Merate Residence | m2atelier studio

Milan-based architecture and design studio m2atelier unveils the interior design of a private, design-forward residence housed inside one of Mario Botta’s iconic buildings in the Lecco town of Merate. Working hand-in-hand with discerning clients, m2atelier crafted a multi-level home that responds to Botta’s monumental architecture with softness, spatial elegance, and sculptural restraint—an interplay of legacy and lifestyle, precision and poetry.

Known for its rigorously personal, detail-driven approach, m2atelier is led by architects Marco Bonelli and Marijana Radovic—partners in both work and life. From their studio in a converted industrial factory in Milan’s Via Francesco Londonio, the duo directs a 50-person team on projects spanning Europe, the U.S., and Asia, bridging disciplines from yachting and fashion to private residences, retail, and collectible furniture. Their practice is defined by atmosphere, proportion, and an uncommon sensitivity to materials.

For the Merate residence, the brief was more instinctive than prescriptive. “This wasn’t about concepting around trends or aesthetics,” said Radovic. “It was about designing a home that aligned with our clients’ rhythm of life, while simultaneously speaking the language of Botta’s façade. Inside and out, we wanted a coherent voice.”

Set across four levels, the residence unfolds as a fluid choreography of rooms—each layered with custom furniture, curated objects, and immersive texture. On the ground floor, m2atelier transformed a modest kitchen footprint into a luminous, glass-wrapped dining veranda. The living room is composed around low-slung, tactile furnishings by Baxter, Minotti, and Molteni, framed by windows that mirror the home’s architectural grid. Outdoors, a sculptural sunken hot tub and platform landscape define the rear garden, offering both quietude and theatricality.

Below, the basement level is a sanctuary of wellness and indulgence: a cantina for wine and cured meats, a Technogym-equipped fitness room, a sauna by EFFE customized to m2atelier’s specifications, and a concealed laundry bathed in natural light via concrete wells.

The first floor is reserved exclusively for the owners—a master suite composed of a bedroom, lounge, open-plan dressing area, and bathroom that orbits around circular skylights and round porthole windows. Materials here lean soft and layered: resin floors, dark timber boiserie, and fabric-clad portals, offset by bespoke elements like a fireplace wall, floating vanity, and curved cabinetry. 

The top floor serves as a guest haven, with ensuite bedrooms and access to private terraces outfitted with furnishings from Tribù, Gloster, and Roda. Decorative lighting throughout the home includes sculptural elements by De Castelli, Nemo, Luke Lamp Co., and Holly Hunt—each selected or created to elevate without overwhelming.

Custom-built furniture designed by m2atelier is integrated throughout: beds, wardrobes, sliding metal mesh partitions, wine storage, vanities, kitchen systems, bathroom fixtures, and libraries—each piece tailored in material, proportion, and use. “Our goal is always to create pieces beyond being simply decorative, but quietly essential,” says Radovic.  In Merate, however, the studio's mastery is more intimate—etched into staircases of black marble, mirrored hallways that suggest infinite space, and custom millwork that transforms utility into design language. As Bonelli concludes, “We don’t chase spectacle. We seek resonance. And in this home, every element—every shadow, every seam—exists to support a life well lived.”

While the residence is not framed as a sustainability showcase, energy-efficient appliances, natural ventilation, and electrical climate systems were embedded throughout the planning. This Merate project adds to m2atelier’s growing portfolio of residential architecture shaped through narrative and nuance. The studio is known for collaborations with clients such as Dolce & Gabbana, The Core Club New York, Ferragamo, Feadship, and Giorgetti—the latter having developed the studio’s sculptural Tie Chair and Ensō Table, as well as Conrad Shipyard.

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INDOOR LOOSE FURNITURE BRANDS:
MDF ITALIA (basement_winery stools)
BAXTER (groundfloor_livingroom sofa + sidetables; studio_armchair. first floor_livingroom sidetables; first floor master bedroom: sidetable; pouff; second floor guestroom: pouff)
MINOTTI (groundfloor_livingroom armchair, first floor_livingroom armchair)
MOLTENI (groundfloor_livingroom coffee tables and sidetables; first floor_livingroom coffee tables)
POLIFORM (groundloor_kitchen stools);
FLEXFORM (first floor_livingroom: armchair; first floor master bedroom: armchair)

OUTDOOR LOOSE FURNITURE BRANDS:
TRIBU (Groundfloor entrance_terrace: sofa, armchairs; Winter garden armchairs: first floor terrace: sofa+ armchairs: second floor_terrace: sofas + coffee tables)
GLOSTER (groundfloor_entrance terrace: coffee tables, sidetables; Winter garden_diningtable; First floor terrace: coffee table + side tables)
RODA (Groundfloor_backyard: daybed, sidetables, sunbeds)

DECORATIVE LIGHTS:
DE CASTELLI (appliques)
LEDSC4 (kitchen pendant light)
LUKE LAMP CO (studio pendant light)
NEMO (custom made for M2Atelier, beds pendant lights)
DGA (bathrooms make up lights)
HOLLY HUNT (appliques for second floor bedroom)
ESTILUZ (floor light)
VESOI (floor light)
QU-LIGHTING (recessed spotlights in all the house)

APPLIANCES AND MORE:
CORRADI (pergola)
TECHNOGYM (basement_gym equipment)
EFFE (basement sauna, customized per M2atelier design)
LG + SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITE (basement_winery + laundry)
LG (all the Tv in the house)
BERKEL (basement_winery)
MIELE + SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITE + BORA (groundfloor_Kitchen appliances)

FINISHES BRANDS:
LISTONE GIORDANO (parquet)
ATLAS CONCORDE (second floor bathroom tiles)
VESCOM ITALIA (basement_ceiling wallpaper; second bedroom wallpaper)
PHILLIP JEFFRIES (staircase wallpaper)
ALPI (all floors_ veneer boiseries)
CAMENGO (wave curtains)
CERAMICA CIELO (ceramic sanitary ware)
FANTINI (bathroom faucets and accessories)
MARMI2C (Marbles on M2Atelier design) done by manuel coltri

CUSTOM FURNITURE BY M2ATELIER:
BASEMENT:
Winery table and cabinets,
gym cabinets and shelves with mirror doors
sliding metal meshes
laundry

GROUNDFLOOR:
Studio: desk, library, cabinets and wardrobe
Livingrooom: tv wall and library
Kitchen

FIRST FLOOR:
Master bedroom: bed and headbed + bedside tables + cabinets and wardrobes, TV totem, vanity \
are, closet. Livingroom: TV wall, Fireplace wall

SECOND FLOOR:
Guestroom: Bed and Headbed + bedside tables + cabinets and wardrobes, Tv/vanity totem
Bedroom : Bed and Headbed + bedside tables + cabinets and wardrobes
Staff Bedroom : Sofabed and Headbed + bedside tables + cabinets, wardrobes and shelves

ALL FLOORS:
Wooden, laquered, mirror boiseries
Glasswalls
All doors and portals

ALL BATHROOMS
shower boxes, cabinets, mirrors, marble washbasins, countertops, benches and shelves, vanities

GARDENS (frontyard + backyard with Hot Tub area (general layout and details by M2Atelier)