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An Attic Renovation in Milan, Italy

Once a small dental office, this 60 square meter (645 square foot) attic in Milan, Italy was converted into a two-story apartment, dubbed CPR, by +R Piuerre. Despite its size and strict layout, the bones of the space worked well thanks to windows on three sides. The tall ceilings allowed for a second level where an office and bedroom are situated with a walk-in closet.

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Between the living room and the kitchen, there’s the only closed off space, which houses the service areas. A blue-grey color on the wall makes the white steel staircase pop. The load-bearing part of the stairs is hidden to keep its lightness.

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The folded staircase takes up very little space and provides a division on the top level between the office and the bedroom.

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The design ranges from warm wooden elements to smooth, shiny surfaces giving each space depth and texture.

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The custom kitchen features white cabinets and a sunny yellow countertop that extends down to a lower bank of cabinets that doubles as a bench. The simple table can be moved around for various functions.

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The countertop changes to another color in the corner helping to denote different functions.

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One side of the bedroom has a wall of polycarbonate panels that let light from the skylights filter down to the kitchen.

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In the downstairs corridor, they used a series of horizontal mirrors to help reflect light and give the illusion of more space.

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Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.