‘We called it Le Vette [The Heights] because of the amazing view over the Alps,’ says Massimo Giorgetti, creative director of MSGM, of his retreat in the Italian ski resort of Courmayeur. Hidden by trees and sat in the shadow of Mont Blanc’s towering
snow-topped peak, this home is just two hours away from the fashion insider’s base in Milan, yet could not feel more removed from the capital’s bustle and noise.
‘The project was managed by me and Mattia, my partner. We’ve been coming to Courmayeur for years, but only recently discovered this plot. The house was in the early stages of its construction, so we were able to intervene and implement our own ideas,’ explains Massimo. These include a double-height, open-plan living area with a beautiful timber-clad fireplace and a bespoke kitchen.
‘At first, we wanted to accentuate the presence of timber and stone, two traditional materials of the Aosta Valley, but with a design possibly more appropriate in the city,’ he says, noting proudly that the wood used is sustainable, certified larch sourced from controlled-growth forests.
‘Then, the project took an unexpected turn. A certain brutalist influence gave way to a gentler, more welcoming feel.’
Massimo regularly invites staff from MSGM to join him for relaxing breaks here, so making it somewhere suitable for downtime was important. ‘That’s why I chose a super-comfortable sofa, which I paired with a big rug by Bethan Laura Wood,’ he explains.
Those pieces sit among iconic designs. There’s the Arne Jacobsen dining chairs, the Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni ‘Snoopy’ table lamp for Flos and the Louis Poulsen floor light. And, of course, the green ‘Womb’ chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll. ‘It’s an armchair I love,’ enthuses Massimo, who also has one in powder-pink in his Milan apartment.
Even the selection of art was carefully considered. ‘I’m a fan of paintings and, with a few exceptions, I prefer the work of emerging artists,’ says Massimo. ‘Here, that includes several from the LGBTQ+ community, such as Cobi Moules and Thomas Braida.
Then there’s Duccio Maria Gambi. I began collecting his sculptural vases, which are next to the fireplace, and, at the end of the building work, I asked him for a tailor-made piece. That’s how the mirrored monolith in the garden was conceived.
‘At every hour of the day, and in every season, it reflects the light and the landscape in ever-changing ways.’ A sculpture made from rock with two surfaces covered in a chrome-plated steel foil, it’s also the first clue for visitors that this home, which sports a gym and a home spa beneath its gabled roof, is far from the alpine norm. msgm.it
