In Milan, in a cozy atmosphere, bathed in soft light evoking the chiaroscuro of Caravaggio, we enter an open kitchen and a library with high ceilings. This almost celestial calm recalls the Milan of yesteryear, that of those bourgeois apartments where gardens and interior courtyards were hidden behind gates out of sight. These buildings steeped in history, having withstood the ravages of time, embody a certain art of living. It is within this framework that this project falls, that of the collaboration between Romeo Ruffini, son of Remo Ruffini, CEO of Moncler, and the interior architecture agency Gilles & Boissier, founded in 2004 by Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier.
For architects, this project is intended “classic, Parisian-inspired, with a friendly atmosphere, intended for sharing”. As Patrick Gilles relates, “Romeo arrived with a very specific idea, showing us two photos of traditional Parisian apartments.” Twelve months of restructuring work were necessary to bring this idea to life and transform former offices into a luxury apartment. One of the major challenges concerned the ceiling heights: in the common areas, they reach 4 to 4.5 meters, while in the master suite, the dressing rooms and the bathrooms are around 3 meters. Covering an area of 300 square meters, this apartment designed for a single occupant opens onto a polished Ceppo di Gre marble doorframe, a tribute to traditional Milanese floors. This material, like a breadcrumb trail, is found throughout the corridor, decorated with identical frames. The floor is covered with Versailles parquet, lined with black Saint Laurent marble plinths.
A long corridor leads to the imposing living space, while the sleeping area, comprising two bedrooms, occupies the opposite wing of the apartment. Every detail, from precious materials to refined textures and warm nuances, contributes to total harmony: “Everything is designed so that the space is revealed in its entirety at first glance”underlines Patrick Gilles, thus evoking a continuity which creates a feeling of conviviality desired by the owner, passionate about music and one of whose wishes was to install a DJ mixing table in the center of the living space. “We wanted to create a timeless place, an intact capsule of a bygone era”concludes the architect, evoking the Milanese interior courtyards whose moving memory remains, subtle and persistent.
Adaptation Aurélia Piperno