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Livingetc has reported on a Milan apartment designed by Gaia Venuti for homeowner Veronica Lafleur, whose residence also serves as a work and meeting space for her real estate business. The design pairs vivid colors and contrasting materials, with a pair of blue velvet and burgundy Carlo Scarpa sofas as its starting point.
Livingetc has published a home tour of real estate entrepreneur Veronica Lafleur’s Milan apartment, designed by Gaia Venuti of GaiaHomeProject. The apartment serves as Lafleur’s home and as a creative studio and meeting place for her business, BetterCallVero; its design uses bold color and contrasting materials to reflect what Lafleur describes as a personal and professional fresh start.
The design’s starting point was a pair of Cornaro sofas by Carlo Scarpa for Cassina, upholstered in blue velvet with burgundy lacquered frames. Venuti told Livingetc that the contrast between the soft upholstery and the dark, firm-looking lacquer captured Lafleur’s character. She called the sofas the “genetic code” of the home, describing them as the basis for the choices that followed.
Those choices include burgundy cabinetry, dark marble and terrazzo flooring, alongside rooms with different color combinations. An ochre-yellow room is shaped by diagonal afternoon light, while the bedroom pairs lavender-gray walls with chartreuse linen and a silver faux-leather headboard. The apartment also has a garden-facing work area with natural cork walls, which Venuti says help absorb light and noise, set against metal furniture.
Lafleur told Livingetc that she brought nothing from her previous home into the apartment, an intentional decision tied to starting a new personal and professional chapter. The report presents the property as a home that also supports her work, rather than as a residence designed only for domestic use. Photography is credited to Monica Spezia for Living Inside.
A Home That Also Hosts Work
The apartment’s dual role gives the design choices a practical dimension. Lafleur uses it as a private residence, creative studio and business meeting space, so the rooms have to support both daily life and professional activity. The cork-lined work area, for example, is described as a place overlooking the garden, with material selected in part for its light and sound-absorbing qualities.
The tour also offers a specific example of how a designer can build a home around an owner’s preferences without relying on a single color scheme throughout. Venuti describes using intense color to mark accents or architectural volumes, while metal, lacquer, velvet, stone and cork create differences in texture. Those are the designer’s stated choices and rationale; the article does not report measured effects on work, comfort or property value.
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The Sofas Set the Palette
Venuti and Lafleur met during the closing of a retail property deal, according to the Livingetc report. Lafleur recalled noticing the designer’s unexpected color combinations and said that encounter led to their collaboration. The source does not give a date for the meeting or for the apartment’s completion.
Venuti says she approaches the apartment through emotional transitions and visual flow, rather than treating each room as an isolated scheme. The blue-and-burgundy sofas supplied an initial palette and material contrast; from there, the design moves through stronger colors and different finishes. Lafleur said the apartment was intended to represent a fresh start, and that she wanted it to recharge her while reflecting her personality.
“The sofas aren’t just furniture — they were the genetic code of the entire home.”
— Gaia Venuti, interior designer
Details the Tour Leaves Open
The Livingetc feature does not specify the apartment’s address, size, renovation timeline or total project cost. It also does not identify the full range of furniture and finishes as newly purchased, custom-made or retained from other sources, apart from Lafleur’s statement that she brought nothing from her previous home.
The account is a design feature based on statements from the homeowner and designer, not an independent evaluation of the apartment’s performance. It does not provide information about the property’s sale or rental status, building approvals, or whether any further changes are planned.
No Further Plans Reported
The source describes the completed apartment and reports no planned renovation, launch or other next milestone. It is not clear whether Lafleur or Venuti will make further changes to the home. For now, the Livingetc tour is the available account of the project, including its design choices and the owner’s reasons for creating a combined home and workspace.
Key Questions
Who designed the Milan apartment?
Gaia Venuti, who works under the name GaiaHomeProject, designed the apartment for Veronica Lafleur, according to Livingetc.
What inspired the apartment’s design?
Venuti said the starting point was a pair of blue velvet and burgundy lacquer Cornaro sofas, designed by Carlo Scarpa for Cassina. She used their material and color contrast to guide the rest of the interior.
Does the apartment also function as a workplace?
Yes. Lafleur told Livingetc that the apartment is her residence and also a creative studio and meeting space for her real estate business, BetterCallVero.
What remains unknown about the project?
The report does not give the apartment’s address, size, project cost or renovation dates. It also does not say whether further changes are planned.
Source: livingetc.com
