Decorate with Missoni magic

with its bold use of colour and clashing pattern, the home of margherita amos missoni has the family’s fabulous maximalist flair running through it

after some years away from the fashion house working on her own design projects, Margherita Amos Missoni is back at the family business as the creative director of M Missoni, and presents her first collection in Milan this week. Margherita’s appointment follows her return to her hometown of Varese, where many members of the family still live.

Margherita, 36, married entrepreneur and pilot Eugenio Amos six years ago, and the couple now have two young sons. Looking to create a family home, they found a plot of land overlooking Lake Varese with sweeping views of the Alps, and here built a contemporary wood-clad house that nestles in the forested slopes that surround it.

Before they commissioned architect Aldo Cibic, Margherita and Eugenio decided on a joint aesthetic. ‘After working through our initial differences, we concentrated on the elements that we both liked: stone and wood for the exterior, linear lights, and a double aspect living room,’ says Margherita.

She took on responsibility for the interior design and, despite her creative genes, found it surprisingly tricky. ‘It was the hardest job I’ve ever done,’ she says. ‘If I could go back in time, I would’ve passed the baton on to someone else. It’s better to live with the mistakes of others than with your own!’

It may have been challenging, but the end result is the ‘cheerful, happy and relaxed’ mood she was after, with a blend of colour and pattern that you’d expect to find in a Missoni home, but also a bold mix of styles and eras, with pieces from ebay or flea markets.

‘We made a lot of instinctive choices, knowing that the objects you have a close connection with are ultimately the ones that make you feel at home,’ says Margherita. ‘Fortunately, everything came together, finding its own place within the space.’

COLOUR CLASH

The double-sided living room is full of pattern and colour, but the 1950s sofa – bought on ebay by Margherita’s mother for just a few hundred pounds – has been covered in pale blue velvet, creating a moment of calm that anchors one half of the room. Vintage chairs were upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric and the Chinese zodiac rug is a Missoni prototype. ‘I said I needed it for work, then showed my grandmother how perfect it looked,’ says Margherita. ‘She had no choice but to leave it to me!’

BOTANIC GARDEN

Murals (usually done with wallpaper) are brilliant at creating an evocative mood. Margherita’s bespoke painted mural (from pictalab.com) gives the dining room an exotic, tropical mood. The green is a subtle backdrop to the bright tablecloth and the chairs by Josef Frank for svenskttenn.se/en, while the 1960s Murano glass pendant lights were found on ebay.

INSPIRATION ZONE

Margherita describes her studio as her ‘oasis’ and, like the rest of the house, it brings together an eclectic mix of styles. On the wallpaper (cole-and-son.com) hangs artwork by London-based artist Caroline Walker (carolinewalker.org). The rug is a previous collection Missoni Home and the chandelier is Venini blown glass.

SAFARI STYLE

In the bedroom, a custom-made zebra patterned carpet gives the room wow factor. Margherita had long lusted after the four-poster bed by Mauro Mori (mauromori.it) and had one made for her in a large size so all the family can snuggle in. The sofa is by Hartmut Lohmeyer for Wilkhahn.

GOING FOR GOLD

The house has his-and-hers en suites, and Margherita’s is clad in a spectacular Giallo Siena Marble (£151.13 per m2; allnaturaltiles.co.uk), the golden yellow creating a sunshiny mood. The bathtub is from devon-devon.com/en and the wicker chair is an antique from Brussels.

CHIC MIX

The guest bedroom is a mix of clashing styles that come together to create a characterful space. The wallpaper (svenskttenn.se) is a low-key pattern that creates a backdrop to the other elements, including a 1970s Missoni Home armchair, Superleggera chair by Gio Ponti as a bedside table, vintage dressing table and large mirror, which was found on ebay.

HOT DISH

Wood, monochrome tiles, pops of bright yellow plus a statement light (Moooi’s Meshmatics chandelier, nest.co.uk) are the style ingredients of Margherita’s kitchen. The beautiful domenicomori.it tiles are handmade. ‘They are the most expensive surfaces in the entire house,’ says Margherita. ‘Eugenio is still trying to understand how!’ The table was made bespoke, while the chairs came from a flea market.