Milan: Step Inside The Home of Fiat Heir Lapo Elkann

Milan is the global capital of fashion and design, and it’s no wonder that Fiat heir and Italian businessman, Lapo Elkann, has chosen this glorious metropolis to establish a home.

As a businessman, philanthropist, and the grandson of Gianni Agnelli, the former controlling CEO and controlling shareholder of Fiat Automobiles, Elkann says that work accounts for 90% of his social life. As such, he always has exciting days planned. Besides creating sportswear and sunglasses for his Italia Independent brand, Lapo Elkann furthermore, distributes films with his sister, Ginevra, and consults at Ferrari Tailor Made, a custom division of Fiat Chrysler.

Recently Lapo Elkann also launched a capsule collection with Gucci. “I like to play, but I work my ass off,” says the businessman while discussing the busy schedule in the different countries he travels. “When you build new companies, you need to be on the front line.”

A time to slow down

There are times for everything, and Lapo Elkann says that there are times when we need to calm down. This calm came with his most personal project to date, his duplex penthouse overlooking a centuries-old square in Milan. When he acquired the 3,100-square-foot space, which sits in a stern post-war palazzo, just over a year ago, the primary goal was to banish darkness from the apartment. “It had to be full of light,” says Elkann over a breakfast of persimmons, buns, and coffee on his terrace, where an Independent Italy flag flaps.

Designer perfection

When it came to his own Milan home, he called on Natalie Bianchi to put it all together. “Lapo participated in all the decisions,” says Bianchi. He subsequently deliberated on materials and tones for weeks, with careful attention to detail that impressed the army of artisans. Furthermore, sun-loving Elkann added floor-to-ceiling windows to the home. He also decided to change the walls to simplify the penthouse’s formal layout.

A signature colour

He also chose to highlight his favourite colour – blue. The new windows make the sky look framed by amplifying the various shades of blue from Tiffany to Yves Klein. “Blue is my signature colour,” says Lapo Elkann, an avid sailor. “I don’t really like houses, so this place was designed to resemble a boat and evoke the ocean.” Audacious zigzag floors and striped pantry walls follow the chromatic pattern.