In Milan, from disused factory to loft apartment

Via Savona, Milan. Our professional couple has surrendered to the charm of this area and has converted a small disused factory into a double-heighted open-plan loft apartment. We are in Zona Tortona, the most trendy neighbourhood in the city. In recent years, creative professionals from the worlds of design and fashion have settled here, giving life to showrooms, loft apartments, ateliers and artistic studios. All year round, thousands of professionals and enthusiasts flock to its narrow lanes; especially during the Salone del Mobile and Milan Fashion Week. 

The double-heighted central quad is the “heart” of the home, here you can cook, eat and play music. In the centre of the floor, there is a glass plated light well directly over the cellar; this is the owners’ recreational basement room.

When our owners came across this building, in their favourite neighbourhood, they didn’t have any doubts that it was the right space for them. It was an old industrial structure, like so many around these parts. And thanks to a full renovation project, our couple was able to build the loft apartment they had been dreaming of for a long time. All the rooms lead to a large double-heighted central area, which houses kitchen, dining room and living room. Here, our owners have created a free-flowing space, mixing industrial materials and components together with cozy corners in a more traditional homely vibe.

In the foreground, the kitchen in steel and grey stone and in the background, the study entrance and the more secluded living room underneath the terrace.

The original double-heighted space has been used in an intelligent and perfectly functional way. In the entrance, exposed brickwork outlines a passage, which leads outside. Here building a second floor created a separate area, which houses the kitchen block sheltered by a small partition.

In the entrance, industrial style: exposed brickwork, iron door lacquered in red, kitchen in steel and stone, dark flooring in industrial timber.

The kitchen is built underneath the mezzanine floor and opens onto the central area: this is an advantage point for the lady of the house. There is also a hanging fireplace in the open-plan space; this is the real convivial hub of the home, here the man of the house can play the drums for his friends. And opposite, the more intimate and secluded living room with comfy sofas, fits right underneath the terrace over the courtyard, which can be reached via the balcony on the mezzanine floor. 

Romantic pieces are in sharp contrast with those in industrial style: bespoke pendant lamp in crystal and on unit fronts in silk-screen glass, beautiful drawings by Rodolfo Dordoni (Etna di Rossana).
Under the steel counter top, recessed lights reflects the red of the opposite door, which is the entrance to the cellar below.
The ultra-functional K24 tap by KWC adds a touch of drama.

This is a tailor made home: functional spaces correspond perfectly to the needs of its inhabitants. The Arredasano design team has been extremely successful in marrying the original industrial use of the building with its new residential purpose. Arredasano has converted a small factory, which was once on the outskirts of the city, into a beautiful home in one of the most sought after areas of Milan today. For the joy of its new owners, this loft apartment in via Savona has acquired a new identity, without forgetting its previous existence. 

Design project

Renovation and contemporary decor of an open-plan apartment. 

Location: Milan, Italy
Client: private
Floors: 3

Renovation project: arch. Nicoletta Colombo and team ArredaSano
Interior design project: ArredaSano, Via Washington 15, 20146 Milan, Italy
Tel: +39 02 4812492
Email: info@arredasano.com

www.arredasano.com

Photos: Courtesy ArredaSano

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