For an elegant and exclusive apartment that had fallen into disrepair, Milan-based multidisciplinary studio Chromastudio tackled a complete and radical renovation that respects a bit of retro style. The old gives way to the new with a focus on recovery, where color and its geometry, in contrast with neutral tones, shape new scenarios, in a continuous play between what’s horizontal and vertical, curved and linear. The resulting space lays out a “story” where each area is characterized by a play of colors, with black and its derivative tones being the connecting thread.
The apartment, which is just under 1,000 square feet, was redistributed in order to get a bigger living area, a more comfortable bathroom, and more storage space in line with the new living standards. And while the living area is the central hub of the apartment, the striking kitchen island in royal blue – a chromatic monolith made by Cesar Cucine and supplied by Mo1950 – is the heart of the project and is placed in the center of the room to highlight its beauty.
The color of the kitchen is also used for the entrance corridor, whose passage has been rounded to create a barrel vault; it’s like a long, royal blue tunnel, as if to anticipate the story ahead.
Combined with the kitchen, the living room is a unique environment with high ceilings and a rectangular shape. The long, bright walls, pierced by windows and the two doors leading to the sleeping area, are painted in a light ash color, contrasting with the light Celadon green on the short walls and its darker version on the ceiling. A contrast also exists between cold and warm tones; the colors used for the walls contrast with the rust-coloured sofa.
Art always adds value when furnishing a home, therefore Chromastudio chose the abstract artist Giorgio Pasqualetti and his “Rovell n.16,” an acrylic on canvas whose geometric abstractions give the wall a three-dimensional look and adds energy to the whole environment. On the sideboard, a glass lamp by Paola Croci called “The Included” is an art piece in its own right.
The primary bedroom is a quadrangular solid with long sides in a light ash tone and an inverted U with the short walls and the ceiling, which is painted in cornflower blue. The headboard has been enriched with a 47-inch-high fitted wainscoting that contains two bedside tables. On the opposite wall, the wardrobe has 6 flush-to-wall doors matching the context.
The soft, harmonious palette of red clay, cornflower blue, and light ash creates a calming and restful vibe.
The second bedroom is the kid’s room. In this case, simple geometric shapes and primary colors were used. The high wainscoting in Savoy blue creates a chromatic corner that delimits the space dedicated to rest. The same color is then used in the decorative arch of the walk-in closet, which contrasts with the ocher yellow descending slightly from the ceiling to the walls as if to delimit a safe and protected area.
Photography by Riccardo Gasperoni.
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