French-Lebanese design studio David/Nicolas has refurbished a Milan apartment from the 1920s, bringing in contemporary details while retaining features added by Italian architect Gio Ponti.
The art deco-style apartment, originally designed by Mario Borgaro in 1923, was refurbished by Ponti in 1952. Since then, much of the fit-out was torn away by the apartment’s previous owners, who auctioned off some of the furniture and wall panelling.
The current owner, investment banker Michele Marocchino, initially brought on David/Nicolas to create wainscoting for two of the rooms, The Studio and The Dressing, which sit between the living room and the bedroom.
But Marocchino later decided that the studio’s founders, David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem, should work on the entire space to reimagine Ponti’s recognisable style for the 21st century.
“Our goal was to honour Gio Ponti’s design by incorporating his vision while integrating our own identity, avoiding a mere replica of the original,” the duo told Dezeen.
“The signature elements of a Gio Ponti space include intricate details, wooden joinery, distinct edges of wooden panels and a floor plan that creates engaging visual directions by redefining the way the space is lived, as well as creating specific perspectives that guide the eye.”
The refurbished apartment, now dubbed Casa di Fantasia, comprises a spacious kitchen, a dressing room, a primary bedroom and another bedroom with a multifunctional room at the back of the apartment.
Other distinct spaces include a large living room with a bar, plus a study and movie room.
David/Nicolas’s approach to the redesign was dictated by Ponti’s work on perspectives, recreating rooms lost during previous renovations while respecting their original proportions.
Ponti’s use of swirly radica wood in his refurbishment was referenced through decorative tiger-patterned marquetry, which was used to adorn several of the rooms.
“The tiger wall pattern is a reinterpretation of the Radica wood panelling, which has a similar movement to the tiger pattern,” the duo explained.
“We thought it was a good idea to use it, as it diverges from the original design while still maintaining a similar movement in the wood.”
Key features of Ponti’s refurbishment that David/Nicolas discovered were still in place include the panelling around the entryway as well as a pink bathtub and shower unit, which the duo refurbished.
Tiles by Italian sculptor and ceramist Fausto Melotti that originally covered the entire bathroom were also retained.
“Since many of these tiles were sold at a Philips auction, we utilised the remaining ones on the wall behind the vanities,” said David/Nicolas. “To enhance these tiles and the bathtub, we covered the rest of the walls with micro concrete.”
David/Nicolas also designed a plethora of new furniture pieces for Casa di Fantasia, such as the two main couches of the living area, the sofa in the library, a free-standing bar, the lamp above the dining table and some sconces in cast aluminium.
Both hailing from Beirut, Raffoul and Moussallem met while studying architecture at the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts in 2006 before going on to found their studio in 2011.
Previously, David/Nicolas created furniture inspired by the night sky and Beirut’s history, which went on display for an exhibition titled Supernova at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in New York City in 2019.
Other Milan apartment refurbishments that have recently been featured on Dezeen include Teorema Milanese’s marble makeover by Marcante-Testa and Untitled Architecture’s overhaul of a small attic.
The photography is by Sara Magni.
