Visiting the famous designer Paola Navone
admin
Author
18 Feb 2023
The owner of this Milan apartment, designer Paola Navone, has a special view of the world. She covers the walls with ceramic vases and turns trees into columns
Paola Navone's workshop is located on the ground floor of the former factory building, and her apartment is located upstairs. At the entrance to the house there is a "Garden of Blue Cans", which the hostess created together with landscape architect Stefano Baccari.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Once the Milan district of Tortona was considered a factory. But now it is one of the most fashionable places in the city, where successful artists, architects and designers live. Among them is the famous Paola Navone, whose apartments and studio are located in a former machine shop.
"I am a nomad who never stops looking around for something new"
A fragment of the living room. Sofa Up16, designed by Paola Navone, Gervasoni. Upholstery — Bloody Mary fabric with orange edging, designed by Paola Navone, Rubelli.
Photo
Enrico Conti
The Vulcano table, Paola Navone's project for Poliform, has found a pair of eyes here.
Photo
Enrico Conti
To get inside, we pass through the lush thickets of the "Garden of Blue Cans". Paola created this anarchic garden with herbs, vines and shrubs planted in indigo barrels together with landscape architect Stefano Baccari. "I like that the garden lives its own life — it blooms on its own, withers, spreads seeds by itself and grows again," says the hostess. We were lucky to find her at home. Paola is a tireless traveler, used to living in different cities.
Living room. Rough walls, mismatched furniture, open metal structures and pots made of stumps reflect the idea of lightness and incompleteness of the interior. The paving stone floor turns into a carpet of cement tiles. A huge goldfish is the work of ceramic artists from Albissola. The staircase is a project by architect Patrick Bailey, twisting around two trees. The lower side of the metal steps is decorated with a painting in white peas, created based on the ornaments of the Australian aborigines. On the table is a collection of turquoise ceramics, designed by Paola Navone for Crate and Barrel.
Photo
Enrico Conti
"I am a nomad who never stops looking around for something new, trying to find a connection between different elements," she admits. — I need to follow somewhere all the time - no matter how far or close. I collect pictures and images in my head as if it were a bank of ideas, then I draw inspiration from it for new collections."
Hall in front of the living room. Red chest of drawers Revolving Cabinet, designed by Shiro Kuramata, Cappellini.
Photo
Enrico Conti
In the basement, where her studio Otto is located, the designer has preserved the spirit of the old factory. Upstairs, where the residential apartments are located, there is an atmosphere of lightness and incompleteness. These are the key points of the recognizable style of Navone, who has repeatedly confessed her love of simplicity. "I'm at home here!" exclaims Paola, showing us uneven rough walls, exposed metal structures, outdoor paving stone floors in living rooms and a garden terrace where she grows herbs and fragrant herbs. The look literally drowns in a variety of shades of the color of the sea wave. Indigo, turquoise, aquamarine green — this is Paola's favorite palette.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Canteen. A collection of ceramics from France is placed on red lacquer shelves. Table with metal legs and laminated table top, Abet Laminati. Above it are six lamps with woven raffia shades, designed by Paola Navone for Crate and Barrel.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Paola, one of the most successful designers of our days, appreciates irony and imperfection
The mezzanine floor is the best place to watch movies and read books. Shelves, Opinion Ciatti. Carbon Chair, designed by Bertian Pot and Marcel Wanders, Moooi.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Her house is a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city, an open space with free circulation of air and light pouring from huge windows. "It was because of the light that I chose this building," says the designer. "It's very intense and direct, like in Paris."
Hall in front of the living room. There are cupboards and racks for dishes along the walls.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Paola's post-industrial interior is surprisingly comfortable to live in. The upholstery of the sofa is pleasant to the touch, and the paving stones are ideal for walking barefoot. Her house is full of books that are at arm's length, and one glance at the professionally equipped kitchen with dense rows of dishes is enough to understand: they love and know how to cook here.
The spacious kitchen is equipped with professional appliances. The dishes were brought from different trips.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Souvenirs from travel find a new life in this house, and sometimes a new function
Bathroom. Metal basins purchased at markets in Asia and Africa rest on antique terracotta amphorae from Morocco.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Another passion of the hostess is collecting objects from travel. But unlike others, Paola does not just keep souvenirs on the shelves, but finds unexpected uses for them. For example, she turned metal basins bought on the market in Africa into sinks. And turquoise ceramics collected during two years of business trips to Thailand — into a three-dimensional mosaic on the wall.
The bathroom is attached to the hostess's bedroom. Bath and sink, Devon & Devon.
Photo
Enrico Conti
"I'm at home here!" exclaims Paola, pointing to the uneven rough walls, exposed metal structures and a garden terrace where she grows herbs and fragrant herbs.
Bedroom. Bed, Letti & Co, and Chandelier, Barovier & Toso, everything is designed by Paola Navone. The blue Cross locker, designed by Thomas Ericsson, Cappellini, hangs above a metal dental instrument box from the 1950s. On it is a table lamp Il marinaretto, created based on the object of Ercole Baroviere in 1927. Between the bedroom and the bathroom there is a "sculpture room", where there is a shower and toilet. Turquoise ceramics from the hostess's collection are embedded in its walls.
Photo
Enrico Conti
Photo
Enrico Conti
Photo
Enrico Conti
One of the most successful designers of our days appreciates irony and imperfection. After a couple of hours in her house, it seems quite natural to us that a luxurious Murano glass chandelier hangs on a bare cord, and the table looks at us with a pair of expressive "Indian eyes".
Photo
Enrico Conti
Photo
Enrico Conti
