TL;DR
Get furniture and decor delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Architect Matilde Valagussa of Milan-based Atelier Zero renovated a family apartment that had lost some original features during an 1980s renovation. The project retained surviving ceiling moldings, paneled doors and parquet, while using color and contemporary furnishings to bring the spaces together.
Milan-based Atelier Zero renovated a family apartment whose 1980s remodeling removed some original features, aiming to recover its traditional Milanese character without erasing the details that survived. Architect Matilde Valagussa said the project preserved elements including ceiling moldings, paneled doors and original parquet, and used contemporary color and furnishings to bring the home’s joined spaces together.
The apartment houses a family of four and had already been formed by joining two adjoining units. According to Valagussa, space was not the main challenge: the design team instead needed to make the two former homes feel like one coherent residence and adapt the layout for family life. The architects made careful changes to internal circulation rather than undertaking extensive structural work, the report says.
Some of the home’s earlier architectural character had been lost in the 1980s renovation. The team chose to retain what remained, including ceiling moldings, paneled doors and parquet flooring in the living and dining area and bedrooms. Valagussa said those existing details became the starting point for the renovation, alongside the rooms’ proportions, tall doorways and views between spaces.
Contemporary interventions were designed to sit alongside the old features. Painted bands and blocks of color establish a new visual structure without removing the existing architecture. The report also highlights a kitchen island with a rounded top and red metal supports, and a restored bookcase incorporated into a new arrangement through its color and relationship to nearby furniture. Atelier Zero drew on Milan’s mix of historical architecture and current urban life, as well as on the geometric experimentation associated with 1980s design.
Preserving Details Without Rebuilding
The project shows one approach to renovating a home after an earlier remodel has removed some of its original fabric: work with what survives, rather than treating a return to an imagined original state as the only goal. In this apartment, the remaining moldings, doors and parquet shaped the design, while selective changes helped the rooms function as a family home.
That approach also matters because it avoids presenting restoration and modern design as opposites. Atelier Zero’s work pairs period details with strong color and new furnishings, making the renovation’s contemporary additions visible rather than attempting to pass them off as historic. The source does not establish that this method is suitable for every older property; here, the team’s account points to the apartment’s specific layout and surviving features as the basis for its choices.
Products Worth Considering
Shark Rocket Corded Stick Vacuum for Carpet and Hard Floors, Gray/Orange, HV301
Dyson Cyclone V10 Origin Cordless Vacuum
Shark PowerPro Reveal Plus Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, Charcoal, IZ376H
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Apartment’s Two-House Layout
The home was created by combining two adjoining apartments, leaving the design team with a layout that needed to read as a single residence. The clients already had ample space, according to Valagussa, so the work focused on flow and family use rather than expanding the footprint.
The 1980s renovation had removed some original features, but the source does not identify every alteration or provide a full before-and-after account. Atelier Zero’s reported strategy was to preserve the surviving architectural details and make restrained internal adjustments. The studio also looked to Milan itself: Valagussa described the city’s appeal as a beauty that becomes apparent gradually, an idea the firm sought to reflect in its interiors.
“The main priority was to bring out the apartment’s traditional Milanese character.”
— Matilde Valagussa, architect at Atelier Zero
Project Details Not Reported
The source does not provide a completion date, project cost, construction timeline or detailed inventory of features removed in the 1980s. It also does not specify exactly which walls or internal elements were changed, or provide technical information about the restoration of the surviving parquet, moldings and doors.
The account is based on comments from the architect and descriptions of the design; it does not include independent assessments of the renovation or feedback from the family. It is therefore unclear how the home performs in daily use or whether further work is planned. No ongoing dispute or unresolved construction issue is reported.
No Further Work Announced
Livingetc’s report presents the apartment as a completed design project and does not describe a forthcoming construction phase or additional announcement. The available information gives no schedule for further work. The next developments, if any, would depend on updates from Atelier Zero or the homeowners; none are specified in the source.
Key Questions
What was the main goal of the renovation?
Architect Matilde Valagussa said the priority was to restore the apartment’s traditional Milanese character while preserving as much of its surviving original detail as possible.
Which original features remain in the apartment?
The report names ceiling moldings, paneled doors and parquet flooring in the living and dining area and bedrooms as features the team retained.
How did Atelier Zero make the two apartments feel connected?
The team made careful changes to the internal layout and circulation, aiming to create a coherent home for a family of four without extensive structural work, according to the report.
What contemporary design choices were added?
The design includes painted color bands and blocks, a kitchen island with a rounded top and red metal supports, and a restored bookcase incorporated into a new furniture composition.
When was the renovation completed?
The source does not give a completion date or construction timeline.
Source: rss
