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April in Brera: the Milanese sun is warming up, wisteria is in bloom, and the streets are buzzing in anticipation of Design Week’s frenzied arrival. “It’s the one time of year here that feels like New York,” jokes Gabriella Campagna (a native New Yorker and one half of creative studio, Casa Milana). She and her husband, designer Mario Milana, have Zoomed in from their home in the city’s design district, set within a 1920s-era limestone building along Via Palermo. And it’s here, during this year’s Salone del Mobile, that they will open their doors to present a capsule collection of rugs with Beni, glass drinking vessels with Laguna~B, and new pieces designed by Milana.
Casa Milana’s first shelving system, designed to allow shelves to be repositioned freely.Photo: Maureen Martinez-Evans
A few years ago, the couple and the first of their two children traded in New York City’s around-the-clock energy for Italy’s relaxed sensibilities, laying the groundwork for Casa Milana to be born. (Prior to this, Milana had founded his own studio in 2014 while living in Brooklyn, and Campagna was an actor before shifting into somatic therapy full-time.) They initially rented one apartment, a former shoe showroom, but when their neighbors on the same floor moved back to Germany after living there for 15 years, they quickly scooped it up. Then, they transformed the two spaces into what it is today—a place to call home, and to embody the Casa Milana identity. “The building is crumbling a bit, but it has all the original details intact and a lot of charm,” Campagna adds.
This relocation also marked a bit of a homecoming for Milana, who grew up in the Città Studi neighborhood. Naturally, the country’s quality of life and child-friendly pace were a motivating factor for the move, but it also gave the advantage of being in close proximity to the artisans Milana collaborates with. This easy access has allowed him to explore new materials, and for the studio to evolve more broadly. “To develop something, you have to have that in-person time,” he explains. “It’s really about the connection with the artisan.”
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