“In Verona, in the beautiful Borgo Venezia neighborhood, characterized by numerous Art Nouveau buildings, lies Casa Caleido. The home of creative directors Marco Magalini and Manuel Barbieri, which reflects their open, sociable, and eclectic spirit and creates a unique image through the sum of its many facets. The house is our creative manifesto: Anyone who walks through its rooms captures the essence of our creative vision, which is based on the concept of ‘fascination’,” explains Marco Magalini, who runs the creative agency MM Company with his partner Manuel Barbieri and for whom fascination is an element they tirelessly seek in things and people.
For Casa Caleido, they combined two ground-floor apartments and created their home. The central space is the dining room, around which all other areas unfold. Here stands a rectangular table with iron legs and a Brazilian marble top from Caleido marble by Marcolini Marmi, one of their first customers who named this material after them. On the walls hang two portraits: Madame de l’Argenterie, their imaginary housekeeper, and Arturo, her right-hand man. Through an Arco Caleido – an original mix of Arabic and Venetian style elements – one enters the living room, where they usually serve aperitifs on a serving cart bought at a flea market in Venice, under the light of a large chandelier by Gino Sarfatti for Flos. Next to it is the wooden kitchen, which Manuel designed completely by himself. It is characterized by two main features: the wood panels run continuously from floor to ceiling, and the marble back wall deliberately has an irregular, jagged edge that reminds them that imperfections can also be beautiful.
Their approach to renovation was conservative: original elements such as the framed doors and artfully decorated cement tiles from the early 20th century – each room with its own pattern – were preserved. Other elements were restored, including the historical plaster hidden under many layers of paint, as well as the original room layout. The renovation followed a consistent approach reflected in the use of simple, natural materials with a raw, original character carefully selected: walnut wood, marble, iron, linen, and concrete. The surfaces and color palette are always inspired by nature, especially earth tones.”
“Home within a Home. The bedroom is dominated by a large bed with a curved headboard. The apartment is complemented by an area converted into guest accommodation: a small home within a home that offers a completely immersive design experience. Here, as in the rest of the house, the consistent design element is the deliberately weathered walls that reveal the patina of time. Great attention was paid to the bathroom design, inspired by the relaxing riads of the Medina in Marrakech. This room is dominated by a large, built-in bathtub – twice as wide – in elephant gray, accessible through an Arco Caleido. It was conceived as a secret retreat, hidden behind a false wall.
Most of the furniture was designed by Manuel – a trained interior architect and furniture designer by experience – and handcrafted in Italy by experienced artisans. “We conceived these pieces as a true collection that can be replicated and purchased. They are characterized by an analogous haptic, dusty tones, distinctive textures, and essential materials like wood, marble, iron, and concrete. For us, they have a strong evocative power, and we hope that they will accompany others and unfold the same effect in their homes.” Passionate Lighting and Scenographic Wall Lighting is a great passion of the creative duo: In the living room, you’ll find a large ceiling lamp by Gino Sarfatti for Flos, the Fontana Grande designed in 1954 by Max Ingrand for FontanaArte, and the Teti conical wall lights by Vico Magistretti for Artemide. In the dining room, the Nuvola by Mario Bellini for Nemo Lighting and the graphic line of the Dabliu, also from Nemo Lighting. In the kitchen, the tube-shaped element of the Alphabet of Light by Artemide. In the second living room, the Arrangements Round by Michael Anastassiades for Flos. In the bedroom, the Lumi, designed by A. Saggia & V. Sommella for Fabbian, the iconic Oceanic lamp by Michele De Lucchi for Memphis Milano, and a luminous mask created by the artist Marco Lodola for Dior.
The main feature of the house, which serves as a backdrop for the dining room, is the scenographic textile wall by Dooor, which extends across the entire wall height and is made of sound-absorbing velvet fabric. This solution allows them to connect the rooms when needed and host a special dinner party, a feast, a shared breakfast, or an exhibition. The two areas interact seamlessly through their materials, surfaces, and earthy color palette. The wall also functions as a dramatic curtain, transforming the dining room into a stage where guests’ stories intertwine.
“Our creative vision is kaleidoscopic, as it is nourished by architecture, art, fashion, design, culinary arts, and music. The house is like a collection of memories, materials, and impressions we’ve gathered on our travels. Our dining table is our ‘palette’: a marble top we designed, covered with tablecloths, tableware, and cutlery from around the world, combined with family heirlooms. Here we cook traditional dishes with ingredients and techniques from our travels, accompanied by Bossa Nova music.” They find inspiration on travels from Venice to Brazil to Marrakech. Venice is a city of inspiration, an endless diary of creative influences. Brazil brings modernist rationalism with brutalist elements from masters like Lina Bo Bardi, Jorge Zalszupin, and Oscar Niemeyer. Marrakech is their “adopted” home, which inspires them with materials, textures, and light studies.”
“Collected Objects as Fetish. For Magalini and Barbieri, a house is like a person: It has a body and a soul. The body is something they inherit, created by others who define its shape, proportions, structure, and appearance. The soul, however, belongs entirely to them: It emerges from their decisions and reflects their character, personality, identity, and the relationships that unfold within it. Objects play a crucial role, as they embody memory, sensory pleasure, and aesthetics. “As Freud once said, the collected object is ‘a kind of erotic fetish that protects against anxiety’.” Their latest acquisition is a work of art that represents the ultimate gift: Since they met, they have decided to give each other only artworks, corresponding to their budget at the moment. “It’s wonderful to see these pieces and remember the moment they were chosen – and also to track the financial journey of a young professional couple like us, through the artworks we could afford at any given time.”
