Curated apartments have become a staple of Milan design week. From “an intimate homoerotic” pied-à-terre to a home decorated with real green beans, we have rounded up 10 apartments that opened their doors during the city-wide event.
Top: photo by Silvia Rivoltella. Above: photo by Ludovic Balay
Romantic Brutalism by the Visteria Foundation
Set across 10 rooms and two corridors of a historic apartment in the Zona Magenta, the Romantic Brutalism exhibition charted some of the most exciting Polish designers working today alongside their historical influences.
The exhibition design by Zuza Paradowska of buzzy interiors firm Paradowski Studio was focused on contrasting different styles throughout the home to show the richness of Poland’s design culture.
“I wanted to confront the viewer with a kind of reimagining of tradition and a clash of different temperaments,” Paradowska said. “To shake the viewer out of the sense that everything is harmonious, that they’ve seen it all before.”
Photo by Silvia Rivoltella
Garçonnière by Giuseppe Porcelli
Architect and designer Giuseppe Porcelli transformed a Milanese pied-à-terre into “an intimate homoerotic” backdrop for his inaugural furniture collection.
Located in the city’s Città Studi district, the restored apartment featured pieces ranging from Venetian drapery and bamboo accented seating to a distinctively shaggy lampshade on a boxy tortoiseshell base.
Porcelli sought to invert the traditional notion of the garçonnière, or bachelor’s pad, typically considered a hideaway for heterosexual men. The designer filled the apartment with pieces that were conceived to challenge masculine and feminine stereotypes, reimagining the garçonnière through a queer lens.
Photo by Genevieve Lutkin
Tutto Bene opened the doors to its scenic office as part of Milan design week. Together with design gallery Béton Brut, the studio showed pieces by sculptor Salvino Marsura, juxtaposed with its own lighting collection Legato.
Set in an apartment in Milan’s Zona Magenta, the space with its wistera-entwined terrace provided a perfect backdrop to the sculptural lights, which were informed by architectural forms.
Photo by Tomaso Lisca and Luca Argenton
Design shop Artemest celebrated its 10th anniversary and the third edition of L’Appartamento with an exhibition set in a 19th-century apartment in Palazzo Donizetti.
Among the curated spaces was a sleek white bedroom by New York studio Champalimaud Design, characterised by rounded boucle sofas, decorative mirrors and an unusual ostrich-shaped drinks cabinet.
Open to the public for the first time, the apartment also featured interiors by 1508 London, Meyer Davis, Nebras Aljoaib, Romanek Design Studio and Simone Haag. The studios were informed by Renaissance, Baroque and Liberty-style architecture for the design.
Photo courtesy of the Ap-art-ment
The Ap-art-ment by Andrea Villa
Conceived by architect Andrea Villa, the Ap-art-ment is a Porta Venezia Airbnb filled with eclectic interiors ranging from vintage to contemporary pieces.
In the living space, a weathered Cassina sofa was paired with suspended terracotta modular sculptures by emerging artist Marina Annoni.
Among the furniture are works by Villa himself, including a low-slung coffee table finished in blocks of amber-yellow plexiglass and polished steel that move on a central axis.
“Every piece within The Ap-art-ent is designed to evoke emotion and inspire thought,” said Villa.
Photo by Irene Gaggia
Brera Design Apartment by Zanellato/Bortotto
Celebrating its 16th edition as a mainstay of Milan design week, the Brera Design Apartment inhabits the third floor of an early 1900s building on Via Palermo.
This year, the space was designed by Italian studio Zanellato/Bortotto and named Orizzonti, meaning horizons. Each room was characterised by different colour and material palettes ranging from smooth onyx to soft wool.
Sunset hues featured in the bedroom, which was informed by the colours of Namibia’s landscape and included a wrought iron bed and a wooden rug by CC-Tapis.
Photo courtesy of Muuto
Muuto Milan Apartment by Muuto
Muuto took over the third floor of Via Solferino 11 in Milan’s Brera neighbourhood, marking the third time the Copenhagen design brand has made over the dwelling.
This year, Muuto transformed each room with a different colour informed by the changing of the seasons. Green hues featured in the kitchen, which included lime drapes and uniform apple-toned tiles.
“Each room offers a distinct experience, from energetic warmth to quiet introspection, to a sense of refreshing renewal,” said the brand ahead of the presentation.
Photo courtesy of Dimore Studio
Osanna Visconti’s Atelier by Dimore Studio
Dimore Studio transformed the apartment-cum-atelier of designer Osanna Visctoni, reupholstering furniture in a collection of fabrics the Italian firm created for textiles company Hosoo.
The studio stripped the walls as part of the makeover, revealing traces of worn-out frescoes.
“In this refined Milanese house, history and craftsmanship intertwine, creating an atmosphere, where past and present engage in a theatrical dialogue,” Dimorestudio said.
Photo by Piergiorgio Sorgetti
Designers Laila and Nadia Gohar decorated the home of Michela Pelizzari, founder of creative agency PS, with their playful Gohar World designs.
A pile of green beans sat next to delicate glassware and shell designs, while ornate bonbonnieres decorated a sideboard. Pieces from both the Forever Gohar and the upcoming Table VII collection were enhanced by Pelizzari’s elegant home in a traditional Milanese apartment building.
Photo by Paola Pansini
The Bocci Apartment by David Alhadeff
This year’s Milan design week coincided with the 20th anniversary of Canadian lighting brand Bocci. To mark the occasion, Bocci transformed the interiors of its 20th-century apartment in the city’s leafy Zona Vincenzo Monti, acquired by the brand in 2023 to serve as its European hub.
Curated by David Alhadeff, founder of the New York gallery The Future Perfect, the apartment was furnished with geometric chandeliers, handmade rugs and a solid wood drinks cabinet with hair-on-hide doors and hand-formed bronze handles.
“The project was a dream for me,” reflected Alhadeff, whose curation will remain at the Bocci Apartment for a full year.
Milan design week took place from 7 to 13 April 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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