Milan Houzz Tour: Two Designers' Creative Vintage-Style Home
These designers use their home as a testing ground for new ideas for old decor, turning their home into vintage heaven
Anna Carbone and Giovanni Gennari, the couple behind blog and design studio The Chic Fish, were united by a common passion: hunting for 20th-century antiques. Since then, they’ve made it their mission to rethink vintage items through a personal lens, within the loose boundaries of vintage style. To that end, they turned their family nest in Milan, Italy, into a testing ground for endless experimentation with vintage and vintage-inspired design.
Carbone and Gennari’s story – and the story of The Chic Fish – started with their common passion for antiques markets. The two friends combed all the vintage and antiques circuits, first in Milan, then farther and farther afield throughout Italy. Compelled weekend after weekend by their love of retro style, the friends gradually became partners in both life and work.
When the time came to buy a house together, it was clear that only a vintage space would do as a home for their collections and a canvas for their creativity. They chose an apartment in a nineteenth-century building in the formerly industrial and now buzzing and international neighbourhood of Porta Genova, Milan. They completely renovated the space, which gave them the opportunity to make it entirely their own.
Starting on the renovation was a bit like lifting the lid off Pandora’s Box. The floor was an ugly laminate, and Carbone and Gennari could not predict where they might uncover the kind of old, original flooring they were hoping to find.
On the other hand, removing layers of old plaster from the walls revealed an interesting texture, which they left bare, proudly displaying traces of the construction work.
On the other hand, removing layers of old plaster from the walls revealed an interesting texture, which they left bare, proudly displaying traces of the construction work.
Their search for original tile under the laminate was unfortunately fruitless, but the couple had simultaneously searched for old flooring materials elsewhere. Turning to their address books and supplier lists, Carbone and Gennari were able to get their hands on an assortment of traditional cement tiles with a faded, authentic look.
They took a different approach for the home’s wood floors, going with recycled scaffolding boards. They chose this low-quality material for its backstory and atmospheric feel. It adds a touch of French retro chic to the space.
They took a different approach for the home’s wood floors, going with recycled scaffolding boards. They chose this low-quality material for its backstory and atmospheric feel. It adds a touch of French retro chic to the space.
The study, the space closest to the front door, was the first to be reworked. It had originally housed the apartment’s largest bathroom, but Carbone and Gennari wanted to make better use of its location and natural light. To make it even brighter, they replaced the wall between this room and the corridor with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Not only does this flood the space with light, but it makes the home’s layout much more dynamic. Quirky wallpaper printed with gilded bees adds a whimsical touch.
This is now the space where the couple’s creative decor and business ideas are born.
This is now the space where the couple’s creative decor and business ideas are born.
The long corridor presents a varied sequence of setups and decor. The overall effect, with the juxtaposition of a variety of patterns, textures and materials, is complex but not discordant. The repeated transitions from one pattern to another seem to balance out the overall effect.
The kitchen and living room are separated by a glass partition. Carbone and Gennari actually tracked down the supplier of this divider in Lingotto, Turin, the historical heart of Fiat car production. They fell in love with it at first sight, and thankfully its dimensions were perfect: By a huge coincidence, the door was exactly the same height as the one that leads into their living room.
The kitchen units are made of two converted carpenter’s benches. With an additional bit of luck, these fit perfectly between their appliances.
The kitchen units are made of two converted carpenter’s benches. With an additional bit of luck, these fit perfectly between their appliances.
The master bedroom is small and intimate, and its wrought-iron bed and personal mementos recall the atmosphere of farmhouses in old Italian movies. Two elegant brass wall lights with glass drops add a touch of refinement.
The pair chose to leave the wiring for the lights exposed, embellished with vintage-style rope-covered power cables and old porcelain switches.
In this photo, two of the decorators on the team work on the wallpaper detailing. The couple designed the pattern digitally, creating a vector image which was then transferred onto a stamp. The result looks so much like vintage wallpaper that it’s hard to believe it’s only painted on.
The bedroom’s ensuite bathroom is an extreme contrast to the warmth and personal touches of the other rooms. Its bare concrete walls, exposed copper plumbing and cheap fittings are deliberately spartan and industrial, to counterbalance the elegance of the rest of the house.
The impression is less that of a bathroom and more a disused garage or an old lab. Although initially disconcerting, it also adds a playful touch to the apartment’s overall design scheme.
The impression is less that of a bathroom and more a disused garage or an old lab. Although initially disconcerting, it also adds a playful touch to the apartment’s overall design scheme.
The second bedroom brings us back to intimate and elegant decor, with its cement tiles and various vintage items: the Scandinavian upholstered chair, the wrought-iron cradle and the old blackboard.
Little Tito was just 18 months old when these photos were taken. So, this photo is a bit misleading: the room often descends into chaos, with toys strewn all over the floor.
Little Tito was just 18 months old when these photos were taken. So, this photo is a bit misleading: the room often descends into chaos, with toys strewn all over the floor.
The main bathroom is characterised by English-style fixtures and a freestanding claw-foot bathtub. The wood of the floor is delicately balanced against a note of blue in the wainscotting.
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More
Love international design? Take a look at last week’s Danish Houzz Tour: DIY and Secondhand Delights in Creative’s Home
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Love international design? Take a look at last week’s Danish Houzz Tour: DIY and Secondhand Delights in Creative’s Home
Who lives here: Anna Carbone and Giovanni Gennari, and their now 3½-year-old son, Tito
Where: Milan, Italy
Year built: Late 19th century
Year renovated: 2013
Interior designer: The Chic Fish
Surface area: 110 square metres sub-divided into a kitchen and living-room, a study, two bedrooms, a walk-in closet and two bathrooms.