Architect, designer and fashion designer Vincenzo de Cotis likes to challenge stereotypes. Decorating an apartment in a 19th-century palazzo in Milan, he created an interior that is not subject to the whims of fashion

The interior of the dining room is reflected in an artificially aged mirror on the wall of the room.

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Max Zambelli

The owners of the apartment are Francis and Alessandro.

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UNKNOWN

Situations when the designer and the customer instantly find a common language and understand each other without a word are very rare. But Vincenzo De Cotiis and his client Alessandro Liprandi had it that way. They work in close areas: Alessandro owns a leather factory that supplies its products to luxury brands, de Kotis has made a name for himself by designing bold and avant—garde interiors of Milan hotels and boutiques, creating Haute clothing lines and developing unusual designer furniture for his own brand Progetto Domestico – his brutal objects balance on the edge of design and pure art.

They have known each other for a long time and have always treated each other with great respect. Alessandro, not afraid to seem capricious or inconsistent, explained to the architect that he and his friend Frances dream of an interior that is refined and at the same time cozy, in which you feel relaxed and calm, as if visiting your grandmother. He had no doubt that Vincenzo would understand him.

Reasonable functionality with a slight hint of informality — that’s what the client needed

Living room. The walls of the room are decorated with restored wooden panels from the 1940s. At the window is a statue of Buddha from China, XVIII century. The sofa, Progetto Domestico, is upholstered in antique leather.

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Max Zambelli

“In production, we prioritize the quality and uniqueness of products, combine technology with a love of craft, a sense of color and material,” says Liprandi. “Vincenzo shares the same principles.” In the decoration of the apartment, they are expressed extremely vividly. The home of Alessandro and his girlfriend only looks ultra—modern at first glance – in fact, it is located in a 19th-century palazzo overlooking the Sforza Castle. The old apartment had a lot of advantages — high coffered ceilings, a series of glazed double doors, spacious rooms and a comfortable layout.

“I wanted to create an interior that would not only look spectacular, but also be comfortable for life — so that the owners would become attached to it with all their heart,” explains Vincenzo. “I realized that they need a special atmosphere — reasonable functionality and a slight hint of informality.”

Kitchen. Kitchen “island”, Minotti Cucine.

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Max Zambelli

Reflections in aged mirrors are so blurred that they resemble abstract painting

Alessandro Liprandi’s vartira is located in a 19th-century palazzo. The dining room windows overlook the Sforza Castle. Around the custom—made table are vintage chairs from the 1950s by Herman Miller. Lamp, Progetto Domestico. The floor is lined with hand-tinted wooden blocks.

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Max Zambelli

A set of seemingly random, but in fact carefully selected objects helped to achieve the desired result — a huge ficus, Moroccan carpets, aged mirrors, reflections in which are so blurred that they resemble abstract painting, a marble table, thanks to its rounded outlines similar to a 1950s desk, art objects and art albums.

Living room. An unusual feature of its spatial solution is the glazed volume of the mezzanine half—floor protruding from the wall. Desk, Progetto Domestico.

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Max Zambelli

To add a light classical note to the interior, Vincenzo used antique wooden panels from the 1940s of the last century in the decoration and developed wall storage systems that look like antique furniture, but have a completely new original design. The systems are made suspended for a reason. “There should have been only objects of the same time on the floor,” Vincenzo continues, “and some elements of the furniture that play the role of partitions: for example, bookshelves in the dining room. These were the rules of the game that I set myself. And I have never violated them! In my opinion, it’s harder to play by the rules, but it’s much more interesting.” Well, the interior of Liprandi’s apartment proves this better than any words.

Canteen. The bookshelf is made of recycled old boards. The table is made to order: instead of legs, there are fragments of a wooden console from the 1930s.

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Max Zambelli

I set my own rules of the game for each interior and follow them, despite their complexity.

Bedroom. Above the bed is an art object by Vincenzo de Cotys. The headboard of the bed is assembled from wooden panels from the 1940s. Bedside table, 1950s.

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Max Zambelli

Bathroom. The sink is built into a 1950’s desk, lined with marble, in its coloring reminiscent of wood.

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Max Zambelli

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