My Space | Draga & Aurel

MY SPACE

DRAGA & AUREL

Italian husband-and-wife team Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow, who together form multidisciplinary design studio Draga & Aurel, take est through their expressive, material-rich apartment in Como.

PHOTOGRAPHY | Helenio Barbetta

WORDS | Holly Beadle

Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow made their debut at Milan Design Week in 2009 with a ground-breaking collection of upcycled furniture and objects, garnering the attention of some of the world’s biggest brands. Since then, the Como-based design duo have cemented themselves as pioneers in reinterpreting vintage items.

In 2019, the couple launched their Transparency Matters collection in Milan, which explores the use of transparent materials in art and design. Drawing inspiration from Space Age design and optical art, the collection is entirely fabricated by hand in their Como studio and is marked by revolutionary approaches to coloured resin, cast glass and metal.

The omnipresence of Draga & Aurel at this year’s fair, where they presented works across multiple locations and collaborated with a number of brands, made them one of the protagonists of the week. The couple’s exhibition at Rossana Orlandi Gallery, which saw their fascination with transparency and colour manifest in experimental furniture and lighting pieces, was particularly memorable.

When Draga and Aurel aren’t making waves in Milan or travelling the world looking for new pieces to reinvent, they’re spending most of their time in the Italian city of Como, where their home and studio is located. We had the pleasure of speaking with the couple about their home, which is located on the same street as their studio inside a 1900s Art Nouveau villa.

For Draga and Aurel, living and working in Como has been a source of both inspiration and knowledge. “Como has a mix of everything; it’s a beautiful city full of history, not to mention the surrounding green hills and mountains, and of course the lake,” Draga says.

Draga and Aurel’s home is a place where they can express themselves through furniture, art, objects and materiality. Their dining room features a mix of vintage pieces reimagined through the lens of Draga & Aurel; the metal-framed Pantonova chairs are part of their Heritage collection; the Reverso partition screens, made of cast resin and brass, are part of their Transparency Matters collection; the brass-coated Rafiki bookcase is a collaboration with Baxter.

The artworks are by Aurel.

‘Cosy’, ‘stylish’ and ‘very Draga & Aurel’ are the three words Aurel would use to describe their home; “It really reflects who we are.” When the couple first encountered the “remarkably quiet” home, they immediately fell in love with its original Pitch Pine floors and large windows, as well as its location right near the lake.

“Our home is a place where we can express ourselves,” Draga says. “It is a place of intimacy and healthy solitude, but also a place to meet our closest friends and family.” The home’s palette comprises a mix of neutral colours and bold accents to create a relaxed yet lively atmosphere. Furniture, objects and lighting designed by the couple complement artworks painted by Aurel. “These are paintings that we would never want to sell because they are too personal,” she says.

The apartment is also a reflection of Draga and Aurel’s penchant for upcycling vintage furniture, with pieces sourced from all over the world, reimagined using innovative materials and techniques. “You can tell it’s a home that belongs to very curious people who love to search, discover and marvel at life,” Aurel says. “It embodies our idea of beauty; it’s a creative mix of vintage and contemporary, and every object has a meaning or a memory.”

Draga and Aurel’s living room features pieces from their Transparency Matters collection – the Joy wall lamp and Agatha coffee table – as well as the Victor sofa which they designed for Baxter, Pattern Mix 5 rug which Draga designed for Battilossi, and artworks by Aurel. The Joy wall lamp is one of Draga and Aurel’s favourite pieces in their home.

“The lamps are inspired by the 1970s and the Space Age and are a pop of colour in the space,” Aurel says. The lights’ deep hues are a result of combining layers of coloured epoxy resin.

The kitchen is anchored by a vintage brass island bench and adjoining custom-made trolley. Suspended above the island are black-laquered steel pendant lights designed by PSLab. Draga and Aurel sourced old drawers and cabinets for the space, piecing them together inside a new iron frame and coating the fronts of the cabinets in resin from their own studio.

Eclectic colours and textures are hallmarks of the apartment. The bedroom features hues of blue and grey, and includes the Liquid small table designed by Draga & Aurel for Baxter, as well as a vintage wall lamp designed by Sergio Mazza. The artwork is by Aurel.

Carrying the same approach to colour into the bathroom, Draga and Aurel have specified a custom sink made of concrete and grit, which they have paired with a vintage wall lamp and mirror.

Draga and Aurel’s study features pieces from their Transparency Matters collection – the Jade coffee table and Maree desk – as well as the Fat chair designed by Tom Dixon for Cappellini.

Draga and Aurel’s home is located in the Italian city of Como, overlooking the famous Lake Como. The pair say the lake is a constant source of inspiration for their work, with its shifting colours and reflections, and the calming energy it exudes.

Pictured: Draga Obradovic & Aurel K. Basedow

Photography by Pietro Gemell

“IT EMBODIES OUR IDEA OF BEAUTY; IT’S A CREATIVE MIX OF VINTAGE AND CONTEMPORARY, AND EVERY OBJECT HAS A MEANING OR A MEMORY.”

– AUREL K. BASEDOW