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APARTMENT IN MANTUA

16th October 2013

The kitchen in this apartment in Mantua in Italy has to be one of my favourite kitchens that I’ve come across this year. Why? Because of the contrasts, where the minimalism of the cabinetry and that gorgeously subtle interplay of greys is played against the character of those rustic roof beams.

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For me – and this is just personal taste – but a minimal kitchen in a very minimal space can feel too, well, minimal, whereas this contrast of materials works beautifully and adds that welcome lived-in patina of age. (Of course – I should say – this depends on the space: a minimal kitchen in a beautifully designed super-contemporary house can look incredible.)

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Photographer Federica Bottoli and his family moved here five years ago and combined two apartments on the same floor of this building to create their home. The apartment was arranged to accommodate family and entertaining areas along with a studio space, and the mix evident in the kitchen continues throughout as old and new elements are combined to create an eclectic and entirely individual aesthetic. The bedroom above feels so unexpected after the clean lines of the kitchen, right? And that’s exactly why it all works.

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As featured on Milk; see more images here. Photos by Gianni Basso.