Mario Milana

Milan, Italy

An Exploration of Form through Sensitivity, Intention, and the Pursuit of Beauty

The Products

- Masand Chaise Bench
- Price on request
- The Orb
- mm1 Lounge Chair
- Price on request
- Mario Milana
- Famiglia Sofa
- Price on request
- Mario Milana
- Siro Credenza
- Price on request
- Mario Milana

The Conversation

Looking back, is there an early memory — an object, a place, or a person — that first awakened your sensitivity to form and beauty?

With my father, who was an exhibition designer, and my mother a lover of art history, I was brought up in a creative environment, sensitive to beauty and design. Our home was a Milanese rational villa. When I think about my childhood I can’t help but look back to every last detail of that house. The door handles, the staircase railing, the steps, the light switches, the windows, the mirrors, the fireplaces. Everything was built with such quality and intention. I can now understand how lucky I was to grow up there, and appreciate how being immersed in that environment shaped me and my way of seeing.

You’ve lived and worked between cultures. How have these shifts — Milan, New York, and back again — shaped not only your practice, but the way you see yourself?

The shifts back and forth seemed to have happened organically, in tune with my own evolution as a designer and father. I grew up with firm Italian roots grounded in family, tradition, and quality. Then at 22 I flew the coop, and high on the freedom and opportunity of New York City found my own path as an individual. I have now, after 18 years away, returned to a new Milan to create a life with my Colombian-American wife and our children. We were drawn by the slower pace, a better quality of life, and the family oriented culture of Italy. Being able to navigate between cultures and places has widened my perception in many ways, my adaptability and understanding. Being closer to the artisans I work with has certainly enriched and expanded my work. Balance between elements is something I seek in my practice of design as well as in life as we navigate the future.

You often collaborate closely with artisans. Beyond the work itself, what have these relationships taught you about patience, humility, or even friendship?

The joy of seeing an idea coming to life through the craft of the artisan, with techniques that have evolved in centuries to create something new is an incredible experience. Many of the realities I work with are multi generational workshops. As what I do is quite tailor made and not industrial, it is key to create a bond with the makers. It is an exchange where these men and women put at service all their knowledge. A deeply humbling experience for myself, and an inspiring and engaging one for them, as we find ways to push the boundaries of traditional techniques together. I have endless respect for their work.

Beyond form and function, what do you hope lingers in people’s hearts when they live with your work — a feeling, a memory, or a state of being?

Presence. That can be basically called “love”. We live in times where our time and attention are stolen from us. If through my designs I can create a moment of surprise, happiness, pause or connection that brings about presence, I have achieved my goal.

When life feels overwhelming, where do you find peace? Is there a ritual, a place, or a practice that helps you return to yourself and to inspiration?

I was introduced to meditation by my wife and muse Gabriella over ten years ago, right after starting my independent career. The stress of managing every aspect of the business had become overwhelming, and I couldn’t find the energy to design creatively. Meditation allowed me to dive deep, and to find the peace and strength that I needed. It is now the practice that informs the idea behind my designs.