We asked the architect Ekaterina Rezepina how to rethink an apartment in a retro key, between dusty colors and shapes in perfect vintage style
The cream tones and rounded lines of this apartment in Milan meet the warmth of wood in a welcoming domestic postcard, with a slightly retro tone.
The architect Ekaterina Rezepina found herself vis à vis with a interior design project born with the need to transform a luxurious space originally used as an office, into a warm point of reference that can be called ‘home’.

With the imperative, therefore, that the working coldness that had previously inhabited the space be completely forgotten, the project has taken a very precise direction with three cornerstones: welcome, comfort and familiarity.

A triptych made possible by the intriguing play between arched shapes, dusty and bright colors in contrast, design pieces and works of art; the latter are the glue between the different environments, to represent the passion of the property.

The architect Rezepina told INTERNI in preview how she worked on the project.

What is the concept that guided you in defining this space?

The apartment is located in a Milanese building from the 1920s, which was previously used as an office. It no longer had the boiserie nor the historical floors. The ceiling was low, closed off by the false ceiling, so we cleaned everything up to create a new space that could work for the family of two who will live there. We chose to leave the interconnected spaces, by means of the arches open, without putting the doors: thus creating a pleasant continuity between the entrance, hall TV and dining room, to then reach the sleeping area where you pass through the wardrobe with bronzed mirrors.

How did you come to define the envelope? What questions do you ask to arrive at the final choice?

We chose to work with natural materials, such as the oak parquet, the rattan panels to cover the radiators, the kitchen doors in Bolivian walnut in contrast with the lacquer.

The bathrooms were made with green Alpi marble and white Arabescato marble, always accompanied by custom-made oak furniture.

It was necessary to create a lived-in and welcoming environment, so we also included handmade plaster casts, and opted for the wooden and marble floor. An elegant and functional box was thus created, perfect for hosting contemporary pieces of art and furniture mixed with vintage pieces.

The rounded shapes seem quite characteristic of this interior. Why?

I like the soft shapes and rounded corners, plus so many pieces were custom designed in this house to make sure they fit the space in the best possible way.

How do you create a dialogue between the furnishings and the apartment that hosts them?

I try to create an optimal solution already in the design phase of the floor plan, one that allows the owners of the house to change the furnishings or add more in the future.

The walls become ‘the scene’ for the decor which can always be changed or rotated, reshuffled and rethought in a continuous eclectic mix between the past and the contemporary, or in a contrast between materials and color.