The GMH apartment in Milan was published in the Living magazine of Corriere della Sera, n.05 May 2023.
Interior design by the Rodrigo Izquierdo Design Studio.
The context is the most classic imaginable: an early 20th century building in the historic center of Milan. Three different apartments to be combined and a total of almost 400 square meters to be completely reinvented. Where to start? «The first challenge was to reconfigure the floor plan so that it respected the existing aesthetic canons. The goal was to be able to create a new composition of spaces, making it seem as if everything had always been like this, according to a style as much as possible in line with that of the building» says interior designer Rodrigo Izquierdo, who took care of the project for an Italian-Spanish couple. A total renovation: the kitchen had to be connected to the terrace, the living room doubled, taking care to restore the beautiful glass door, the floor to be redone. «The stuccos on the ceiling weren’t there, we recreated them by looking at those of the neighbour. Where I could, I added wardrobes: there is one hidden by the mirror in the entrance and others along the corridor. What used to be two passageways to the hall have been closed and turned into bookcases.
By overturning the plan, it seemed natural to me to add a fireplace in the living area, I knew the owners wanted it. The funny thing? During the demolitions we found a chimney exactly in that spot», says Izquierdo. Born in 1979, originally from Barcelona, he has lived in Italy since 2005 when he began working with Patricia Urquiola dealing with projects of various types, from the hotel to the residential sector.
In 2016 he opened his own studio: «Precisely because in the past I have followed many hotels, when it comes to private homes, I prefer clients who give me a precise briefing. If you know what you like and what you don’t, you understand how far you can go without forcing your hand too much. Clients must be guided by sensing what will make them feel good. In this case, we succeeded.”
The owners of this apartment had clear ideas: «They asked me for colour, colour, colour. And I responded in my own way: I chose saturated tones, my favourites, and combined them to create harmony». The starting point was blue, the sugar paper blue chosen for the walls of the dining room but also that of the Bramante sideboard by Cassina or the velvet sofas. «And then we continued consistently: dark green, purple, magenta and so on». Here’s another challenge: make sense of this set of shades so that you get a feeling of coherence. «I wanted to propose colors that weren’t simply decorative, they had to become an integral part of the project. When the various tones neutralize each other, it means that you have done a good job».
To obtain greater richness, the studio has designed some furnishings that follow the same language: there is the console at the entrance in red Levanto marble, the turquoise lacquered coffee table in front of the velvet sofa or the sideboard with maxi black and white stripes of the kitchen. Another chromatic level that fits between the family pieces and the works of art of the hosts and causes the classic tone to spill over into a more contemporary eclecticism. «I wanted the house as a whole to feel fresh and not too formal. And since the color theme was central, I followed it to the end, also using it on carpets and cushions. Now that my work is done, it’s up to them to continue».
