Casaornella

DESIGN ACCORDING TO CASAORNELLA

Casaornella, the project curated and directed by Maria Vittoria Paggini, returns to Milan Design Week with a fluid, sensory interpretation of contemporary living. Mediterranea – Andamento Lento unfolds as a narrative that drifts between light, material, and color—a journey through the Mediterranean that captures its rhythm, warmth, and suspended sense of time. A story that takes shape in a living space where design is not simply displayed but experienced, crossed, and breathed in—where baskets are lowered from balconies, gelato, coffee, and fruit invite visitors to embrace the Mediterranean through gestures, flavors, and shared rituals.

Located in the heart of the 5Vie district, Casaornella retreats from the urban frenzy to become a refuge and a laboratory, a space for exchange and experimentation. Maria Vittoria Paggini, designer and art director, offers new interpretations, transforming the bathroom and kitchen into the main protagonists of the living space. The entrance welcomes with a water ritual: the Gio Ponti washbasin and Mamoli faucets engage in a dialogue with Quintessenza Ceramiche, evoking the discreet charm of Moroccan riads and the gestures of ancient thermal rituals.

The bathroom is no longer a service space, but a scenographic passage leading to the sleeping area. Here, the tactile surfaces of Quintessenza’s Fluid tiles, combined with the warm shades of Ting Paint, create an intimate and dreamlike atmosphere. At the center, the Romeo bed, designed by Maria Vittoria Paggini for Softhouse Design, stands as a soft architecture, an immersive refuge that redefines the concept of comfort.

The kitchen splits into two complementary souls, both designed by the designer and crafted by Turati Cucine, a brand of excellence known for its tailor-made craftsmanship. The first opens up to the living area with green mirrors and animalier wallpaper from Glove, while marble and travertine countertops from Balderi Marmi amplify the dialogue between materials and surfaces. The second, immersed in hypnotic blue, is a refined, functional gastronomic laboratory where design meets the excellence of Chef Niko Romito’s products for domestic use, alongside Quintessenza Ceramiche surfaces and the professional KWC faucet.

Casaornella evolves this year into a permanent space, a showhouse in constant transformation, a hub that transcends the concept of exhibition to become a place for research, exchange, and relationships. More than just a set or a showroom, Casaornella is a reference point for architects and interior designers seeking cross-disciplinary inspiration.

A dynamic space where design interacts with the project’s culture, hosting meetings and talks, where products are integrated into a broader vision of living rather than just displayed. Here, brands and professionals can experiment with new ways of telling their story through events, lunch & learns, and tailor-made collaborations, in a crossroads of ideas and materials where the project takes shape, evolves, and blends with other languages.

The narrative continues through unexpected details: triangular openings frame new perspectives with white-painted wooden floors by Molteni Vernici, which, together with the white walls by Ting Paint, create a perfect backdrop for the pop accents of the Cactus sculptures by Gufram and the abat jour Shaped by the Sea by Corpoluce.

The geometric blue ceiling decorations by Paggini, frescoed by Gouache, harmoniously interact with the Softhouse Design furnishings, the fabric curtains by La Maison Pierre Frey, and the boldly designed seating by Meritalia, creating a play of geometries, textures, and material contrasts.

The Sala Convivio is the heart of this narrative: the closet projected bt the art director, covered in Färgblock tiles by Quintessenza Ceramiche, adds character and depth to the space, while at the center, the banquet table becomes an ode to Mediterranean conviviality, where citrus fruits and vegetables meet the colorful, silky glass fruit from the Laboratorio Niko Romito, fragments of the Mediterranean, evoking the rhythm of seasons and flavors. As night falls, the space transforms into a sophisticated bar with a Mediterranean vibe, enveloped in a warm and vibrant atmosphere.

The smoked glass tumbler collection designed by Maria Vittoria Paggini for 4Glass Murano embodies exceptional craftsmanship. Each piece, expertly blown and decorated by Murano’s master glassmakers, blends tradition with contemporary design. The smoky hues of the glass play with light and color, creating a dynamic interplay of reflections and transparency.

Completing the journey, Maria Vittoria Paggini presents Motel, the capsule collection designed for Softhouse Design. A research into shapes, materials, and inspirations that results in pieces with a strong and sophisticated identity. Romeo, the sculptural bed with an enveloping volume, Thelma & Louise, the eclectic coffee table, and Toy Boy, a series of side tables designed to adapt with versatility to any context, tell a bold and uncompromising aesthetic. 

Casaornella is a living organism, a place pulsing with energy that redefines how we experience design. A space that adapts, evolves, and invites exploration, designed to inspire and connect, following a mantra that echoes a perfect rhythm: "... Andamento lento".