10 Corso Como {calling all hipsters}

Totally forgotten about the pictures from our 10 Corso Como adventure last April in Milan... So here they are. Not of the best quality as taking pictures in the store was forbidden, so they are all a  bit of a sneaky taken.

10 Corso Como is a multifunctional concept dedicated to art, fashion, music, design, cuisine and culture. Founded in 1990 in Milan by gallerist and publisher Carla Sozzani.
Anouk, me and a friend were totally in love with the Corso Como concept. When going through the old wooden doors at Corso Como 10 you enter a really nice courtyard with lots of green and terraces. And the entrance of the shop and the restaurant.  

First stop was the restaurant where we enjoyed a really wonderful lunch from the special Salone del Mobile card. Note the oil can in the typical Corso Como style... all designed by American artist Kris Ruhs who is responsible for the typical 10 Corso Como logo. I have bought a white bag with it that stands on top of my locker: see Painting a locker inspired by Milano and some posters with the logo. The bag where the bag went in was huge but is great to use as decoration: Dots and lamps 

I think you should always bring a visit to the toilet when visiting a special place like Corso Como.... It might sound really weird, but shops like these are just full of surprises in all corners.

 A sneak peek of the ground floor

Upstairs many  wonderful books and illustrations, when we were there there was an Alice Springs exhibition.

The next morning I went back to join the opening of the Krish Ruhs exhibition with an unexpected but delicious breakfast. 

10 Corso Como

IKEA on tour.... a report from il Salone in Milano on IKEA Live

Today you will find a little report I made of IKEA taking part of the fuorisalone in Lambrate during the Milan Design week on the IKEA Live website.

The world of Spazio Rossana Orlandi {fuori salone 2012}

Spazio Rossana Orlandi opened in 2002 in a former tie factory in the Magenta area in Milan. The spaces wind around a green courtyard and they are divided between the 2-floor store, where you can find contemporary and vintage furnitures and the gallery, established in 2008 , a space dedicated to limited editions and unique pieces. Since from the start the aim was to forecast and promote young and upcoming designers, discovered all around the world.

Before going to Milan I had a look at the website and I did not really know what to expect after reading the text and looking at the few pictures.... what I found was a bit of a surreal world... I am showing some of my pictures in the same way as we walked around in Spazio Rossana Orlandi.... as you see the two huge fences are open and it is the lady herself standing in the entrance of the garden as we arrived. In the garden there is a restaurant and several designers were showing there work...

Throughout the whole space there are all kind of 'installations' build with both new material and recycled materials mixed with all kind of furniture.

At the end of the garden we found Rossana again standing in front of a huge installation with copper wire and vases. I was reading the blog of Lotta Agaton the other day and she wrote about the Salone in Milan ...

I know you shouldn't talk about the female age, but I just came back from the furniturefair in Milan and realized that the coolest cats in town who rules during designweek are all women around seventy years old. That is so great. Love Rossana Orlandi, Carla Sozzani (founder of Corso Como 10) and Paola Navone.
And I couldn't agree more I think she is so right about these woman !!!

....upstairs.... a huge space with walls covered with brown boxes filled with thousands of different items that were not for sale, I was wondering if it was a leftover from the tie factory or a huge collection of Rossana herself. 

Tables from Jo Nagasaka for Options Amsterdam

MERCI Pop Up Store - Salone 2012 {Paola Navona limited edition for MERCI}

Being a big fan of the MERCI Concept Store in Paris, my heart made a little jump seeing a little red fiat cinquecento in front of Studio Otto di Paola Navone. And it even got better!

Ofcourse seeing a MERCI Pop up Store in Via Tortona during the Salone is like a big and pleasant surprise to me but having one of my favorite designers making a limited Edition especially for MERCI and show it here at Studio Otto was really great.

I loved the mono graphic design of the outdoor - indoor furniture in front of the studio... Lots of dots and stripes and  soft cushions. And inside there was even more, a whole collection of tableware, clothes, buttons,masking tape, little baskets and suitcases ...all in black and white and especially made for MERCI by Paola Navone. And of course there was also a mini MERCI inside!

I can truly say this was one of the highlights for me during the Salone 2012. To bad to see I had written the opening party of the Pop up store in my agenda when I got home.... I better not hear I missed meeting Paola Navone in person...

Enjoy the pictures and forgive me for making such a long post.. I thought it was just way to cool and despite all the beautiful design I finally found some new ideas and inspiration there! I brought home some little things of the limited edition... and would love to get one of the chairs...Mmmm I just might need to go to Paris really soon!

All pictures by Desiree- Vosgesparis except picture: 3-7-11-12-17 and 22t/m25 by Muriel for Vosgsparis... If you want to link to this post feel free to use a picture but please not take all of them and be so kind to link to my blog ;)