00:01The apartment was designed to follow the natural flow of daily life.
00:06Bespoke furniture was the key to making this small space functional.
00:12The building itself was our main inspiration.
00:16We wanted to show its soul through colors and materials.
00:20Currently, the apartment is rented to a young Argentinian couple
00:24who recently moved to Milan to both work and study.
00:28I'm Samantha Furlotti, I'm an architect from Milan
00:32and I've been working with Atoma for the past six years.
00:42The apartment is located in northeast Milan in a district called Maggiolina.
00:47It's a residential area recently revitalized by a new metro line.
00:53The area is very convenient.
00:55The apartment is close to supermarkets, local shops and universities.
01:00Nearby is the Villagio dei giornalisti, an architecturally important neighborhood
01:04with experimental houses such as Casa Palafitta by Luigi Figini.
01:10The building was built in the early 20th century.
01:14It's a beautiful eclectic building that has maintained its residential characteristics.
01:19In the basement there is a bunker that was used as a refuge from people around the area during the
01:25Second World War.
01:29The building features a beautiful entrance hall decorated with glass, high ceilings and wall ornaments.
01:37This area leads to a hidden internal courtyard with four separate staircases that take you up to the apartment.
01:50Originally the house was a single large apartment.
01:54It had good light, high ceilings but the long corridor wasted a lot of space.
02:00The owner asked us to split it into two different units.
02:04The smaller one was the most fun and challenging to design.
02:07In the area where we created the small apartments it features beautiful original Milanese tiles that we really want to
02:15preserve.
02:17The entrances were redesigned to improve functionality and optimize the space.
02:22This leads into the heart of the home dedicated to the living, the dining area and the kitchen.
02:29We added a small L-shaped kitchen and a bathroom positioned near the entrance.
02:35The bedroom was treated as a piece of furniture rather than a walked-in room.
02:40It's an alcove which also served as the main storage space.
02:45We optimized the plumbing specifically to avoid massive structural works.
02:50The goal was to leave the windows clear.
02:53By building along the walls we kept the light and the view free.
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04:08The apartment is 28 square meters.
04:12For us, the entrance is a fundamental theme.
04:16A filter space between the outside world and the private residence.
04:22When you step into the apartment, the entryway is compact, yet highly functional.
04:28It features a bespoke full-height storage unit.
04:33The upper section of the unit hides the boiler and functions as a wardrobe.
04:38There is a niche specifically for keys and small personal items.
04:44We choose a deep dark red palette for this area to create a contrast with the bright light-filled living
04:52zone.
04:53The living area is defined by a bright and clean design.
04:58We painted the walls in white and pale green.
05:01This split creates a cosier feeling.
05:05The sofa is a modular piece from IKEA.
05:09It's very practical because it fits the small space, but you can also split them into two units to create
05:16a social area.
05:19It can become an extra bed for guests and there is a useful storage under the seat.
05:25We placed a large mirror in the living room to visually expand the space while adding an elegant decorative touch.
05:33A key design choice was preserving the original tiles.
05:37This allowed us to define the lounge area through the flooring itself, avoiding the need of extra carpets.
05:45We kept the original cement tiles, but we removed the low-quality floors next to them.
05:51We replaced them with bespoke tiles with black marble chips made in Puglia.
05:57The new floor is inspired by a pattern from the building's main entrance.
06:02The lower part of the alcove connects into the living room and works both as a storage and a TV
06:09unit.
06:11There are sockets and integrated cable holes in the furniture to plug in the TV easily.
06:19Also, you can use this lower section as a step to get into the bed.
06:28The sleeping area is not a standard bedroom, but more of an alcove.
06:34One of the references for the sleeping alcove was the painting of San Jerome in his study by Antonello da
06:40Messina from the 1400s.
06:43In this artwork, the study is a compact wooden structure that serves many functions.
06:53The doors can be pushed all the way to one side, so it's easier to get in and out.
06:58We kept the top open to let in natural light and keep the space feeling fresh and airy.
07:06The nightstand is carved into an existing wall niche.
07:10This niche was already present in the original layout, but now serves as a handy bedside table.
07:17We installed wall-mounted reading lights to keep the nightstand free for other items.
07:26The bed can be lifted up using a pneumatic lift to reveal a small walk-in closet.
07:34It's perfect for storing clothes, shoes and sheets, keeping everything hidden, but easy to get to, even when the bed
07:42is fully made.
07:47The sleeping area can be closed off with sliding panels on two sides for greater flexibility.
07:54Despite the limited space we integrated a laundry and a wardrobe,
07:58the right-hand column hides the washing machine,
08:02and the other provides additional wardrobe space for hanging clothes that don't fit under the bed.
08:12The kitchen is a custom L-shaped unit.
08:16We use the same deep red as the entrance with a stainless steel worktop for both practical durability and material
08:24richness.
08:26The backsplash is also stainless steel with a shelf for frequently used items.
08:33For functionality, we chose handle-less doors to create a clean, flat look.
08:41Despite the kitchen compact size, we managed to fit all the essential appliances,
08:45a dishwasher, an oven and a full-height fridge and a freezer.
08:50To maximize storage, we departed from standard dimensions.
08:54The base units are 80 cm deep instead of the usual 60.
09:01Since the kitchen is small, the extra depth gives you more space to place items on the counter and still
09:07have room to prepare food.
09:10The oven is not in a typical spot.
09:13We didn't want to place it in the lower cabinets because it would have been too visible from the rest
09:18of the apartment.
09:20One of the cabinets has a glass door to allow natural light to filter into the bathroom.
09:28Since the cabinets go up to the ceiling, you have space for everything.
09:33The storage is very flexible. You can use it as a pantry or to hide clutter.
09:40The dining zone acts as the center axis of the home.
09:44The custom-made round table features a bright color that stands out in the rest of the space.
09:52A pendant light hangs above the table, while the high windows bring in a lot of natural light.
10:00The bathroom is very generous for such a small apartment.
10:05We use the same colorful style here, with pastel tiles in blue, green and yellow.
10:12We refuse to compromise on comfort, making room for a larger shower, a wide vanity, storage and a big mirror.
10:20We warm-mounted the toilet, bidet and the vanity to keep the floor free, which makes the bathroom feel bigger
10:28and more open.
10:29The shower also features a porthole designed to bring in ventilation and prevent condensation.
10:37We were able to bring in some natural light, thanks to the porthole integrated into the kitchen cabinets.
10:44In a small space, we believe that details make the difference.
10:49We focus on designing bespoke elements, such as the window seals, which we made to match the rest of the
10:57space.
10:59The door to the bathroom is a custom design and matches the other joinery in the room.
11:06We think a home is a home, no matter the size.
11:10It's a tool to allow people to live in comfort and feel safe.
11:16We always respond to the context of the space, avoiding over-designing where there is no need,
11:22letting the old and the new live together.
11:27A well-designed space lets you live in the city centre without giving up comfort.
11:33It's about taking care of what people really need.
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11:47Visit nevertosmall.com slash magazine.
