“It’s a Playground!” – How Two Graphic Designers Live and Work in a 45sqm/484sqft Home

Giovanni Cavalleri and Cecilia Bianchini, founders of Milan-based graphic design studio Paper Paper, bought their 45sqm/484sqft apartment as a place to slow down and unplug from the city around them. Working with friends at Associates Architecture, they renovated the one-bedroom flat with a clear goal in mind: to make it feel airy, flexible, and easy to live in, while giving their art and book collections a central role. Rather than separating functions into rigid rooms, the couple designed the apartment so the same compact space can shift from quiet nights in to long dinners with friends and the occasional overnight guest. Much of their space draws on personal history, from curtains taken from Cavalleri’s mother’s house to second-hand furniture and artworks gathered over time. It’s a home that’s practical without feeling restrictive, and playful without being precious – organised around how they actually live, host, and move through a small space.

The Entryway and the Corridor Gallery

At the entrance, Cavalleri and Bianchini use a low metal shelf, part of the full-height shelving wall, to hold keys, sunglasses, and wallets. From there, the hallway stretches into a long, narrow passage. Together with Associates Architecture, they designed a custom aluminium bookshelf that runs the full-length of the corridor, made by specialist metalworkers and sized precisely to fit their largest books. Hung from the ceiling rather than sitting on the floor, it keeps the space feeling open while giving their extensive collection a clear structure. Along the opposite wall, they display framed posters and artworks by friends and collaborators, turning the walk to the rest of the home into a daily gallery visit. “The bookshelf is the backbone of the house. It guides you all the way to the end of the corridor,” Bianchini explains.

The Kitchen Unit: Compact Living, Industrial Scale

The aluminium shelving continues from the corridor along the kitchen ceiling, a move Cavalleri and Bianchini used to visually carry the gallery-like entry into the heart of the home. The kitchen itself is intentionally full-sized, even within the apartment’s tight footprint. They opted for a long run of stainless steel cabinetry that houses the oven, a compact fridge, and generous concealed storage behind flat, understated fronts.

To avoid visual clutter, the extractor is built directly into the stovetop, eliminating the need for a traditional hood. This allowed them to leave the wall above the benchtop completely clear. The blank surface makes the space feel taller and, in the evenings, doubles as a projection wall for movies and TV. On the opposite wall, a freestanding metal shelving unit works as a flexible pantry, with easy access from the sofa for late-night snacks, and also houses the projector.

The Dining and Living Area: A Flexible Setup for Eating, Hosting, and Hanging Out

“We really, really love having friends over,” Cavalleri says. “We’ve been doing a lot of dinners here, especially because of the way this room is organised.” The dining and living area shares the same open zone as the kitchen, and Cavalleri and Bianchini treat it as a single, flexible space that can shift easily between everyday meals and hosting. At its centre is a custom table they designed with the architects, set on wheels so it can be moved aside or repositioned as needed. The tabletop flips from yellow to blue, a simple move that changes the mood of the space. The sofa plays a similar double role. Its backrest can be lowered to create a bed when friends stay over. The floor-length, white curtain was taken from Cavalleri’s mother’s house, and instead of a conventional rail, it hangs from a taut metal wire, an idea borrowed from her home as well. Because the ceilings are lower here, the fabric is folded and tied with a simple band so it doesn’t pool on the floor.

The Bedroom: Bold in Colour, Calm by Design

Cavalleri and Bianchini deliberately kept the bedroom straightforward, both in layout and design. They chose a deep green floor to give the room a stronger sense of enclosure and to contrast with the blue-toned corridor outside. Most of the furnishings are practical and unfussy, including an IKEA wardrobe that fits neatly along the wall and takes care of everyday storage without drawing attention to itself. Where they did spend time was on the mattress. “That’s what we searched for the longest,” Cavalleri says, recalling visits to multiple shops to try different options.

The Bathroom: Just the Right Amount of Minimal 

“The idea in the bathroom was for everything to have as little detail as possible,” says Cavalleri. That thinking shapes the entire space. The walls and floor are finished in small-format white tiles with black grout, inspired by Superstudio, the couple explain. Instead of a door, Cavalleri and Bianchini concealed the washing machine and cleaning supplies behind a red curtain. In such a compact bathroom, a hinged door would have collided with the entry, while the curtain keeps the space flexible and easy to use. A cartoon-like red cross medicine cabinet brings colour into the room. Like several elements elsewhere in the apartment, it came from Cavalleri’s mother’s house, adding a personal note to an otherwise pared-back setting. Storage is lifted off the floor to keep the room feeling lighter.