Lake Como’s Il Sereno Hotel and Milanese designer Patricia Urquiola unveil a new penthouse space, ‘inspired by Post-war Italian glamour, La Dolce Vita, Modernist Italian Designers’ as well as local silk-manufacturing traditions.
The hotel originally opened in 2016, and expanded into a nearby 16th-century villa in 2018. When it opened, it was the first new structure to be built on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como in 70 years, with a design inspired by local architect Giuseppe Terragni’s Rationalist structures and a palette of colours and materials nodding to its lake surroundings. ‘The lake is all about integrity,’ said Urquiola, who referenced the architect’s rigorous lines in her façade design in glass, wood and stone.
Il Sereno Penthouse: a celebration of Italian design
The bedroom space in the penthouse features Patricia Urquiola's ‘L60’ bed for Cassina with bespoke textiles inspired by the lake surroundings
The latest space to open at Il Sereno is the Signature Penthouse. A one-bedroom suite with breathtaking floor-to-ceiling views of the lake and mountains, a living and dining area as well as lake-facing garden and terrace, the space features a material-rich palette of Venetian Terrazzo floors, Canaletto Walnut ceilings and Ceppo di Gre walls. Throughout, Urquiola selected contemporary pieces (such as her ‘Love Me Tender‘ sofa for Moroso and ‘L60’ bed for Cassina) as well as icons of Italian design, such as Gio Ponti chairs and an ‘Infinito’ bookcase by Franco Albini and Franca Helg dominating the living space.
The living space with Urquiola's ‘Love Me Tender’ sofa for Moroso and ‘Infinito’ bookcase by Franco Albini and Franca Helg. The sofa, as well as the Cassina coffee tables and ceramics from Bitossi are available from the hotel's newly-launched e-commerce
The penthouse also marks Il Sereno’s first foray into e-commerce, with a dedicated digital retail space offering the penthouse’s key furniture pieces (from the sofa and bed to the chairs, tables and lighting), modern and contemporary accessories by Ginori, Venini, Bitossi and Salvatori. The shopping selection includes specially-commissioned rugs and blankets used throughout the hotel: ‘Guests were asking us about these pieces, so it felt like a natural move,’ says hotelier Luis Contreras, who worked closely with Urquiola on the hotel’s conception, design and future development. ‘We want to challenge ourselves and try to make something a little bit different,’ he says. ‘If possible, better.’
The study in the Penthouse, featuring Franco Albini's ‘Luisa’ chair by Cassina and the ‘Model 537’ lamp by Gino Sarfatti, produced by Astep
The bathroom at Il Sereno Hotel penthouse
The dining area features Franco Albini's ‘Luisa’ chairs and the ‘Luna’ lamp by Gio Ponti
Bespoke drinks cabinet in walnut and marble
The living area faces the lake, with furniture including Patricia Urquiola's ‘Love Me Tender’ sofa for Moroso and Franco Albini's ‘Infinito’ bookcase
The secluded garden of the Penthouse, with outdoors funiture by Patricia Urquiola
The lake-facing terrace
INFORMATION
Shop Il Sereno Hotel at serenohotels.com
ADDRESS
Via Torrazza, 10
22020 Torno CO
Italy
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk SpaceFurniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
LVMH watch week 2025: everything we know so farOur guide to LVMH Watch Week 2025, taking place in New York and Paris, starting 21 January; keep an eye out for our updates
-
Gather round! The best coffee tables for design lovers, from the colourful to the sculpturalExplore the best coffee tables: discover our handpicked selection of enduring favourites alongside new, notable pieces
-
Vincent Van Duysen ‘inspired by modernism’ for Molteni & C’s outdoor furniture debutMolteni & C goes alfresco with two new collections and reissued classics, bringing its signature elegance to the great outdoors
-
Romanengo is Milan’s new sweet spotRomanengo, the oldest Italian confectionery, opens its doors in Milan with interiors by Madrid-based architects Cousi Interiorismo
-
Compact apartment by Ettore Sottsass reveals pioneering design approachTriennale Design Museum presents Casa Lana, a new acquisition that faithfully reconstructs an apartment interior originally conceived by Ettore Sottsass in 1965
-
Charles Zana unveils his first design collectionCharles Zana’s 60-piece furniture and lighting collection encapsulates simple design codes and is revealed here ahead of an official brand launch in 2022
-
Antonio Citterio reflects on his work with Flexform, and conceiving a sofa as the heart of the homeAntonio Citterio designed the Groundpiece sofa for Flexform in 2001: twenty years on, we chart the architect's history of collaboration with the Italian furniture company, and discover his view on redefining domestic interiors
-
Step inside this Milanese urban oasisInspired by the traditional cloisters of Milan, this modernist apartment building features smart green spaces throughout. We discover the penthouse, where minimal interiors are enriched with sophisticated materials
-
Patricia Urquiola unveils interiors for first London residential project
