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Misha Handmade Wallpaper - East meets West on the wall
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2008-04-01 02:08:29
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Screens and scrolls have been part of Asian interiors for thousands of
years. When Quing Dynasty (1644-1911) furniture and textiles found
their way to Europe, a new movement — Chinoiserie — was born in the
17th century. Ornate and delicate Chinese hand painted wallpapers
became hugely popular. Fast-forward to 2003, when Milanese architect Chiara Enrico moved to Beijing and Shanghai to explore opportunities there. One of the results of this exploration is MISHA handmade wallpapers,
a Milan-based company that selects, produces and distributes
hand-painted silk wallpapers. Ancient tradition meets current Western
sensitivities exquisitely in the China Classic collection. The China
Graphic collection will be launched at the Rosanna Samaritani Interni showroom in Milan during the Fuorisalone, April 16-21, 2008. By Tuija Seipell
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STRAF HOTEL - MILAN
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2006-08-20 20:58:56
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It's no surprise that Italy's fashion capital,
Milan, is the location of what has been described as the country's most
avant-garde hotel, The Straf.
Behind its classic facade “an 1880s building“ lies an ode to
minimalism; an ultra modern space that utilizes industrial materials
such as polished concrete, burnished brass, iron and gauze effect glass
to create a futuristic palazzo unlike anything else in Italy.
Located
amid Milan's busy streets, lined with architecture from eras gone by
including the historic Duomo cathedral and iconic La Scala opera house,
which are both within walking distance, the ultra modern Straf
represents a neat cultural juxtaposition; the new Italy thriving right
in the centre of the old. It's a rarely achieved harmonious union of
tradition and urbanity.
The 66 room hotel was lovingly brought
to life by brother-sister team Daniela and Gerardo Bertazzoni, who
purchased the late 17th century building in 2000. Joined by architect
and fashion designer, Vincenzo de Cotiis, they set about transforming
the internal space into an alternate universe underpinned by an
industrial aesthetic and a penchant for zen-like austerity. Every inch
of the hotel is a showcase of raw materials; rooms with concrete walls,
black-stone baths and shimmering copper paneling balanced by oversize
pieces of art everywhere you turn.
Some reviewers have
described the interior as too extreme, calling it ˜hard edge' and
˜bunker-like' but to do so is to miss the point. The Hotel Straf
doesn't pretend to exist in isolation. It is the gleaming new kid on
one of the world's oldest blocks - and one that is steeped deeply in
ornate tradition and history. Experienced in this context, the Straf's
futuristic industrialism is about creating balance and sending a gust
of crisp air through one of the world's best-loved historic cities. by Billy T
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