A new gallery in Brera Design District channels Milanese glamour
It took only a dizzying two months from idea to execution for interior designer Sophie Wannenes to open her first gallery, PalermoUno. Set in her former home and studio on the second floor of a quintessentially Milanese apartment building (think colour-blocked marble inlay, classical architectural references, triumphant entranceway) overlooking via Palermo in the city’s Brera Design District, the 150 sq m space is the latest on an already long list of first-rate galleries and showrooms that call the neighbourhood home. Wannenes, a decorator and vintage dealer by trade (her family has been in the business ‘for centuries’, she says), her goal was to open a place that expressed her creative vision while introducing clients to the designers and artisans she has come to love.
As a gallery, PalermoUno plumbs a typically Milanese kind of glamour. There is a deeply saturated yet buoyant colour palette, an eclectic mix of furniture sourced from the ever-fertile vintage markets populating Italy’s northern hinterlands, plus a neatly edited range of contemporary pieces by designers from both home and abroad. Wannenes describes her curatorial method simply as ‘a personal statement’; for the first iteration of the gallery (there are plans to overhaul the design and selection twice yearly), she chose pieces that spoke to her own aesthetic, without worrying too much about following an overarching theme. ‘The only common denominator is what I like,’ she explains, ‘there are pieces from Sweden, Italy, the Czech Republic — it’s a huge mix from all over’.
Wannenes’ list includes iron dining room chairs by New York-based Mario Milana and vintage Pierluigi Colli seats reupholstered with fabric by Kirkby Design, alongside Marzotto Edizioni tables and bookshelves by Pietro Russo, while interior textiles include pillows by Dedar and graphic rugs by Ilo. The apartment’s precipitous ceilings are well utilised, hung with beaded thread-like chandeliers by Mason Editions, pendant lamps by UK-based Tala and lanterns by Czech glassmaker Bomma. Tabletop pieces like totem-resembling Simona Cardinetti vases, FFerrone glassware and vintage knick knacks adorn surfaces in the kitchen and dining areas. The unifying concept behind the project is that everything — from the paint on the walls (Ressource Peintures) to the towels in the bathroom (Harmony Textiles) — are available to purchase through the gallery, which skews the vibe from hands-off design gallery to cosy local shop.
According to Wannenes, the easygoing atmosphere was very much intentional. ‘I want to create a community,’ she explains of the project, which has already opened a call for young designers to participate her inaugural Salone del Mobile exhibition, ‘it should feel like home.’
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the PalermoUno website
ADDRESS
via Palermo 1
Milan
20121 MI
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Laura May Todd, Wallpaper's Milan Editor, based in the city, is a Canadian-born journalist covering design, architecture and style. She regularly contributes to a range of international publications, including T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Azure and Sight Unseen, and is about to publish a book on Italian interiors.
-
Alaïa’s secret new London café and bookstore is inspired by the art of hosting
Housed on the third floor of Alaïa’s London flagship, the intimate space – inspired by Azzedine Alaïa’s famed hospitality – includes a Violet Cakes bakery and a bookstore by Claire de Rouen
By Jack Moss Published
-
Is it really possible to stage a Shakespeare play inside the game Grand Theft Auto?
Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary debut written and directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, is about two out-of-work actors attempting to mount a full production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, inside the violent world of Grand Theft Auto, shot entirely in game
By Billie Walker Published
-
Arlo NoMad hotel makes the American diner officially cool again
The NoMad Diner NYC’s interiors and menu offer an elevated take on an American classic
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Louis Fratino leans into queer cultural history in Italy
Louis Fratino’s 'Satura', on view at the Centro Pecci in Italy, engages with queer history, Italian landscapes and the body itself
By Sam Moore Published
-
‘I just don't like eggs!’: Andrea Fraser unpacks the art market
Artist Andrea Fraser’s retrospective ‘I just don't like eggs!’ at Fondazione Antonio dalle Nogare, Italy, explores what really makes the art market tick
By Sofia Hallström Published
-
Triennale Milano exhibition spotlights contemporary Italian art
The latest Triennale Milano exhibition, ‘Italian Painting Today’, is a showcase of artworks from the last three years
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Walls, Windows and Blood: Catherine Opie in Naples
Catherine Opie's new exhibition ‘Walls, Windows and Blood’ is now on view at Thomas Dane Gallery, Naples
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Edinburgh Art Festival 2023: from bog dancing to binge drinking
What to see at Edinburgh Art Festival 2023, championing women and queer artists, whether exploring Scottish bogland on film or casting hedonism in ceramic
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Last chance to see: Devon Turnbull’s ‘HiFi Listening Room Dream No. 1’ at Lisson Gallery, London
Devon Turnbull/OJAS’ handmade sound system matches minimalist aesthetics with a profound audiophonic experience – he tells us more
By Jorinde Croese Published
-
Hospital Rooms and Hauser & Wirth unite for a sensorial London exhibition and auction
Hospital Rooms and Hauser & Wirth are working together to raise money for arts and mental health charities
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘These Americans’: Will Vogt documents the USA’s rich at play
Will Vogt’s photo book ‘These Americans’ is a deep dive into a world of privilege and excess, spanning 1969 to 1996
By Sophie Gladstone Published