Over 15 Different Colors Coexist in This Small Milan Apartment — Here's How the Designers Made the Playful Palette Feel Grown-Up

Color has the power to transform a space. Something old becomes renewed; something general becomes specific. And in this Milan apartment, color tells the story of the owners' lives, personalities, and histories. With over 15 different hues coexisting throughout the home, the challenge was finding the harmony between the 'new' and working with the shapes and layout that already existed in the space. Mosaic, parquet flooring, integrated furnishings, and custom sliding doors...Chroma Studio has mastered small space living.

Though the modern home is based in Milan, a lot of the design scheme was inspired by the owners' experience of living in Paris. "We didn't want to translate this into literal references, but rather into subtle elements within the project, such as the system of arches in the large glass partition between the living room and kitchen," interior designer at Chroma Studio, Giuseppe Albanese, tells me. From there, the overall idea was that decorating with color could become "a kind of invisible architecture, organizing the home without constantly relying on additional walls," he continues.

The starting point was the desire to create a home with a very distinct identity without completely overturning its original layout. "We therefore focused on the relationships between spaces, using color, thresholds, materials, and bespoke elements as true architectural tools," says Giuseppe. And the result is a collection of rooms to inspire all of us looking for more colorful apartments.

The large collection of joyful colors in this Milan project wasn't born out of a desire to create the most saturated space, but rather to experiment with color harmony and how different design elements speak to one another.

Elga Ancona, the other designer at Chroma Studio involved in the Residance B05 project, explains, "We didn't begin with a predefined palette, but with a system of relationships." As mentioned, around fifteen different shades coexist throughout the home, and "each one was selected in relation to natural light, materials, the function of the room and the colors that come before and after it."

For example, mint contrasts with a bold purple in the apartment kitchen, while shades of peach lead into bold oranges and reds in the living area. To avoid saturation overload and clashing color pairings, the key was to establish hierarchies, pauses, and continuity. "For us, saturation is not really about how much color you use, but about how those colors relate to one another," explains Elga.

The shapes throughout the space follow the same logic. "The rounded corners in the corridor guide movement through the space, while the arches of the glass partition introduce a Parisian reference, reinterpreted in a more graphic and contemporary way," adds Elga. The designers wanted the renovation to feel fresh without completely changing the apartment's flow.

This meant working much more precisely with what was already there. "The corridor, for example, rather than being treated simply as circulation space, became a room in its own right through the burgundy ceiling, rounded corners and integrated bespoke cabinetry," says Elga.

The bathrooms and powder rooms throughout the apartment use color to allow the small spaces to have a large design impact — the colors become deeper and more intimate. In one of them, "we also designed a bespoke bathroom partition screen that creates privacy without blocking light or visual depth, allowing us to reshape the proportions of the room without fully enclosing it," says Elga.

This is just one example of how furniture was also selected to become part of each room's composition rather than a collection of standalone objects. "Color, material, and proportion all needed to tell the same story," says Elga.

The relationship between the dining room and kitchen through the yellow-framed glass partition is one of the standout design moments of the home. Elga shares, "It is one of those moments where function, memory, and graphic language come together very naturally."

When closed, the two rooms remain visually connected; when open, the partition almost disappears. Elga adds, "We were very interested in this ambiguity between separation and continuity."

Plus, the kitchen belongs to a large open-plan space shared with the dining and living room, but Giuseppe says, "We wanted it to retain its own identity without becoming isolated." Therefore, they defined it through color, flooring, and the large glazed threshold. Rather than opting for a single 'hero color', the designers were more interested in creating tension and contrast in design between the different shades.

The sage green has a calm, tactile presence, the purple introduces depth, and the peach ceiling brings warmth and lightness. "They are quite different colors, but it is precisely their relationship that creates balance," explains Giuseppe. "The minty, sage green kitchen relates to a deep purple, while the peach ceiling of the living area introduces a warmer and brighter tone, creating a chromatic transition between the two spaces."

And, of course, you can't look away from the unique tile on the kitchen floors. "The pattern brings several colors from the project together within a single surface, almost like a condensed version of the overall palette," says Elga.

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Small homes and apartments often benefit the most from bold design. When done well, creativity showcases your personality and sense of curation — whether you are renovating a space you own or trying to make the most of your rental.

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