A chic and simple city home

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Via Castaldi - Milan, Fabio Azzolina Architetto Fabio Azzolina Architetto Modern home
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Today we will show you a stunning apartment located in Italy's fashion capital Milan. Staying true to the heartbeat of the city, this newly renovated apartment effortlessly blends fashion and functionality. The project was undertaken by Fabio Azzolina who has retained certain structural features from the earlier version—such as the overhead wooden beams and exposed brick walls but also added some innovative new ideas. 

The architects had a rather substantial challenge awaiting them—an apartment size of only 640 ft²! Instead of only opting for an open-floor plan, they also made a decision to stick to a single color palette—white. Needless to say, not only does the space look contemporary and fluid, it also makes the apartment look way, way larger than its actual size. Too much white can end up looking clinical, but in the able hands of these architects, this serene city apartment looks like a stylish boutique hotel with tons of appeal.

Arty

The architects also decided to go the minimal route—a style that also reflected the owners' personal tastes. By paring things down while at the same time keeping it chic, a sense of spaciousness is achieved. The south-facing windows ensure that the area is flooded with light during the day. The high ceilings with the white-painted wooden beams give the impression of a larger space. The brick wall, also painted in white, acts as a focus wall of sorts and has been used to display works of photography which adds a modern vibe to the room. 

Minimalist kitchen

Organization is the key when it comes to small kitchens and in this example the combined kitchen and dining area are definitely the heart of this small apartment. The kitchen here is as minimal as it gets, but still retains a sense of warmth, thanks largely to the wooden flooring and the clever lighting.The lack of knobs creates a clean look and this is further aided by everything being tucked away inside the kitchen cabinets.

Chic and vibrant

Sometimes having too much white in a room can make it look flat—but this can be avoided by adding strategic pieces of art and bursts of color. One of the first things you notice in this bedroom is the amount of natural light flowing in. The bedroom also doubles as a study and the architects only needed to make a few small adjustments to make the room look larger. Small touches like the metallic hanging lamp add a modern vibe to this understated space.

Small spaces, big ideas

You might have noticed those cheeky little floating shelves in bright yellow appear in every room—they not only provide a much needed burst of color but they also utilize awkward corners and nooks such as these that would otherwise have been wasted. Plus, it provides storage space!

It's all in the details

Take a look at some more lovely details in this amazing apartment. The hutch dresser provides a slightly traditional touch to the otherwise contemporary apartment, and also doubles up as a tiny workstation when needed. This along with the wishbone chairs were sourced from local boutique stores. A closer look at the photographs reveal how an otherwise empty wall has been given visual appeal. Not only do these fairly large photographs provide an anchor for the other items in the room, its effective scaling also helps to make the room appear larger!

You will love these 10 houses for those who think that small equals cozy!

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