Design enthusiasts seeking secluded stays the next time they pass through Milan needn’t look further than Casa Brivio, a stylish ode to Italy’s midcentury maestros just a short walk from the Duomo. Conceived by owners Filippo and Alberico Brivio Sforza, whose family history has been linked to Milan for nearly 600 years, the hotel truly enmeshes guests in the Milanese lifestyle. That’s largely thanks to the formidable talents of designers Matteo Thun & Partners and Cassina Custom Interiors, which infused the 16 rentable suites with understated touches that forge the ambience of a well-heeled European apartment.
The homage starts in reception, where wall boiserie and the decorative ceiling’s rhombus pattern reference Gio Ponti. Stroll through the serene courtyard facing the stone-paved Via Cornaggia to access its two rationalist buildings, where original limestone-clad spiral staircases illuminated by Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s Murano glass lamps whisk guests up to their spacious corner or junior suites. Cassina furniture outfits each, from classics (Marco Zanuso’s sultry Lady Armchair) to newcomers (Thun and Benedetto Fasciana’s wispy Bixia Chair) that complement the moody palette spanning dark green velvets and reinforced Viennese straw to brass-toned aluminum. The apartment-like atmosphere means no on-site dining or room service, but its central location means fine Milanese trattorias and charming cafés are a just short walk away.
