Family
Just a Few Kilometres From Milan, a 1930s Apartment Brought Up To Date By a "Beath of Contemporary Fresh Air"
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Daniele Daminelli and Giulia, Camilla 15, and Giacomo 8 years old
Interior architect and designer Daniele Daminelli sees decoration as a journey that plays with the passage of time. Here in his home, periods, artistic movements and designer pieces meet without temporal linearity but rather based on an anachronistic yet harmonious approach. “Fragments of history” that the designer transposes “into the future” in the new family flat in Treviglio that he has designed in a rationalist style. Located only a few steps from their first home, he has embraced this property, which he describes as architectural “love at first sight”, on the basis of his instinct and emotions. Creating a sophisticated setting inspired by his “personal journey”. Happy recollections of his parents, a couple of aesthetes whose daily life was enhanced by their scene setting, had a profound influence on the Italian’s taste: “What I learned from them is that things that are well created stand the test of time”. To the point of imprinting his very special signature, which he likes to describe as tinged with “futuristic romanticism”. And in this apartment, where he has settled with his wife Giulia and their two children, the founder of Studio 2046 strikes a balance between a “1930s spirit” and “a breath of contemporary fresh air”. The space is punctuated by mid-century pieces from Gio Ponti placed alongside his own creations, including his Velasca table and this former museum display case that has become a wardrobe. He searches for “the perfect balance” in which textures, patterns and shades of colour have pride of place. Also reflected through the prism of painting, he reveals what role they play here. That of “touches of colour from the furniture and fabrics” illuminating “a deep green canvas”. And here in this global work of art, with its sharp and timeless aestheticism, the duo instils in their children a “respect for beauty”. And we, too, can enjoy a timeless visit.
Discover Daniele Daminelli’s unique world in our self-published book,
. An anthology of the most impressive interior glimpses throughout the history of our medium, available in our shop and on our e-shop.
Location
Milan
Author
Juliette Bruneau
Photographer
Constance Gennari
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TSF
Daniele, could you introduce yourself, please?
Daniele
I am an interior designer and a product designer, and I collaborate with important international companies in the sector as well as galleries, including Nilufar Galerie, Rubelli, Misha, Bonacina 1889, Società Limonta, and UnipolSai.
TSF
What is your background?
Daniele
I studied at the IED in Milan, then I worked for Dimorestudio for eight years. Subsequently, I founded Studio2046 in 2017.
TSF
Tell us about your education in ‘beauty’. How did your taste evolve?
Daniele
Ever since I was a child, my parents have taught me to appreciate and surround myself with beauty. My father was a decorator working with plaster for Luigi Caccia Dominioni, while my mother loved to look for beautiful everyday objects. She loved to set the table beautifully and make it special, even for everyday meals. What I learned from them is that things that are well-designed stand the test of time. My taste has evolved in the sense that I study the past to know the present and imagine the future. Today, I would define my style as futuristic romanticism.
TSF
What do you like most about decorating?
Daniele
Decoration is a personal journey that allows you to fill a space with textures and colours, which is only achieved after searching for the right positioning and balance. It can also be about telling a story using family heirlooms or travel souvenirs.
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Decoration is a personal journey that allows you to fill a space with textures and colours, which is only achieved after searching for the right positioning and balance.
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TSF
Designers, artists: whose work has influenced you and your work?
Daniele
Carlo Mollino, Walter de Maria, Donald Judd and Piero Portaluppi.
TSF
What do you notice right away when you arrive somewhere?
Daniele
The people.
TSF
You like to mix and match colours, so how did you use colours in your new project?
Daniele
I personalised the colour by creating a deep green canvas, which I brightened up with touches of colour from the furniture and fabrics.
TSF
Tell us about your introduction to this incredible space.
Daniele
I came across it because it was close to our previous home. I fell in love with it immediately.
TSF
How is it different from your previous home?
Daniele
The last house was a Liberty style property from the 1950s, whereas this one is influenced by the rationalism of the 1930s. The rooms are also much more spacious. It’s also different because, in each project, I always want to respect the origins of the spaces by enhancing what already exists. And so using a mixture of rich colours and patterns.
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TSF
How have you designed it and adapted it to your family life?
Daniele
I wanted to create a 1930s look with a contemporary twist, what I call a “romantic and futuristic” style. The colour palette is mainly dark, with nuances coming from objects that illuminate the space with their unexpected colours and materials. The deep green, which runs throughout the apartment, makes the interior cosy and comfortable. Giulia and I wanted to create a sophisticated space, even for children, to teach them to live with respect for beauty, just as I have been.
TSF
How did you furnish and decorate your home?
Daniele
The choice of furniture reflects my personal taste. I used a mixture of mid-century furniture, like Gio Ponti’s, as well as objects from my own designs, such as the Velasca table. I have also made bespoke pieces, such as my wardrobe, which was originally a museum display case.
TSF
What does it say about you?
Daniele
That I love bringing fragments of history into the future! That I am inspired by the imaginative possibilities of romantic places, the better to envisage them in the future.
TSF
Where will we see you in the near future?
Daniele
We are currently working on the new collection for the Salone del Mobile in 2022!
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The last house was a Liberty style property from the 1950s, whereas this one is influenced by the rationalism of the 1930s.
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