Attention shoppers

La Rinascente, an Italian high-end department store and one of Italy's oldest brand, founded in 1860, recently inaugurated a Design supermarket, home to new trends and the best creativity innovations, in its flagship store in the center of Milan, just across the Duomo.

The sleek interior was designed by architects Claudio Silvestrin & Giuliana Salmaso and allows shop-in shops like Alessi, Kartell, Nespresso, Flos.

Milanesi and tourists can now browse and shop in this sort of MoMA-meets-Walmart where housewares, flatwares, lighting and clocks can be found along with displays of sophisticated dustpans and washbowls, cubes that open into lamps, vases in the shape of grass and notebooks and mugs by fashion designers like Paul Smith. For a moment of pause and relax they can sit in the new café designed by Martino Berghinz, a splash of color in the middle of a minimalist 2,000 square-meter space.

and savour some delicious pastries

The space feels airy and bright, inviting browsers to touch and experiment.

From paperclips to gadgets to select pieces of homewares to a fabulous bookshop specialized in design.

In keeping with the economy, items can be bought for as little as 9 Euros.

A very democratic approach to design, a fun way to spend a few hours when in Milan.

Images: from Design Supermarket website