Drawing inspiration from the proportional rigour of Modulor and the sophisticated atmosphere of Mad Men, Vanda Designers has created a build-to-rent interior design project for Darsena Living. This project combines aesthetics, functionality and storytelling to transform each apartment into a contemporary living space with a distinctive character.

Project overview

Vanda Designers is responsible for the interior design of Darsena Living, a pioneering project in Milan’s Build-to-Rent landscape based on flexibility, digitalisation and new approaches to urban living. Promoted by Kervis SGR on behalf of the Oceano 1 investment fund, the project stems from the redevelopment of a 1950s residential building in the heart of Milan’s Navigli district, between Piazza XXIV Maggio, Corso San Gottardo, and Via Trincea delle Frasche. WIP Architetti are responsible for the architectural design and construction management, while Vanda Designers has interpreted the interiors with a focus on visual communication and retail design. This approach translates the language of Build-to-Rent into a spatial experience that combines design, comfort, and identity. The studio also oversaw the project’s overall artistic direction, contributing from the outset to the development of its coordinated image, from naming and branding to website structure and colour palette. This cross-disciplinary work consolidates coherence between the built space and communicative identity, giving the project strong brand recognition.

The new market trend: Build to Rent (BTR)

BTR is a real estate model that originated in the Anglo-Saxon world and is now gaining ground in Italy as a concrete response to new urban lifestyles. Unlike traditional ‘build to sell’ residential construction, which is designed for sale, BTR involves the construction or refurbishment of properties intended exclusively for rental. These properties are managed by a single operator who is responsible for maintenance, services, and communication. The aim is to provide more than just a place to live; it is to create a complete, flexible and accessible living experience.

In Italy, this model is part of a market undergoing profound change. The proportion of homeowners has fallen from over 80% to around 72%, while demand for rentals from young professionals, students and mobile households is growing. Despite rising construction costs and interest rates (with the Euribor rising from close to zero to close to four), Milan remains highly attractive but has limited availability of quality housing.

Darsena Living is the perfect fit for this scenario, offering furnished, managed and ready-to-live-in apartments equipped with shared services and communal areas that make life easier, more flexible and more contemporary. It offers a new form of urban living, designed for those seeking comfort, speed and freedom of choice, as well as investors looking for advanced housing solutions with long-term value.

The digital model

At the heart of the project lies the DarsenaLiving.com platform, which enables the entire process to be paperless: from immersive virtual tours and high-quality images to apartment reservation via credit card as the sole form of guarantee and payment method, legally binding certified digital signatures (YouSign) and tenant reliability verification via an independent, accredited provider (Affittabile di CRIF), all without the need for income documentation, deposits or guarantees. This alternative to traditional 4+4 and short-term rentals also offers commercial flexibility, for example with notice periods reduced from six to three months, while ensuring security and privacy thanks to certified digital processes. ‘With the launch of Darsena Living, the Kervis Group is entering the residential rental segment with a solution that considers the evolving housing needs of large urban centres and the new requirements that have emerged in the post-pandemic era. Renovated and fully furnished spaces, a completely digital process from initial contact to signing, and advice when needed represent a new frontier in renting and an alternative to traditional 4+4 and short-term rentals,” says Giancarlo Patri, Head of Fund and Asset Management at Kervis SGR.

Real estate project

From a construction standpoint, the property comprises over 5,800 square metres of gross living space, including a commercial area on the ground floor, a basement housing cellars and technical rooms, and six residential floors. The project involves renovating the units to create 70 apartments ranging from studios to four-room apartments, as well as co-living solutions comprising three bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, and shared kitchen and living room areas. It also involves the redevelopment of the communal areas, with over 95 square metres dedicated to co-working and a gym, as well as the construction of a rooftop plant to provide cooling and domestic hot water for the entire complex, and the conversion of the attic space into three new units. To date, the first 45 units have been delivered. The remaining units will be renovated and delivered progressively until the end of 2027, with an estimated 10–15 apartments being released every five months. A new colour palette has been designed for the last 30 apartments to maintain the formal distinction of the units while ensuring design consistency and character distinction.

All apartments are designed and built according to the same design logic, as defined by VANDA in terms of spatial layout. VANDA will oversee the entire project, including the choice of colours and the overall artistic direction.

Sustainability and efficiency

Design and plant engineering choices are guided by sustainability: reclamation of obsolete materials; solar panels on the roof with a peak power of approximately 9,400 W; replacement of autonomous systems with a centralised cooling plant; heat pumps on the roof; and a BREAM certification target. The combination of efficiency, management and services establishes Milan as a laboratory for digital and flexible renting, from which both tenants and investors benefit.

Interior design by Vanda Designers

Vanda Designers’ interior designs translate the language of Build-to-Rent into a design grammar that combines functional rigour, visual storytelling and brand recognition. The approach is inspired by retail: each apartment must attract attention, provide a welcoming atmosphere, and tell a story, offering an experience even before it becomes a living space. The aesthetic component is therefore intertwined with a narrative and perceptive approach, where colours, materials, and proportions come together to create a setting for contemporary living.

The project is based on two main, distinct yet complementary concepts that interpret the relationship between light, measurement and matter in different ways: Modulòr and Mad Men

Modulòr draws inspiration from Le Corbusier’s renowned scale of proportions — a revolutionary system based on human body measurements and perception — which enables spaces to be created that feel instinctively “right” and harmonious. Created to redefine the relationship between architecture and the individual, this philosophy has become the conceptual basis for the interior design project of Darsena Living’s Build-to-Rent apartments, where every square metre is designed to optimise space.

In Milan’s competitive rental market, Modulòr design strikes a balance between aesthetics and precision. In studios and one-bedroom apartments, every centimetre counts. Furniture must not only be beautiful, but also the right size and consistent with the proportions of the space and the perception of those who live there. Storage solutions are not additional elements, but rather structural components that are integrated from the design stage and form part of a harmonious grid that guides the distribution of volumes, the arrangement of furniture and the colour scheme.

Vanda Designers applied the principles of Modulor to create intelligent, calibrated spaces within areas ranging from 30 to 50 square metres, where nothing is random or sacrificed. The rooms reveal a measured and luminous aesthetic: light-coloured walls and ceilings with subtle tonal variations and neutral stone-effect stoneware flooring create a harmonious base that enhances natural light and expands the perception of space. Coloured lines, which vary in each apartment to offer a different colour range, run along walls and frames. These lines become an architectural feature that organises the surfaces and refers to the proportional rhythm of the Modulor itself.

The design strategies for these compact apartments are based on the concept of spatial intelligence. Multifunctional furniture is the first solution: coffee tables with storage, beds with built-in drawers and dining tables that double as workstations. Each element serves multiple functions because flexibility is essential for the young professionals and mobile workers who will use them. Visual continuity is equally important: colours flow from one area to another without interruption, the flooring remains consistent and open perspective lines make the 35 square metres appear more spacious.

The theme of invisible storage is equally important: built-in wardrobes, vertical shelving and under-bed storage systems eliminate visual clutter and make the space seem bigger. Everything you need is there, yet nothing appears superfluous. Even the selection of furniture adheres to the principle of modular proportionality: sofas that are either too big or too small disrupt the balance, so each piece has been designed to fit the proportions of the individual room perfectly.

Light, both natural and artificial, becomes an additional compositional tool. Windows without heavy curtains allow natural light to enter, while a layered lighting system comprising wall, pendant and floor lamps helps to expand the perceived space and create cosy micro-atmospheres. Strategically placed mirrors multiply reflections and perspectives.

Finally, the rational colour palette supports the entire concept: neutral tones create calm and continuity, while accents of colour — olive green, terracotta or reddish brown — add personality without weighing the space down visually. The result is a collection of apartments that are consistent with each other yet have a strong, distinct identity, where comfort is understated, order is part of the aesthetic and beauty stems from precise proportions.

Mad Men, on the other hand, has a more dramatic, refined and theatrical personality. The reference to 1960s New York and the visual language of the famous television series is an aesthetic homage and a creative filter through which to interpret the interior design of Darsena Living’s three- and four-room apartments. That era represented a time when design had character, confidence and personality. Interiors were not neutral backdrops but true protagonists of everyday life, reflecting a sophisticated and considered way of living.

Translating this imagery into the present day required reinterpreting it with a contemporary sensibility, transforming modernist elegance into atmospheric contemporary spaces. Dark wood finishes add depth and visual solidity without making the rooms feel heavy, while velvet fabrics and warm tones create a sense of comfort and intimacy. Carefully chosen design pieces, selected for their balance and presence, elevate the spaces without overwhelming them. The lighting is calibrated and layered on multiple levels to accompany the different times of day, transforming the atmosphere from bright and active in the morning to soft and convivial in the evening.

The result is apartments ranging from 80 to 120 square metres that appear deliberately sophisticated and considered, rather than simply decorated. Each room is conceived as a coherent narrative setting in which the visual language tells a story of relaxed, contemporary elegance.

The design strategy for larger apartments makes the most of the generous space. Statement furnishings take centre stage, including sofas with bold lines, sculptural dining tables and accent armchairs that capture attention and redefine the room’s perceived scale. The living room evokes the cocktail culture of the 1960s, while the dining area strikes a balance between conviviality and formality. The bedrooms, meanwhile, adopt a more intimate and tactile tone, while maintaining material and chromatic consistency with the rest of the apartment.

Material richness is one of the distinctive features of the Mad Men concept. While Modulòr favours visual continuity and neutrality, Mad Men celebrates variety in materials and textures: wood meets brass, velvet dialogues with leather and stone alternates with soft, tactile surfaces. This orchestration of materials produces complex, multisensory and deeply engaging environments.

The colour strategy also deliberately diverges from Modulor’s restraint; here, colour is not just an accent, but a narrative structure. Deep green, burgundy, cognac and warm gold tones define the different areas and help to create an emotional identity for each space. This sophisticated, evocative palette conveys warmth and a sense of belonging.

Lighting plays an architectural role, with sculptural suspensions and arc lamps paying homage to Italian design classics and vintage-inspired table lamps that double as decorative objects. Light is not just a source of illumination, but also shapes the atmosphere and is capable of altering the perception of space and time.

Finally, the curation of accessories defines these interiors’ lived-in soul: art, books, and carefully chosen objects that make spaces feel lived-in and authentic. Each Mad Men apartment is designed for tenants seeking a superior living experience, a place with identity, memory and style that combines the charm of the past with contemporary rental freedom.

Despite their differences, both concepts share a structural consistency that makes them recognisable as part of the same brand. Each apartment is designed as an autonomous unit, yet is also integrated into a broader narrative of metropolitan living that values time, efficiency and everyday beauty.

The mood boards curated by Vanda Designers visually synthesise these design choices, combining porous materials with glossy surfaces and colour palettes ranging from milky beige to mustard and teal tones. Burnt orange and burgundy details punctuate the rhythm of the walls. The effect is one of dynamic harmony, where every element, from ceiling colour to fabric texture, metal reflection to plant greenery, contributes to creating a clear, welcoming identity.

In this context, the role of the Build-to-Rent designer is becoming increasingly important. This is a new hybrid role in contemporary living, combining brand vision, advanced interior design, staging skills and communication skills. They design for targets and concepts, creating sensory and narrative experiences that are consistent with the project’s identity and the end user’s desires. With Darsena Living, Vanda Designers shows how living can become a form of cultural communication once again: a synthesis of architecture, design, and urban storytelling where every space is an expression of the self.

The retail space

Alongside the residential offering, the retail space, measuring approximately 576 square meters over two levels divided into six units, has been entrusted exclusively to Savills for marketing. Set in the historic and dynamic context of the Darsena, the commercial area is designed to be a new landmark for residents, visitors, and tourists, connecting the iconic character of the neighborhood with a contemporary offering. “The commercial appeal of Darsena Living lies in its ability to connect the historic and iconic fabric of the Darsena with a contemporary retail offering. It is not just a matter of spaces to rent, but a project that will regenerate the neighborhood by tapping into new consumer habits,” says Francesca Cattagni, Head of Retail Agency, Savills.

A replicable model

Overall, Darsena Living represents a replicable real estate project: a digital Build-to-Rent model that integrates quality of living, renting and sharing, services and management, with the stated aim of extending the platform to other Italian cities, starting with Milan and Rome, in line with growing investor interest in residential rentals. In this trajectory, the BTR designer—interior designer, communicator, and almost set designer—is the key figure who combines flexibility and digitalization in spaces capable of telling a new way of buying, renting, and living in the city.

Project credits:

Location: Milan

Designer: Valentina Elmiger

Shooting Stylist: Valentina Elmiger

Client: Kervis sgr

Year: first deliveries 2023 – last deliveries 2027

Sizes: from 30 to 140 square meters

Furniture suppliers: Aran Contract, Westwing, and Desenio

Lighting: Creative Cables, Westwing

Photos: Fausto Mazza

Talking About Vanda Designer

Valentina Elmiger is an architect, retail designer, and creative director who works in Europe, Asia, and the United States. After graduating with a degree in Architecture and Society from the Politecnico di Milano, she worked for two years at the Piuarch studio in Milan. There, she immediately tried her hand at retail design and architecture projects for major brands and international investors. In 2008, she moved to London for a year, working on photography for architecture magazines such as Compasses.
In 2010, she founded the Milan-based studio Nomade Architettura, focusing on interior and architectural design. In 2013, she and Aurora De La Fuente founded VANDA, a multidisciplinary and constantly evolving studio where different professionals meet to explore new and challenging areas.

For VANDA, design is a labor of love.
Since 2022, Valentina has been in charge of art direction for large real estate development projects, working with SGR and international investment funds.
Her passion for her work leads her to consider it her greatest hobby, and her interdisciplinarity enables her to offer different projects, each driven by and aiming to achieve harmony and beauty. A DJ and yoga teacher, Valentina is passionate about music, design, theater, and spiritual evolution. She believes that harmony can increase people’s emotional well-being

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