Nel cuore dell’Isola
For the tenements, you know, time seems to stand still.
It is a very sought-after type of house in the Milan real estate market and considered quite trendy.
Even today, not without a certain dose of melancholy, it is easy to immerse oneself in the wonder emanating from the inner courtyards, the balconies, and the interconnected apartments, classic examples of these typically Milanese structures.
On the other hand, here, and only here, one can still feel that atmosphere capable of telling the story of old Milan.
And yet, “the howling tenements” (a gentle caress offered by Carlo Emilio Gadda) were nothing but constructions of popular housing, built in the early 1900s, and once a recognized homeland, to quote another great of literature, Carlo Castellaneta, “of rogues, prostitutes, underworld people, as they could easily slip away through another exit.”
And it is precisely in a tenement house, located in the maze of streets and alleys of the Isola district, that Sposari Home has completely renovated and designed a one-bedroom apartment (approximately 45 sqm), with significant space division issues.
Living area-Kitchen
Uncertainties, however, immediately emerged as soon as the entrance door was crossed.
It was very complicated, in fact, to approach a corridor that was too long for an apartment with such limited dimensions.
For this reason, the initial bottleneck was made suggestive, transforming the available space into a gallery of color and light, enhanced by the wall colors, but also by the LED bars, designed in an “L” shape, both on the wall and on the ceiling.
The creative correction, therefore, revolutionized a normally anonymous area into a gallery of asymmetric light, embellished on the floor by a “textural carpet” in Gres Ceppo di Gré.
The second problem addressed was the bathroom.
To avoid a small bathroom with only half a window available (which, moreover, fell right next to the entrance to the sleeping area), the studio opted for a drastic but necessary solution: creating a windowless bathroom, with a compliant anteroom.
A decision capable of increasing the brightness of the living area, also taking advantage of the external light coming from the bedroom.
What characterizes the house, above all, is the imposing transparent glass portal (handcrafted), an ideal division between the sleeping area and the living room.
A solution that does not weigh down the project.
On the contrary, it breaks the boundaries, giving the rooms a sense of continuity and greater perspective depth.
Here, the living area, where a prefabricated tobacco-colored oak parquet runs on the floor, suffers a bit from the reduced dimensions of the house. However, the open space layout easily allows for a cozy sofa.
Even the kitchen, in dark and trendy tones (graphite gray with tone-on-tone top), is complete and functional.
Equipped with all necessary accessories (fridge column, column with built-in microwave, column that completely hides the apartment’s boiler, and an important cooking hob), it blends perfectly with the concept, discreetly charming the convivial area, also thanks to the convenient snack counter with double seating.
Sleeping area
In the bedroom, what immediately catches the eye is the stylized wallpaper (floral theme) that dominates the main wall.
In front of the window, a walk-in closet has been created, closed by sliding doors, equipped with a laundry area (with the necessary space to accommodate a washer topped by a dryer).
The lamps, identified as the main decorative accessories, are signed by Creative-Cables.
Bath
Returning to the bathroom, the shower box stands out thanks to the black profiles and perimeters, used to pick up the shades present in the anteroom.
In the anteroom, there coexist a sink cabinet paired with trendy matte black faucets, produced by Paffoni.
On the floor, and as a covering for the walls, Marazzi Ceppo di Gré stone-effect stoneware was used.
This is an idea that reconnects to the decorative theme revealed at the entrance, thanks to the long “carpet” made from a section of parquet.
Photo shoot by Michele Ranzani.
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