Old houses and New design (part three)

Four unique houses for their heritage of history and art and contemporary design create an exhibition wanted by Cosmit in anticipation for I Saloni, the international Design Week in Milan, April 14-19, 2010. Four Museum-Houses, rich in history and representing a model of a past way of living create a stunning set for over 200 contemporary objects of design, called "Unexpected guests". See my previous posts.

Today I present the third Casa-Museo: Villa Necchi, the same villa that was the set for the movie "Io sono l'amore".
In the foyer chairs by Ron Arad for Moroso. On the desk by Piero Portaluppi a beautiful painting from 1929 by Mario Sironi which you could have seen in my other post The Art's Lady. Claudia Gian Ferrari unfortunately recently passed away but she had decided years ago to generously donate to Villa Necchi majority of her vast art collection

Together with charming furniture of the past the small tables Brasilia by the Campana brothers for Edra.

The guest bathroom has inlaid marble floor created by Piero Portaluppi, the cabinets Valises is by Marteen De Ceulaer for Casamania.

On the first floor the parquet in the foyer is partially covered by the Geoart rug by Luca Nichetto for Nodus.
The vaulted corridor in the background is the built in wardrobe (a novelty for 1930) and the several doors open to show purses, precious furs, dresses, the drawers are still full of scarves, some custom made by Dior for the sisters Necchi, and all sort of treasures.
On the same floor a huge room displays linens neatly folded in huge armoires and was used for pressing and mending.

Coming to the dining room we find the chair Ki by Mario Bellini for Horm amongst the others. The exquisite tapestries on the wall are only a copy, while the precious original ones are being restored.
It was a very warm day in Milan and after the visit we spent an hour in the garden near the pool, sitting on Urquiola colorful chairs and listening to the water running from a spout and the birds singing on the magnolias.

What a wonderful way to open the 2010 Salone del Mobile (I Saloni) in Milan presenting the collections of the past and the ideas of the future.

Photography by Pasquale Formisano
To be continued...