Contemporary Classic: Warm Italian Apartment with Sculpted Details
Contemporary Classic transforms a 200 sqm (2,153 sq ft) apartment in Monza, Italy, under the direction of designer Anna Arpa. Within a historic envelope, she reshapes the domestic layout into a fluid sequence of rooms that balances ornate ceilings and contemporary custom work. The apartment now reads as a generous family home, tuned to daily life yet grounded in Milan-area craft and a calm, layered material palette.
Light filters across terrazzo flooring and lands on warm timber, drawing the eye toward tall doors and layered ceilings. A quiet hush sets the tone.
This historic apartment in Monza becomes a 200 sqm (2,153 sq ft) contemporary home, reworked by Anna Arpa around color, texture, and measured comfort. The plan now supports a primary suite with walk-in closet and bathroom, a children’s room, guest bathroom, study, kitchen, dining room, and living room. Every room leans on a precise interior palette, where noble materials and tailored furniture tie together past ornament and present needs.
Layered Living Room Warmth
In the living area, a full-height wooden bookcase turns one wall into a quiet grid of shelves, packed with books and small objects. A rust-toned rug with a checked pattern grounds the seating zone and picks up the warmth of the timber without overpowering the terrazzo underfoot. A simple sculpted stool and generous potted plants soften the composition, so the room feels relaxed yet precise. White walls and high doors keep the historic shell legible while allowing the furniture to carry most of the color.
Kitchen Under a Gilded Ceiling
The kitchen leans into the apartment’s decorative heritage with a gold-toned ceiling and rosette detail that hover above a clean-lined island. Base cabinets in a muted olive tone sit against a pale wall, where small open cubes hold ceramics and bottles like a compact gallery. A slim metal stool and a thin countertop edge keep the island visually light, leaving room for movement around it. Sheer curtains at the tall balcony doors temper daylight and give the terrazzo floor a soft, even glow.
Thresholds, Hallways, And Art
Circulation zones receive as much care as the main rooms, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on everyday rituals. One passage frames a glass-topped console on sculptural legs, with organic artworks beyond and a circular wall light that spills warm illumination across pale walls. Another corridor is lined with full-height paneled cupboards painted in muted green, extending storage while keeping the volume calm. Above, a rippling glass chandelier draws the eye upward and adds a gentle shimmer to the restrained palette.
Soft Tones In The Suite
The primary bedroom layers molding, carpentry, and textiles into a restful composition. Ornate ceiling work and wall panels remain, but they are paired with a broad timber bed and woven headboard that introduce texture rather than ornament. Neutral bedding in sand and cream tones is accented by striped pillows, while twin brass-toned lamps add warmth at night. A long bench at the foot of the bed and a plush rug over terrazzo underline the room’s focus on tactile comfort.
Marble And Light In The Bath
In the bathroom, a substantial tub in boldly veined marble stands as the main volume, its pattern playing against the fine grain of the terrazzo floor. A delicate mirror with small circular accents hangs above, joined by glass pendants that cast soft reflections. A ribbed glass partition filters light between areas, maintaining privacy while keeping sightlines open. Timber stools and warm metal details tie this room back to the broader palette that runs through the apartment.
Daylight, color, and texture work together across the reconfigured plan, giving each room its own identity while keeping a steady rhythm from entry to suite. Historic elements stay present but never heavy. As evening falls and the various lamps glow against plaster, terrazzo, and wood, Contemporary Classic reads as a coherent home tuned to everyday life rather than a period piece.
Photography courtesy of Anna Arpa
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