A Creative Director’s Milan Home Is a Master Class in Secondhand Shopping
Photo by Patrick Biller
Five years ago, Sarah Keenlyside and her husband, Andrew Attard, were living a completely different life. They met in Toronto, where she balanced her time between the food industry and video production before the pandemic hit and they moved to Montreal. The couple lived there for two years until Attard secured his European passport, and then it was off to a fresh start in Milan. “When we left Montreal, we sold a lot of our stuff to lighten the load and to make room for new European things,” Keenlyside says. “We mostly shipped books, art, and smaller furniture.”
They found a two-bedroom apartment in the Porta Ticinese neighborhood in 2022, just east of the Duomo and the Navigli canals. “It’s just outside the tourist fray, which is crucial to me,” she continues. “You can never feel completely at home when you live among too many tourists.” The living room was large enough to have distinct zones for lounging and entertaining, while the extra bedroom would be just as flexible as an office, den, and occasional hotel room for visitors. Anyway, the 13-foot ceilings, intricate moldings, and herringbone floors were sturdy showcases of character that made each room feel much more grand than a rental. It didn’t take long for the couple to feel at home. “It’s also a corner unit, so we get light on two sides, and the buildings we face are sunny yellow and rose,” Keenlyside notes. “The light that gets bounced into our home always has a warm cast to it that feels cheerful.”
