APARTMENT GOALS

In Milan, a creative couple’s 1920s apartment is the perfect canvas for their eclectic mix of furniture and decor

It was a combination of luck and persistence that paid off for Francesca Pellicciari and Giacomo Donati, owners of this 1920s apartment in the heart of Milan. Located between Porta Venezia and Stazione Centrale, the lively neighbourhood is a buzzing mix of tradition and innovation. Lured by the affordable property prices, it’s also drawing many young professionals and creatives. “That was the case with us,” says Francesca. “After months of searching, we finally found the right apartment and loved it at first sight,” she adds. “The more we explored the place, the more we saw that it was perfect for our needs and what we were searching for: an old, well preserved apartment with a story behind it but also ready for small, respectful renovations that could bring a touch of contemporaneity.”

Together with their business partner, the couple own and run Nanban full-time. The cool e-commerce website sells an edit of understated and handcrafted Japanese products people use regularly. “It’s an attempt to introduce everyday Japan to Europe [through] timeless objects and ancient traditions,” Francesca explains. “To approach Japanese culture through the re-opening of a direct contact. Something like a bridge between two worlds.” From classic designs to new releases, many of the objects they sell on the site can also be found in their home.

When Francesca and Giacomo bought the apartment three years ago, the original structure and materials were fairly intact so the high, plastered ceilings, hardwood floors, lead-light windows and cast-iron radiators only needed refreshing. There was even a quadrangle packed with palm trees, persimmons, medlars and hydrangeas. “We love plants and they were factor when we decided to buy the apartment,” she says. “Later on, it was nice to discover that some of our neighbours are passionate about greenery, too, so everybody takes good care of it.”

Rewiring with up-to-date systems while preserving the ceiling detail was tricky, but the couple worked with award-winning design firm Baukuh to resolve all those issues. The main modification involved placing large mirrors at the beginning and end of the hallway. This has allowed more light to reach the apartment by bouncing off these surfaces, and also gives the impression of a wider space. Francesca says the hall went from the dark and functional to becoming a design feature.

The rest of the work involved smaller touches. One bathroom was split into two, but only so that half of it could be dedicated to a traditional ofuro bath made with hinoki wood. To make the apartment more flexible, the spacious living and guest rooms

‘‘Our taste is not really a style; it’s a collection of interests and family inheritances’’ FRANCESCA, HOMEOWNER

were also connected through a new opening in the wardrobe wall. (Most of the storage is here and on the hall shelves.)

Next up, the kitchen layout was slightly tweaked to create benches on two sides and a place for the round table next to the window. “The round design definitely makes the kitchen easier to navigate around,” says Francesca. The setting is a prototype table by Danese Milano, surrounded by plum and teal chairs by Japanese design icon Sori Yanagi, which encapsulate the couple’s carefully considered decorating ‘preferences’. “Our taste is not really a style; it’s a collection of interests and family inheritances,” says Francesca, adding that she and Giacomo also continue to collect pieces online, at flea markets and while travelling.

The peaceful, considered interiors throughout the home are also down to the unique pairing of bespoke furniture with classic Nordic design and oriental touches. There are also contemporary pieces from designer friends, such as a deconstructed Filo lamp by Andrea Anastasio for Foscarini on one side of the living room. Everything is balanced by a palette of rustic timbers and warmtoned hardwood flooring that features a collection of interestadding Tibetan rugs. “In the end,” says Francesca, “Baukuh’s intervention gave the apartment exactly what we needed: a contemporary feel without losing the original atmosphere.”

Check out Francesca and Giacomo’s website at nan-ban.com

SITTING AREA Looking to the dining space takes in the impressive original plastered ceilings and parquet floor. Vintage bar cart by Ico Parisi. DINING Francesca and Giacomo at their wooden table and chairs by Hans J Wegner.

LIVING The apartment is layered with a mix of Italian, Nordic and vintage modern design. Francesca has added to that with a framed 18th-century Chinese embroidery and Japanese fabric cushions. Square 16 sofa, De Padova. Flag floor lamp by Servomuto. Uchiwa rice paper and bamboo pendant light (over table) by Ingo Maurer.

EAT-IN KITCHEN (this page and opposite) The streamlined white and steel units by Valcucine contrast with the apartment’s 1920s features. A Tibetan rug in the prep area generates warmth. Each of the coloured Side Chairs is by Sori Yanagi for Kotobuki. Table, Danese Milano. AJ Royal pendant lamp by Arne Jacobsen, through Cult.

DINING AREA/HALL In order to keep the main rooms free of clutter, Francesca installed floor-to- ceiling storage shelves in the hallway. STUDY/GUEST ROOM (opposite) The measured decor of this space is oriented around an 1800s Italian desk and Gio Ponti ‘Superleggera’ chair (now produced by Cassina). In the left corner is a sculpture by Kensuke Koike, on the right an old engraving of a Chinese dignitary.