This Creative Couple Has The Best Small Space Solutions
When the design curator Valentina Ciuffi and her husband, creative director Andrew Haug, needed more space after having their first child, they were hesitant to leave the Cita Studi neighborhood Ciuffi has called home for most of her fifteen years in Milan. For Ciuffi, a self-identified “researcher” who runs the multidisciplinary creative firm Studio Vedèt and co-founded the collectible design fair Alcova, it was hard to picture the apartment they now share together, located in Caiazzo, outside the city center, as a family home. But Haug, who made the final decision after Ciuffi’s initial round of house-hunting, believed in what they could make it. Together, they’ve created not just a home, but a long-lasting tribute to Milan’s spirit, their love of design, and the people who inspire them daily.
The couple brought on Maddalena Casadei, who designed their previous home together on Via Stoppani, to oversee the necessary renovations. Primarily a product designer, Casadei managed to bring an inventive eye to the home’s challenging floorplan and to find creative solutions where others might see limits. The apartment had an irregular, almost trapezoidal floor plan, with a long hallway, typical of Milanese homes from the 1920s and ’30s, that ended in an unexpected triangular-shaped room. It lacked proper guest rooms and, though it had two bathrooms, one was practically unusable. Still, Casadei felt that “the home didn’t need to be redone, but rather tailored for Andrew and Valentina. My role was to support their vision, accompanying them in creating a space that would truly be theirs.”
Living Room
In the living room, the artwork is by Atelier dell'Errore, the sofas are by Kalon Studios, the stools are by Objects of Common Interest and the rug is by Stefania Ruggiera.
Dining Area
An adjacent dining area features a dining table by Space Caviar, and chairs by Vico Magistretti, and a chandelier by Lambert et Fils.
Home Office
In the home office, the chair is by Konstrantin Grcic for Vitra, the stool at left is by Older, and the desk is a custom design by Haug.
Bed Nook
The custom bed nook was designed by Casadei and fabricated by Simone Monticetti. The cushion is Sophie Dries.
Entry Hall
The sculpture and etching are by Giovanni De Francesco and the shelving unit is by Util.
Kitchen
The kitchen was designed by Haug and fabricated by Diego Colombo. The table is Muller van Severn for HAY, the bowl (on table) is by Maria Jengilaska, and the light is Michael Anasstasiades for FLOS.
Bathroom
The bathroom is painted in a Kerakoll resin. The stool in the shower is by Finemateria and the tall white vase is by Crafting Plastic.
Her first order of business was to reimagine the layout to instill order alongside personality. She dreamt up multifunctional spaces, such as a ship’s cabin-like guest room heavily influenced by Japanese aesthetics, fabricated by Stefano Monticetti, and found a way to give a sense of purpose to that long hallway, which now leads to a study and feels, per Ciuffi, “almost contemplative.” “Walking down it each morning, right after waking up, is a calming ritual, and I’ve learned to notice its architectural beauty,” she says.
Haug stepped in to support Casadei along the way, visualizing the layouts of certain rooms and turning Ciuffi’s artful melange into livable arrangements. “In my last apartment in New York I finished one room per year over seven years. That can have its advantages in terms of detail, and it’s fun because each room ends up representing a moment in your life and taste,” says Haug. “I think the co-design process with Maddalena and Valentina has helped this project feel more coherent.”
The house was shaped by collaboration as much as Ciuffi’s vast network of friends and makers. “In short, we are surrounded by ‘our people,’” says Ciuffi. “And we keep involving them in the project. Not long ago, during a dinner, Cristiano De Lorenzo, Joy Herro, and Andrea Mancuso went room to room with us holding a large painting, trying to decide where to hang it. We ended up in the bedroom, half of us perched on ladders trying to find just the right spot. Making a home this way is fun.”
You Might Also Like
