into two parts, with an equipped base and a frontal island, it stands out for the absence of conventional wall cabinets. In their place, vintage lamps in the style of “The Great Gatsby” illuminate the polished steel worktop, creating suggestive reflections that interact with the surrounding elements. The kitchen base, in a dark and clean tone, features concealed handles.

kitchen with island
kitchen zoom

A touch of originality is introduced by the niche beside the window, transformed into an open bar with crystal shelves hosting selected spirits. The presence of undulated glass, now a major trend, on each side reflects bottles and liquids, adding a touch of color. Internal LED lights make this element even more captivating when switched on.

open bar niche and window
niche open bar
 wavy glass detail reflections

FUNCTIONAL STORAGE

A key element of functionality and discretion is the integrated storage in the bathroom, where a washer and dryer find their place alongside all necessary household tools. Two tall, lacquered doors, matching the wall color, fold onto themselves, creating a visual effect that imparts continuity and harmony to the surrounding environment. This approach not only optimizes the available space but also adds a touch of sophistication to the overall design, thanks to slim handles and meticulous finishes.

 functional storage room
 handle detail

LIVING AREA

A delicate arch connects the entrance to the living and kitchen areas, introducing a sense of softness while emphasizing the importance of access. The flooring transitions from industrial mortar to vintage parquet, laid in three different patterns to enliven the pace. Refined details, such as reflections playing on materials and shapes, contribute to creating a dynamic and enveloping ambiance.

Here’s another example where reflective materials play a significant role in the project.

arch living area entrance
parquet detail

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, this vintage-inspired project distinguishes itself through the reflections generated by carefully chosen materials. Each element, from the luminous mirrors to the reflective surfaces, contributes to amplifying the spatial sense and creating a unique dynamism. A perfect blend of past and present, transforming living into an exquisite and timeless experience.

When a white kitchen with an island becomes a functional element of a youthful two-room apartment

When a white kitchen with an island becomes a functional element of a youthful two-room apartment

In the centre of Milan, a youthful flat is spread over two levels, welcoming a white kitchen with a functional island in the centre. On the upper floor, the elegance of total white is accompanied by a niche wardrobe with mirrored doors that amplify the perception of the sleeping area. Practical elements with linear and elegant aesthetics that define the look of the entire flat. Let’s discover together this realisation designed by architect Stefano Belotti!

Opening doors white kitchen with island

A white central island dominates the kitchen area

Upon entering the flat, with its small but practical dimensions, the view is projected onto the kitchen, the layout of which makes full use of the available height with storage compartments. Acting as a visual filter, but at the same time as a functional element for the cooking area, is the central island that echoes the white aesthetics of the kitchen.

The worktop, in matt white Corian, becomes not only a work surface, but also a convenient snack top for aperitifs and quick meals.
In this respect, the folding mechanism that allows the (future) service stools to be concealed plays a key role.
The front closure panels, in fact, rotate sideways to then be incorporated into the main structure and almost completely disappear.

white kitchen with island oven combination column
white kitchen with island wall units integrated lighting
detail Corian worktop integrated basin aluminium mixer
aluminium chain Corian top
white kitchen with combined oven island hidden door laundry area

The volume of the island consists of front-extension doors with internal drawers of different heights.
A solution that has now become predominant in the recently concluded edition of the Salone del Mobile, as well as clearly recognisable in previous editions.
The main advantage is certainly the more elegant and minimal aesthetics, in which horizontal cuts resulting from the division into drawers are eliminated in favour of a single door.

detail of internal drawers in white lacquered kitchen with island

From the wall unit to the laundry corner: functionality marries total white aesthetics

The adjoining wall unit is made up of multi-level volumetric plays.
The service columns, incorporating the built-in refrigerator on one side and the combi-oven to its right, are accompanied by compartments with hinged doors that extend across the entire upper part of the kitchen.
On the same depth level, matt lacquered doors with a dishwasher in the central area and internal shelves in the surrounding compartments.
The central area, on the other hand, is characterised by a break-out with worktop and sink, upper wall units with vertical partitioning and built-in lighting with a smaller depth.

To ensure the best functional configuration, the side wall to the kitchen and the central island accommodates a white lacquered door that covers the entire height of the room.
This conceals inside the laundry area with a washing machine and tumble dryer with columns accompanied by practical shelves for cleaning products.

The linear aesthetics are emphasised both in the choice of lighting, pendant above the white central island and LED strip lighting in the back wall of the kitchen, and also in the joining chain between the Corian top and doors below.
The material detachment through an aluminium profile becomes the horizontal reading element both for the back wall, joining the two side ends, and embracing the central island with kitchenette.

white kitchen with laundry corner island
White kitchen with island pull-out front drawer doors

A wardrobe with mirrored doors embellishes the sleeping area

On the upper floor, accessible via a white painted spiral staircase, a wardrobe with six mirror-covered doors dominates.
The rhythmic vertical division is interrupted by a single horizontal cut at the top, creating an interesting geometric subdivision in the overall aesthetics. The choice of mirrored doors on the one hand amplifies the brightness and perception of the room and at the same time enhances the overall aesthetics.

The division into six doors is reflected internally in a symmetrical composition with double central compartments accompanied by two single compartments at the ends.
Compartments with hanging tubes are favoured, but there are also internal drawers and adjustable shelves for better organisation of clothing.

If for the lower level the kitchen with central island favours a uniform white aesthetic, the sleeping area, on the other hand, marries contrasting aesthetics.
The bright exterior of the mirrored doors is in fact contrasted by the elegance of a matt black whole on which the elegant chrome hanging tubes can be seen.

mirrored door wardrobe
wardrobe mirror doors dark laminate interior drawers
Niche wardrobe with dark interior mirror doors
detail mirror cabinet doors interior lighting
two-room mirror-door wardrobe
detail of mirrored wardrobe doors in niche

The choice of a total white kitchen is always a contemporary and elegant solution. Its simplicity makes it easily adaptable to the surrounding context, whether it has a retro feel, as in this example, or contemporary pop, as in this realisation. It can also be combined with natural wood elements, such as chopping boards and snack tops, thus adding a hint of warmth, here’s an example! Or exploit plays of opacity and shine through different materials, making the room look fresh and bright, perfect for seaside homes!

A bespoke wardrobe in the attic: sloping doors and large bookcases

A bespoke wardrobe in the attic: sloping doors and large bookcases

To make the most of the sloping ceiling of this attic, a large custom-made wardrobe is mixed between a functional element and a large bookcase. A hybrid furniture, usable internally for the seasonable wardrobe change, but linear in aesthetics to create a suggestive and small reading hall for our little client Francesco.

bespoke wardrobe attic sloping ceiling bookcase in front of sloping doors

Equip an attic with sloped ceiling with a custom-made wardrobe

The attic is the project environment with great aesthetic potential but with strong architectural design constraints.
The presence of a sloping roof creates different usability areas imposed by the different internal heights of the room.
In this case, the architectural conformation of the attic, with a narrow and long plan with access to the center of the ridge, ideally divides the room into two different environments.
In one of these two the large custom-made wardrobe stands, able to exploit even the lowest corner of the attic with a bookcase in the niche.

To ensure that the sloping cut doors are not obstructed in the opening direction by the attic ceiling, it is necessary to provide single doors with fastening on the longer side. This also allows an internal division with shelves marked by single and not double modules as in a traditional wardrobe.
The backs of the bookcase are shaped in the same way in order to respect the inclination of the ceiling and optimize the overall dimensions.

To explore the theme of rooms with sloping ceilings, here are these two attics: one in a contemporary style with antique elements and the other in a modern style. To these is also added this mezzanine equipped with wardrobe and bookcase for a functional study area.

bespoke wardrobe attic sloping ceiling front bookcase
detail handles white aluminum profile wardrobe
interior hanger wardrobe custom attic season change
inside wardrobe change of house linen season
bespoke wardrobe attic sloping ceiling side bookcase
internal shelves bilaminate wardrobe made to measure attic change of season

A reading corner for our most demanding small customers

Francesco is our little client with very clear needs. If mom Laura is kindly allowed to use the inside wardrobe for the seasonable wardrobe change and household linen, the niche-bookcase must be able to accommodate books and dinosaurs divided by specific themes and colors.
The shaped shoulders accommodate fixed shelves at different heights, creating a lively but elegant visual rhythm.

Even the fresh and elegant tone of the white bilaminate creates a luminous reading area in which a delicate Scandinavian design coffee table finds space.
To take advantage of the depth of the wardrobe, a second bookcase is grafted onto the side shoulder, also visually closing the furniture with a characterizing detail. The same solution was also adapted in this cerulean blue kitchen in modern style.
In this case, the shelves are positioned at a greater height so that they can also accommodate more bulky folders and books.
The reading corner is thus embraced by the multifunctional furniture that from a simple wardrobe serving an attic it also becomes a custom-made bookcase.

reading corner bookcase in niche shelves fixed height
bookcase detail with fixed door and white bilaminate shelves
detail of white bilaminate bookcase shelves
attic bookcase with fixed shelves
bookcase detail in front of the wardrobe
detail handles white aluminum profile cabinet front

Renewed classic furniture with contemporary kitchen

Renewed classic furniture with contemporary kitchen

The classic style furnishings of this villa built about thirty years ago rediscovers its eternal charm even after many years.
To rejuvenate it and make it current, a contemporary style kitchen with essential lines has been added. The harmonious combination of the two styles refreshes the rooms and softens the features of the predominant style.

classic living room

Classical furniture between past and present

The passage of time and the succession of different historical periods has allowed a wide development of furnishing styles. Over the course of history these have known their maximum expression with distinct characters, while in the contemporary era they have been reinterpreted, giving life to continuously updated variants.

This house, built between the late eighties and early nineties, responds to a classic style at the time very popular among villas and elegant apartments. Revived today, it discovers its contemporary meaning with an elegant kitchen with essential lines. The warm tones of the lacquers soften the design lines of these interiors, in perfect harmony with contemporary trends.

entrance passage with classic arch
classic style entrance details arch moldings
detail of the villa entrance light blades

The living area in classic style

The classic furnishings already develop in the entrance area with moldings that emphasize the architectural lines of this villa.
On the left, an arch with shaped profiles marks the entrance to the living area, flanked by a pair of blades of light that allow a glimpse of the large interior living room.
The profile of the internal shelves, slightly recessed, is a shrewdness that makes the aesthetic impact of the element lighter, recalling the characteristics of the classic style.
The painting of the walls in a warm slightly cloudy tone acts as a leitmotif in the different rooms, enhancing the light furnishings.

The living room has a central solid wood main table matched with other antiques that give elegance and prestige.
Among these, the large damask carpet, the adjacent wall piano and the Arco lamp by Castiglioni, a timeless design icon.
Low cabinets, honeycomb radiator covers and niche bookcases with recurring aesthetic characteristics accompany them. Moldings, doors decorated with tone-on-tone knockouts and brass knobs are in perfect classic style.
The chosen color of a light cream makes the interiors elegant, softening their features.

bookcase in niche details classic furnishings in the living area
details equipped windows bookshelves wooden furniture
classic style living room wood table
living room furniture classic niche bookcase
front molded drawers in classic style, tone-on-tone
bookcase niche living room classic furniture shelves

From the equipped corridors to the sleeping area

To anticipate the sleeping area, the corridors and passageways are equipped with full-height service wardrobes. These reproduce the characterizing lines of classic style furnishings, enriched with decorative floral motifs in a slight chromatic contrast.
The warm tone of the walls is echoed by the knock-out of the doors in a delicate tone-on-tone play. Internally, shelves and hangers alternate to make the most of the environments.

In the sleeping area, the bedroom uses a double-sided wardrobe that fits into the dividing wall between the sleeping area and the study corner, now equipped for distance learning. A structure with delicate warm tones which, combined with the light blue walls, is even brighter and fresher. Classic-style doors accommodate internal shelves and hangers, while in the terminal part they incorporate open compartments for small objects.
At the front, the equipped wall alternates shelves with wall units with molded doors, creating a dynamic visual rhythm. In the lower part there is a desk with a chest of drawers incorporated into the structure.

classic style bedroom bed
classic style bedroom desk
classic style wardrobes interior
detail decoration doors classic style furniture
classic style wardrobes decorated cream colored doors

The master bedroom stands out for its contemporary elegance that only delicately hints at the classic tones of the remaining rooms. The caramel-colored padded headboard of the large double bed rests on the rear structure equipped with a front day compartment and bookcases along the side shoulders. To recall the classic style of the furniture is the linear aesthetic of the back wall with panels spaced at a fixed distance.
On both sides of the bed there is the access to the walk-in closet, contemporary in its design lines but with light tones that reflect the colors of the remaining furnishings.

cream colored shaped kitchen lacobel wall units
walk-in closet retro bed classic contemporary style
niche bookcase detail with headboard thickness
detail handles hollow linen drawers walk-in closet rear bed
internal walk-in closet chest of drawers hanging mirror
horizontal classic bathroom

The introduction of the contemporary style through the refurbishment of the kitchen

The timeless beauty of classic furniture, rediscovered even today, is confronted with the desire to renovate the interiors.
In terms of functionality and typology, the kitchen is the environment that best lends itself to a stylistic change with a contemporary flavor. Here then, after simplifying the existing doors with a linear aesthetic, this room also fits harmoniously into the existing complex.
A touch of lightness that balances the stylistic imprint of the villa.

Preserving the top and the back surface of the terracotta kitchen with brick-colored geometric decorations, the refurbishment involved doors and front drawers of both the base units and the upper wall units. Recessed handles with a linear aesthetic and matt lacquer in full contemporary style are spread over the entire kitchen and the volume of the peninsula used as a snack bar placed at the front.
The hood, previously chosen as a “design” type, was inserted in a built-in structure entirely covered in white Lacobel, capable of giving brightness to the environment.
Appliances are also being renovated, including the built-in refrigerator and the pair of Smeg column ovens.

tubular horizontal hangers optimize coats space
contemporary style kitchen top snack bar red stools
modern classic style kitchen renovation on the peninsula side snack bar
modern classic kitchen 4
gas hob kitchen kitchen makeover
column ovens smeg contemporary kitchen drawers hollow handles

Conclusions: customize the classic furniture

The classic style, which today is witnessing a rediscovery, is easily combined with the essentiality of the contemporary style, creating an interesting combination. Restoring the stylistic balance of the interiors can also mean finding the right combinations between different styles, giving a decisive impression to the house.
To learn more, another example of a house with contemporary style and classic kitchen.

Giving new life to furniture: adapting them after a move

Giving new life to furniture: adapting them after a move

Facing a move means turning your life around, renovating your home and introducing new furnishing accessories.
Beginning to pack, you make a natural selection of the objects to take with you, recognizing for each their own emotional value.
Many times, this process also involves the world of furnishings, which accompany the owners in this moment of transition.
Giving new life to furniture also means renewing the context in which they are inserted, managing to adapt them in terms of aesthetics and functionality to the new environments.

Adapting furnishing to a new context

When the furnishings are custom designed, their conformation responds to the needs of the customers, perfectly matching with the architectural context in which they are inserted. In doing this, a strong link is born between the rooms in which they are inserted and the shapes, proportions and mechanisms of use of the furnishings.
This would suggest an indissoluble bond between the two components, which would break when the furniture undergoes a relocation.
It is absolutely not said!

In fact, among the potential of custom-made furniture there is a flexibility factor that allows us to give new life to furniture by making few changes.
These make it possible to transform the general imprint of the furniture in order to adapt it to the new context both in terms of aesthetics and functionality.

A perfect example are the adaptations made to these furnishing extrapolated from an apartment between classic and contemporary. Let’s discovery this apartment among transformed furniture and new additions.

The kitchen: increases the work space and storage volumes

The kitchen certainly represents the beating heart of a home.
In the case of this apartment between modern and contemporary, its conformation was born from a natural reading of the architectural context in which it was inserted.

The corner development made it possible to exploit the side part with service columns with anthracite gray lacquered MDF doors.
These are equipped with column ovens on the right, pantry with removable trays and a central compartment for the free-standing refrigerator. The front is made up of lower volumes with large drawers and service doors and upper wall units in a brilliant white Lacobel.

The new arrangement has provided additional useful space for the overall dimensions. Being able to use additional space on both sides, the most natural solution was to exploit the remaining gaps with additional volumes.
On the right, we provide a service column which houses a modern wine cellar accompanied by a door with height-adjustable internal shelves.

On the opposite end, the main problem arises when the worktop is made of natural stone, which has undergone a chromatic change over the years.
To avoid incurring a visible difference between the added part and the existing one, a wooden top was thus created. It also acts as a cutting board for preparing meals. An element that not only solves an aesthetically weak point, but also provides a functional solution.

giving-new-life-furniture-kitchen-move-cupboard-modify
modern-kitchen-front-view-counterop-natural-stone
side-view-kitchen-undertop-sink-white-lacobel-cabinet
kitchen-countertop-detail-natural-stone-white-lacobel-back-surface
kitcehn-service-columns-wine-cellar

The living area: a new contemporary aesthetic

To equip the living area, we recovered the furniture made in 2006.
The choice of colors was already avant-garde at the time. Even in a contemporary reworking they can adapt perfectly, resulting elegant and current. The TV cabinet in glossy anthracite gray lacquered MDF alternates flap doors with service drawers, whose recessed handles give visual lightness.

In this case, giving new life to furniture means adapting them to the new context in which they are inserted, managing to exploit the flexibility of the same.
Small changes have been made, mostly considered maintenance. Re-lacquering where necessary or remaking of structural parts.

The same approach was then applied to the service hanging columns, which are made up of doors in the upper part and small drawers in the lower part. Their new position side by side allows them to welcome guests introducing them to the living area and, at the same time, create a visual divider from the more intimate dining room.

give-new-life-furniture-living-room-tv-cabinet
detail-top-MDF-shiny-laquered-dove-gray
open-drawers-flap-door-tv-cabinet
flap-door-recessed-shaped-handle-tv-cabinet
modern-living-room-design-tv-cabinet
give-new-life-furniture-living-room-tv-cabinet-shiny-laquered
service-cabinet-living-room-drawers-door-shaped-recessed-handle
shiny-laquered-doors-dove-gray-recessed-shaped-handle
modern-living-room-furniture-cabinet-shiny-laquered

Children’s bedrooms: new tailor-made solutions to exploit architectural voids

The sleeping area houses the two small bedrooms whose conformation alternates architectural voids with important structural elements.
A tailor-made solution was therefore designed in both rooms in order to include all the necessary furnishings without sacrificing practicality and visual freedom.

For the first bedroom it was therefore decided to take advantage of the basement that leads to the mezzanine area to equip it with a shaped wardrobe.
Since the room is intended for a child, the dimensions and heights necessary for the clothes have certainly facilitated the design. Despite having little space available, taking advantage of the inclined height of the basement, it was still possible to create a double-height wardrobe with alternating shelves with fixed hangers.
The wardrobe is accompanied by a standing alone chest of drawers which is also used as a support surface.
The large one and a half bed is inserted in a niche. The latter used in the depth to fix shelves with hidden lighting.

In the second small room, the depth of the niche is useful for a certainly wider wardrobe. Full-height doors with push opening accommodate fixed tubulars, drawers for linen and shelves for folded items to satisfy the needs of a young girl.

shaped-wardrobe-basement-niche
service-drawers-bedroom
recessed-handle-shaped-detail-drawers
internal-wardrobe-composition-shap-bedroom
detail-hanger-shaped-shelves-wardrobe-bedroom
detail-shelves-integrated-lighting-bedroom
niche-bed-girl-illuminated-shelves
giving-new-life-furniture-niche-bed
shaped-niche-wardrobe-push-opening
interior-composition-wardrobe-bedroom-niche
internal-tubular-hanger-shelves-closet-bedroom
drawers-handle-hollow-inside-cabinet

The master bedroom: a wardrobe like new

The master bedroom is best equipped with a large wardrobe with sliding doors placed parallel to the bed.
Its linear aesthetic combined with spot ceiling lighting allows at the same time to hide its grandeur.
The result is a capacious and functional volume which, in the aesthetic impact of the room, tends to disappear while giving character and elegance.
Relocated from the old house, the different internal height has led to a reduction in height which has thus made it possible to better adapt to new environments.

The composition of the wardrobe comes from a natural division into three departments, corresponding to the division of the sliding doors.
On the outside, the double-height hanger houses removable glass shelves in the center. These are particularly suitable for storing folded shirts using the external sliding mechanism to reduce the internal height between the trays.
In the central compartment, the large linen drawers are accompanied by a pair of shelves for folded items and hangers in the upper part.
The left compartment instead houses a double hanger to accommodate long dresses and coats whose greater height compensates for the reduced space reserved for folded trousers and skirts.

master-bedroom-wardrobe-open-tray-extractable
animation-opening-wardrobe-internal-composition-giving-new-life-furniture
internal-composition-wardrobe-hangers-pull-out-trays
detail-trays-removable-glass-wardrobe-bedroom
detail-trays-removable-glass-wardrobe
internal-wardrobe-double-hanger
internal-composition-wardrobe-hangers-drawers

Giving new life to furniture does not only mean rejuvenating it and making changes to its aesthetics. The bespoke design allows you to create furnishings that are versatile and able to adapt to new environments. Restoring a balance between aesthetic conformation in relation to the room and functional needs becomes the main goal.

If you want to deepen the theme of furniture flexibility, we suggest you this article in which series furniture and tailor-made solutions help each other!