DARSENA LIVING MAD MEN | BUILD TO RENT MILAN

When space allows storytelling.

Not all apartments tell the same story. Studios and one-bedrooms demand precision, economy, intelligent distribution. Three and four-bedroom apartments invite something different: narrative.

For the larger units at Darsena Living, we developed Mad Men, a concept inspired by the elegance of 1960s Manhattan, reinterpreted for Milan’s contemporary premium rental market.

Kervis SGR acquired an entire building in Porta Ticinese with a precise vision: transforming over seventy apartments into a comprehensive Build to Rent development, with distinct concepts for different typologies. Our role as interior designers and art directors was to give each typology its own personality, coherent with the overall project but recognisable in its specificity.

The creative filter: Mad Men

The celebrated television series was not simply an inspiration, it was our precise creative filter.

1960s New York represented a moment when design had character, confidence, personality. Interiors were not neutral backgrounds: they were characters in the story of how one lived. For apartments addressing a premium renter profile, executives, families, international professionals seeking a real home rather than a temporary base . This register resonated perfectly.

We translated the elegance of that era into contemporary apartments through dark wood finishes that add gravitas without darkness, velvet fabrics that communicate luxury without ostentation, selected design pieces that elevate spaces without overwhelming them, and layered lighting that transforms atmosphere from morning to evening.

The result is apartments between 80 and 120 sqm that feel deliberately sophisticated, not accidentally decorated.

The design choices

More generous spaces allow choices that would be impossible in compact apartments.

Furniture can make statements. Substantial sofas, dining tables with presence, armchairs that become focal points. In three and four-bedroom apartments, every piece has the space to be seen and lived with.

Zoning through design creates distinct characters for each environment. The living room channels the cocktail culture of the Sixties. The bedrooms have a more restrained tone. The dining area bridges the two registers. Each space has its own identity while maintaining overall coherence.

Material richness celebrates variety, not continuity. Wood meets brass. Velvet contrasts with leather. Stone anchors textile softness. These apartments are texturally complex and visually engaging.

The colour strategy is bold where the Modulor concept is measured. Deep greens, rich burgundies, warm cognac tones. Colours do not simply accent, they define spaces, create emotion, tell the story of who might live there.

Lighting is designed as an architectural element. Sculptural pendants, arc floor lamps that evoke Italian design classics, table lamps that are also objects. Light is not simply function: it is atmosphere.

A Build to Rent project in Porta Ticinese

Darsena Living is located in one of Milan’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, between the Navigli canals and the city centre. The building, entirely acquired by Kervis SGR, houses over seventy apartments across different typologies,from studios to four-bedroom apartments, with interior design concepts developed by VANDA to respond to different renter profiles.

Mad Men addresses the premium segment: those seeking a home with character, not an anonymous apartment. The design must justify higher rental rates with real substance, quality materials, design choices that create perceived value, spaces that work in photographs and give even more when inhabited physically.

Client: Kervis SGR Interior Design and Art Direction: Valentina Elmiger, VANDA Designers Typology: Three and four-bedroom apartments Concept: Mad Men — 1960s elegance reimagined Location: Porta Ticinese, Milan

View the Modulor concept for compact apartments

Modulor Concept: Build to Rent Milan Studios | VANDA
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