Milana’s adjustable Masand daybed — covered in Pierre Frey bouclé fabric — strikes a pose in the sunlit sitting room of his Brooklyn brownstone.
Artists are naturally egotistical, demanding that all eyes focus on the wonder of their work. Designers can certainly exhibit a similar self-regard, but a chair or table is not a solo show. Furniture must cohabitate. Although a well-orchestrated showroom can give clients a hint of how this or that piece might function in their homes, few express the air of authenticity that pervades the presentation Mario Milana has devised in his own Brooklyn brownstone.
Built in 1879, Milana’s Clinton Hill home combines generously scaled rooms and high ceilings — loft-like attributes he loves — with room-defining period detail, including ceiling medallions, moldings, and mantelpieces. Neither utterly contemporary nor fully historic, the residence makes a fine envelope for the distinctive geometries of the designer’s collection. “I was surprised how much the warmth of the space complements my pieces, which usually come across, at least at first impression, as quite sleek and cold,” shares Milana. “My biggest satisfaction is the look of surprise when somebody skeptical sits for the first time on a chair, interacts with it, and finds it supportive and comfortable. That little spark of connection is what I am looking for in my work, both visually and functionally.”
Milan-born and European-trained, Milana worked for Karim Rashid for eight years before launching his own studio in 2010. “Working with Karim expanded exponentially my design vocabulary,” explains Milana. “I definitely lost any fear of color and explored design in ways that continue to serve me.”
Learning to speak his own language in his post-Karim career, Milana often listens to his wife, Gabriella Campagna. “Gabriella always supports me in everything and pushes me to explore beyond my comfort zone. Once, she took me to the Neue Galerie — which has become my favorite museum — where I saw a gorgeous chair by Josef Hoffmann. Made in wood with two beautiful arches in the back, it was so elegant in its simplicity. But so strong at the same time.”
That visit came when Milana was looking to design a dining chair for a friend’s restaurant in Milan, a high-backed chair that a patron could drape a coat over. “The look of the Hoffmann chair was stunning, but those arches — beautiful as they were — did not serve any function.” Inspired by those curved elements, Milana created his DePostura dining chair, a decidedly sculptural piece in which double steel arches not only project a pleasing formality but also easily double as a coatrack.
The Depostura chair is just one of Milana’s own designs that populate his home-cum-showroom. Arrayed, too, in the bright, sunlit spaces, are his Fair Play Sofa (its back is made of armrest-like components that can be moved up and down), the skeletal Spino bookshelf and an upholstered seating piece that metamorphoses from flat bench to comfy chaise.
“I am very interested in the interaction between the user and the piece,” states Malina. “What I try to design, ultimately, is an experience. So living in a space with so many of my designs is almost like living in a workshop, where I observe how I could do a better job. Where I can discover what works and what doesn’t.”
Photography by Marco Bertolini.
For more like this Brooklyn brownstone, be sure to check out this loft-like space Richard Hutten carved out of a circa 1938 car garage.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.