Missoni boho spirit dominates decor of country home
Amid the artful clutter of her country home in the Lombardy, Italian design house matriarch Rosita Missoni serves up what could be a manifesto of boho living:
“I cannot stay away from color.”
“A house must have the personality of the people who live in it.”
“I’m an accumulator, not a collector.”
I couldn't have said it better myself!
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| Vogue Australia |
The occasion was an interview for
Vogue Australia. The mighty
Missoni design house Rosita built with her late husband Ottavio is still famous for its distinctive zigzag and striped knits, which populate the fashion world as well as home décor. But
that house has nothing on
this house—the two-storey villa she and Ottavio built and shared for 40 years.
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| Vogue Australia |
It’s an unassuming house nestled in the trees at the end of a long driveway in Sumirago, a small town 30 minutes north of Milan, at the foot of Italy’s Lombard Alps, and just minutes from the Missoni factory. But inside it’s, well, take your best guess based on the big metal letters mounted at the front door that spell AMOR. You can't see them from this picture, but you feel them, right?
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| Vogue Australia |
Inside, everywhere, are vignettes of vivid color…
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| Vogue Australia |
…paintings by the likes of modernists Gino Severini and Alberto Savinio, as well as works by textile artist Kaffe Fassett, all of whom either inspired or collaborated on Missoni designs…
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| Vogue Australia |
…and energetic pattern. As you can see, both color and pattern pop against the home’s clean modern lines and white walls. If you look closely you'll see one of Rosita’s favorite decor motifs, mushrooms, at the lower left of the living room window into the conservatory.
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| Vogue Australia |
But if you miss them, don’t fret. There are plenty more—like those above…
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| Vogue Australia |
…and these in the conservatory, made for Rosita by Missoni workers on her 80th birthday.
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| Vogue Australia |
Much of the home’s vibrantly patterned textiles were sourced from the Missoni Home line itself.
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| Vogue Australia |
The property is full of expansive views and haunting light. Mosaic tables and stools on the terrace provide a place to enjoy both, as well as an aperitif.
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| Vogue Australia |
Every Saturday Rosita sets her dining room table for lunch and waits to see who will turn up from her brood, who now run the Missoni business. If you were wondering about that chandelier...
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