Second Shift

A doctor's family legacy informs his burgeoning design practica in Milan.

- LAURA MAY TODD

A view from the living room into the dining room of a Milan apartment designed by the homeowner, Paolo Castellarin, with architect Fabio Greco. For details, see Resources.

The kitchen's built-in shelves hold a collection of Murano glasses and antique ceramic and porcelain tableware. Verde Guatemala marble island, Valcucine; silver tray, Driade; 20th-century crystal-and-brass chandelier; ceiling paint, RAL Pastel Blue; red lacquered walls, RAL Coral Red; cactus sculpture, Gufram.

OPPOSITE: Charles and Ray Eames fiberglass chairs from Vitra surround a Knoll dining table. Chandelier, Ron Gilad for Moooi; Art Deco side tables; Roger Selden vase (left), Memphis Milano; ceramic vase, Don Corleone Objects; "abacus" sculpture by Luigi Belli.

The oral surgeon Paolo Castellarin is perched on a worn leather sofa in the apartment he shares with his husband, French luxury executive Didier Bonnin, discussing the dual nature of his identity. “In my job, I have to maintain a sense of formality, but when I take my lab coat off I don't want to be thought of as such a conventional person.”

By day, Castellarin can be found treating patients at a hospital in southern Milan, but in his spare time he has cultivated a flourishing second career as an interior designer. His client list thus far comprises a small cohort of trusted friends, but design is more than just a hobby for the doctor. In 2019, he took a year off from medicine to complete a master's degree in design at Milan's Politecnico University, allowing him to formally realize his longtime passion.