Italian designer Cristina Celestino has a talent for turning nostalgia into modern design. A graduate of Venice’s IUAV School of Architecture, she founded her studio in 2013, where she has since created dreamy interiors and detailed furniture that blend both vintage and contemporary sensibilities.
Stepping inside her Milan apartment, it’s clear her home is a direct reflection of the way she approaches her craft: thoughtful, full of personality, and respectful of the past. Style is something that unfolds piece-by-piece in harmony with the space itself. When Cristina first laid eyes on her apartment, a mid-century building from the 1950s, she was immediately drawn in. Instead of starting fresh, she listened to what the space had to say. “
Stepping inside Cristina’s Milan apartment, it’s clear her home is a direct reflection of the way she approaches her craft: thoughtful, full of personality, and respectful of the past. Style is something that unfolds piece-by-piece in harmony with the space itself.
I felt the space had such a strong identity that I had to adapt to it rather than just doing a complete redesign,” she says. “Many people come in and erase everything, but I believe in respecting what’s already there if it makes sense for the family’s needs.” From vintage finds to her own custom designs, each piece in her home serves a purpose. “It’s not easy to define a style,” she says. “I’m a collector of Italian design, so in my house, you’ll find a lot of Italian design pieces—perhaps too many. I also have some pieces designed by me, including prototypes. It’s like a white canvas where I can mix different things, and I love changing them up.”
From vintage finds to her own custom designs, each piece in her home serves a purpose. “It’s not easy to define a style,” she says. “I’m a collector of Italian design, so in my house, you’ll find a lot of Italian design pieces—perhaps too many. It’s like a white canvas where I can mix different things, and I love changing them up.”
One of her favorite pieces? The 1973 Riflessione floor lamp by Claudio Salocchi for Skipper. “That lamp is near my fireplace,” she says. “It’s a very rare vintage piece. I also love the white rattan armchair by Tito Agnoli.” “I don’t only fill my home with my own creations,” she says. “There’s definitely a mix. I have a lot of vintage items, too. It’s not because I’m in love with vintage—it’s because these pieces have strong identities. They fit with my design values.”
A version of this article originally appeared in Sixtysix Issue 14.
