You Enter This Historic 860-Square-Foot Milan Apartment Through a New Metal Portal

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Project Details:

Location: Milan, Italy

Architect: Depaolidefranceschibaldan Architects / @depaolidefranceschibaldan

Footprint: 861 square feet

Photographer: DSL Studio / @dsl__studio

From the Architect: "This apartment located on the third floor of a post-WWI bâtiment on Viale Beatrice d’Este in Milan has undergone a refurbishment by DDBA. The residence, featuring a typically bourgeois character, is distinguished by large French windows overlooking rows of poplars and the vibrantly colored facades of the residential buildings directly opposite, designed by Giordano Forti and Camillo Magni. The project was born from a collaboration with the clients, a creative couple seeking a Milanese pied-à-terre.

"The renovation, begun in 2021 and completed two years later, unfolds through two opposing yet complementary architectural codes that coexist and perfectly support one another within the home. The first code celebrates the building’s heritage, preserving the original partitions and enhancing the early 20th-century atmosphere in the bedrooms and living area. The second, by contrast, introduces a hyper-contemporary element: an independent functional ‘box’ with a satin-finish metal shell, inserted in place of the old entrance, which houses the kitchen and utilities. The two styles—utilizing different materials, colors, and lighting—generate a play of counterpoints and dissonances, creating a dynamic, multifaceted environment rich in contrasts. The apartment’s approximately 860 square feet are distributed across the living area, the home studio, the primary bedroom, the kitchen, and the bathroom.

"The entry is through a gallery with a dark, lowered vault, recalling the corridors of Villa Panza di Biumo and the architecture of Portaluppi. This gallery runs alongside the functional service and kitchen box, leading—with a sharp and surprising ‘change of scene’—to the high ceilings and luminous spaces of the living area. In the living room, a few selected pieces of contemporary design (primarily black USM modules in various configurations) cohabit with the vintage elegance of the rooms, emphasized by the herringbone oak flooring and the original fixtures, which have been restored and white-lacquered. The Klein-blue sofa harmonizes with the electric blue facade of the building opposite, while the stainless-steel bookshelves echo the metallic finishes of the kitchen box. The kitchen itself can choose to open its doors, connecting with the rustic dining table, or close itself off with discretion and privacy.

"The small studio, designed as a transformable multitasking space, becomes an additional guest room thanks to the fitted wall behind a dark curtain, which conceals cabinetry and a Murphy bed. The primary bedroom, essential in its furnishings, is enriched by a bright orange USM unit and a large canvas by artist Jaime Hayon."