There is a very specific patina and nostalgia-soaked palette to Milan, Italy's design and creative capital, that true culture insiders would not fail to recognize. Born in the Bel Paese and raised just over an hour away by train from there, I like to think of myself as one of them.
Desaturated, 'lived' hues of mint green, burgundy, baby blue, pink, and canary yellow very often set the tone anywhere from the most historical urban palazzos of the city of La Madonnina to the meticulously crafted rooms of the best Milan hotels. The same holds for the captivating blend of classical decor details — think lavish stuccoed walls and freshen-up, bright frescoes — playful mid-century features like eye-catching terrazzo floors, sleek sculptural furniture, and unexpected Space Age accents, and industrial rawness that shapes many of the destination's coolest design hotspots into shape.
