CAOSCALMO
Natural materials, light and colour: the perfect mix for a dynamic flat on the outskirts of Milan.
In the interior transformation of a young family’s home, the needs to be met were different. The design response identified different environments, strongly characterised in terms of atmospheres, colours and materials; micro-private cosmos that can, if necessary, be put in communication with each other, to
satisfy both the desire for privacy and conviviality.
The starting point was the complete redistribution of the rooms; the original flat was in fact crossed by the classic entrance corridor, which allowed access to the various rooms of the house. Entrance, kitchen, living room, so isolated from each other, were not adequate for the needs of a dynamic family, who like to live in the house to be together, to receive friends, but also to work and study. Moreover, the closure of the rooms towards the central corridor did not allow the light to reach the heart of the house,
despite the triple exposure and the generous size of the openings.
The first step was therefore the elimination of the central corridor and the annexation of an additional room, originally identified as a bedroom, to the living area: these operations gave rise to a large living room, with a total area of 75 square metres, directly accessible from the entrance.
Instead of the open-space typology, a preference was given to the creation of a sequence of well-defined spaces, which can, if necessary, be put in communication with each other by means of full-height sliding doors integrated in the custom-made furniture.
The main living room, designed by geometric partitions in strong colours, thus dialogues as much with the kitchen, separated by sliding glass doors, as with the secondary living room, a hybrid environment dedicated to study and leisure.
From the main living room, again by means of a full-height sliding
door, one enters the sleeping area, characterised by neutral tones
and a relaxing atmosphere.
The kitchen, from a technical-functional room, is elevated to the most precious element of the home: a mirror-covered wall unit conceals the columns with the appliances; worktop, induction and sink are instead integrated in a “suspended” beam in black-stained elm. The top and riser are instead made of Dover White
marble, as is the circular custom-made table, supported by a cruciform plinth of burnished sheet metal.
In the living room, the monochromatic contrasts of the kitchen give way to colour: the black-stained elm, which we find in the full-height cupboards, is combined with the green of the horizontal benches, in a glossy lacquer finish. The bench next to the entrance is surmounted by an outsize wall unit, reminiscent of the old fireplace. The cladding in the famous flamed finish, designed by Ettore Sottsass, makes it an iconic volume capable of drawing the entire wall.
The grain of the wood, the reflections of the mirrored and lacquered walls, the graphic texture of the marble; the eye lingers on the different finishes and gets lost in the details. As in an impressionist painting, however, when we move our point of view away and embrace the entire composition with our gaze, we understand the sense of the whole: a controlled chaos in which each element assumes its own role within the whole.
Further embellishing the palette of materials are the furnishings from Acerbis’ Remaster collection, creations by masters of Italian design selected from the brand’s vast archive, whose modernity is still current today.
