Design Notes: Villa Borsani

I need to give a major shoutout to my homegirl Mari for hunting tickets to see this house down.

“Villaur Bourrrsaniii” as our group chat would excitedly reference it as. This is a home that needs to be in your list of visits if you’re an architectural fiend.

I knew the place by imagery. Not by name. A terrible habit I have. I showed up and my jaw drop when I realized where we were. You’ve seen it.

The wavy floors, the sunken living room, the staircase…

Here are my design notes.

This villa was built in the 40’s. Can you believe that?! It was designed by Osvaldo Borsani — architect, designer, entrepreneur — and his twin brother Fulgenzio. Their father Gaetano had founded a furniture company in 1923, and the villa was essentially built as both a family home and a showcase for that work. Osvaldo later co-founded Tecno with Fulgenzio in 1953, but the villa came first — and it shows. Every detail was commissioned: mosaics, fireplaces, murals, furniture, door inlays — all made by Italy’s most prominent artists of the era.

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Our ceilings are dull. Ugh, they’re so boring! A quick look up in any room at Villa Borsani would have your eyes spot a different detail. Something small that goes such a long way. It was always a pleasant surprise.

“Some of y’all need more whimsy” if you want to elevate your interior. And by whimsy, I mean to not be so matchy matchy. This goes to everyone out there. Down to the developers creating spaces with zero character or thought in the interiors. Instead of choosing form a catalog of items that are all from the same era, mix and match. If Villa Borsani taught me anything it’s that there’s no limitations. A villa from the 40’s can house a chair from the 60’s, 80’s, from today! Textures and patterns in your flooring, guardrail, ceiling, will go with anything. It’s ultimately down to styling and the careful arrangement.

I’m convinced. And what’s more? They retain their value! It’s a style that really made a name for itself, and seeing pieces, like this wall unit, really convinced me this style isn’t going to become outdated any time soon. I wonder what it is. More on that in another post.

This is an obvious one. You can’t see these floors and not recognize them. Throughout the house, there’s also different variations of parquet flooring that were so lovely to walk on, and added yet another level of detail that makes a huge difference in a room.