Past, future

AT THE GATES OF MILAN, THE MAIN FLOOR OF A HOUSE DATING BACK TO THE 1400S BECOMES A SHOWCASE FOR ART AND DESIGN.

Just outside Milan, in a former agricultural zone, stands a 15th-century villa that has conserved much of its historical charm. On the piano nobile, Cinzia Boffo Dal Pozzo with the team of the Gionata Dal Pozzo studio has designed an apartment for a young couple with teenage children, mixing architecture, design and art. «It was no simple task to find the key with which to interpret a place with strong overtones of bygone days», she says. «Heritage listing meant conserving the atmosphere, but we also had to fit it into a home that meets contemporary needs. Every solution is the result of this stimulating challenge of balance, establishing a precise, creative identity for the house». Patient study of the colors suggested keeping the original blue dominant, often reinforced by the furnishings, with a particular focus on composition, opening spaces and tailoring them anew, though without altering the volumes with their high ceilings. New casements and wood floors have been inserted, along with the creation of bathrooms and service spaces. The layout is logical and legible, gravitating around the kitchen as the nerve center of family life, and then flowing from room to room, through a sequence of functional zones. The master bedroom is a focal point, a true pièce de résistance with its trompe-l’oeil frescos. It sums up the interior design approach. «At first the owners wanted to reinforce the historical atmosphere with antique furnishings», says Cinzia Boffo Dal Pozzo, «but the layering of history over history weakened the expressive impact. So we went with an opposite solution, working with the contrast of a very contemporary decor». Design becomes the leitmotif, combining classics like the Rose armchair by Masanori Umeda or the Standard seat by Francesco Binfaré, both from Edra, with a range of intriguing pieces by Draga & Aurel for Baxter, Emanuele Missaglia for Porada, Maxalto and Paola Lenti. Art is also a protagonist, especially in its contemporary expressions in painting and sculpture. As the project progressed the clients explored this aspect, selecting items that add force and personality to the interiors, thanks to their colors and their striking forms. The overall result is quite convincing. The house is alive, the relationship between past and present is dynamic, and the encounter between the villa’s historical identity and the needs of the people who now live inside it has been successfully resolved. With exceptional discretion.