Italy (especially Milan) is one of the European design strongholds and hubs. Therefore, it is not surprising that the luxurious La Rinascente Design Supermarket department store close to Duomo has dedicated the entire basement floor to all things design. Whatever kind of home furnishings, kitchenware, luggage, lamps, coffee table books or tech gadgets one might be looking for, here you’ll find what you need or just wanna have. A special focus is placed on Nordic design from Scandinavia and, unsurprisingly so, products and brands ‘Made in Italy’.
The one thing I especially like about this ‘one-of-a-kind’ shopping experience of browsing what is considered new, cool and unexpected is the democratic approach to design behind it. The philosophy is to bring good design at an economic price tag to connoisseurs of everything beautiful. The items on display are regularly updated and range from big name brands like Pantone, James Irvine or Moleskine and the likes to the more unknown up-and-coming.
Even if you are not looking for something to upgrade your home, Rinascente’s Design Supermarket is a definite must-go. Taking home some fresh ideas and inspiration or just updating yourself about what is hot at the moment is what you get free of charge.
Last but not least, the store itself is worth a visit, being a welcome exception from the ubiquitous shopping mall look and feel. The polished and puristic interior design and the shop-in-shop concept do their very best to let the items on offer shine. Go see!
