Transcription

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 ENGLISH VERSION Residence Milan Casa Alba For designer Massimo Alba, fashion and interior decoration is about history, craftsmanship and authenticity. In his home, which is arranged in a 15th-century building in central Milan, different periods and styles blend together naturally, like an extension of both his showroom and his shop, located only a stone s throw away. Photos: Fabrision Cicconi/Living inside Text and styling: Chiara Dal Canto Editing: Mille Collin Flaherty LIVING ROOM Like his designs, Massimo Alba s home is a stylistically consistent collection of finds from the locations he has visited over the years, and everything that he dreams about. The room is comprised of memories, pictures, sensations, books, photographs and archives. A melting pot of feelings is how he describes it. He has a penchant for compelling styles and periods, including Danish design especially chairs from the middle of the last century. For example, the living room here contains one of Arne Jacobsen s iconic Egg chairs, alongside a cabinet from Tibet and an easy chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. The rice paper lamp is designed by Isamu Noguchi for Akari, and the photo art is by Ferdinando Scianna. KITCHEN The focus in the kitchen is also on creating a cosy atmosphere rather than establishing as a workshop for cooking. The lamps are vintage, and come from Denmark, and the bookcase and the rugs are from Tibet. Hans Wegner s Ox chair, designed for Erik Jørgensen, creates a relaxed atmosphere and emphasises the consistent theme of a house where life is lived. LIVING ROOM Like in Massimo Alba s studio, and as an extension of his basic philosophy of fluid borders, the kitchen extends onto the dining room. The sideboard was found in Denmark, while the photo art is by Esko Männikkö, which here is personally combined with tribal art from Australia. The round lamp is part of a larger collection from the 1960s, which Massimo Alba has been collecting over many years. VIEW There is a view of the beautiful church of Santa Marie delle Grazie from the dining room. Hans Wegner s Flagline chair can just be made out at the bottom of the picture. THE RESIDENTS Designer Massimo Alba, his wife Marilena and their son Nicolò. THE APARTMENT The family lives in the original Palazzo Atellani, which was built in central Milan in the 15th century. Since then, it has functioned as an artist s residence for a number of prominent personalities such as Leonardo da Vinci, who painted The Last Supper and other masterpieces within its beautiful confines. The house has subsequently been restored and converted into luxury apartments. It was also used as a setting for the movie "Io sono l amore starring Tilda Swinton. For designer Massimo Alba, there are no definitive barriers between fashion and interior design. Actually, there are no barriers at all, but rather a wide-open door through which his inspiration flows and combines his two worlds the one in his 350 m2 showroom and the other in his home in central Milan. Here, he has casually combined a sofa designed by Finn Juhl, upholstered in colours inspired by a pullover, with Marcel Wander s Knotted Chair and large cabinets with glass doors, which resemble those one would expect to see in a natural history museum. His home, which he shares with his wife Marilena, is a beautiful example of how furniture and objects from different time periods can easily be combined to create an impression that is anything but incoherent. Antique Masai thrones, used as a bed base, are combined with Danish design from the 1950s, large photographic artwork by artist Gianni Pezzani and a boat, whose crumpled sail inspired Massimo Alba s first shirt collection. Massimo Alba s home, office and workshop merge together stylistically and objects, furniture and art are regularly moved from one place to another. The easy chair, which today is located in the kitchen and which is one of five chairs that reflects his love of Danish design, was previously placed in the workshop, and the sofa that is now in the showroom may soon return to his living room. Some of the lamps, almost all of which are Italian, and a large part of the art collection have been used to give light and life to the window display at one time or another. The historical 15th century building, Casa Atellani, where Massimo Alba lives with his wife Marilena and their son Nicolò, is located in central Milan, with a view of the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Grazie. The unique home is designed with great stylistic diversity and with plenty of personality in the form of discoveries from their travels and auctions, as well as objects and works of art that Massimo Alba has received from friends or exchanged over a long life among like-minded creative colleagues. Furniture and art by iconic designers and artists such as Hans Wegner, Gio Ponti, Eero Saarinen, Noguchi, Tom Dixon, Patrick Demarchelier and Lillian Bassman fill the highceilinged rooms along with furniture and prayer mats from Tibet. They all combine to form an interior that reflects Massimo Alba s love of the authentic, a concept which permeates his attitudes to both his home and to the clothes he designs. Being true to yourself and breaking down barriers between gender, generations and nationalities are the values by which he navigates his work and in his private life. DINING ROOM Everywhere in the home you find sculptures, works of art and objects that Massimo Alba has found during his travels around the world. The two antique wood figures were found on his travels to China and, curiously, they complement the view to the church that can be seen through the window. The drawings on the walls are by Marcello Dudovich and the chair is designed by Ole Wanscher.

13 DETAIL Holiday mementos and exquisite finds catch the eye everywhere in the home, like here, where rocks and shells together with a paperweight constitute a beautiful arrangement on a rustic marble plate. LIVING ROOM Massimo Alba s Italian heritage is clearly present in the design, like here, where the deep-purple velour sofa from Cappellini creates depth and warmth across from Hans Wegner s classic Ox Chair in black leather. Photo art by Lillian Bassman, Kenro Izu and Evelyn Hofer are displayed on the shelf. A large black and white photo by Gianni Pezzani stands on the floor, next to a piece by Patrick Demarchelier. LIVING ROOM The view from the hall, through the dining room and the living room, is only separated by Dieter Rams iconic 606 Universal Shelving System. In the dining room, Eero Saarinen s marbled-topped Tulip Table creates a beautiful contrast to Gio Ponti's ultra-light Superleggera chairs. A metal chair by Tom Dixon stands next to the sofa. BEDROOM The large bed is formed of a single wooden beam, which creates an organic and harmonious expression in combination with the large photo by Gianni Pezzani. BATHROOM Massimo Alba s penchant for mixing styles is also evident in the bathroom, where old Tibetan furniture contrasts sharply with a modern, white porcelain hand basin and a vintage mirror with mat glass lamps from the 1950s. The view from the window is out onto a green courtyard. STUDIO Massimo Alba s high-ceilinged studio is a coherent personal sphere, where objects, books and memorabilia provide daily inspiration and food for thought. The studio is located a stone s throw from his home and he often finds it difficult to decide which place feels most like home. STUDIO Massimo Alba s love of collecting is very evident in his studio, which resembles a personal exhibition. The black robot was originally found on a film set, and the two bead-embroidered Masai thrones were brought back from New York. The writing desk is flanked by two chairs designed by Hans Wegner, while a photo work by Gianni Pezzani is visible in the background. SHOP Like in a historical museum, personal items displayed in the glass cabinets create a unique atmosphere. The photo work Cicciolina goes to heaven is by David Bailey. The shop, which is adjacent to Massimo Alba s studio, has no doors, because he wants to give an open impression. Everything is open, so that objects, textiles, words, humans, music and people who happen to drop by can contribute to the atmosphere every day, he explains. SHOP Like in his home, Massimo Alba s shop is a mix of different periods and styles, beautifully combined into a personal, integral whole. Large, old glass cabinets from a tailor in Milan have been given a new lease on life here as display cases for handkerchiefs designed by Massimo Alba, combined with the iconic Knot Chair by Marcel Wanders. The Bwana chair and Model 57 sofa are both designed by Denmark's Finn Juhl. The shop in Milan is at Via Brera 8. See 8 August 2015 SPACE 89