Buccellati opens a ‘Caviar Bar’ in Milan

Buccellati has renewed its collaboration with the Paris-based designer and interior decorator of Lebanese origin, Chahan Minassian, to whom the jewellery and design house has entrusted its latest interior design project: a “Caviar Bar” in the courtyard of its flagship store at 23 Via Monte Napoleone. This project follows on from the one completed in 2024 for the main floor of Palazzo Gavazzi, Buccellati’s Milan headquarters.

The new space draws inspiration from one of Buccellati’s most famous art de la table collections, Caviar, recognisable for its distinctive micro-bead motif and masterful silverwork. The Caviar Bar expands on the collection’s narrative, transforming its imagery into a space dedicated to hospitality and conviviality. Reserved for the maison’s clients and guests, the Caviar Bar is situated within a double-height space overlooking the courtyard, spread over two levels. Access is via a gallery reminiscent of the ceremonial corridors found in nineteenth-century Milanese palaces, leading into a space designed for conversation, conviviality and private hospitality. A glazed mezzanine overlooks the main lounge, creating visual continuity between the levels and emphasising the verticality of the architecture.

The defining feature of the project lies in its vaulted surfaces, entirely clad in bespoke mirrored panels in shades of copper, silver and smoky grey. Reflective yet warm, these surfaces capture and refract light, amplifying perspectives and lending the space a dramatic depth and a certain theatricality. A palette of silvery greys, dove-grey tones, bronze accents and golden highlights echoes and builds upon the material language introduced on the main floor.

Velvets, Fortuny fabrics, textured leathers and bespoke rugs introduce a sense of tactile warmth, contributing to an atmosphere that is both sophisticated and welcoming. As on the main floor, every piece of furniture has been bespoke-designed by Chahan Minassian. Antique pieces, including Murano glass chandeliers, coexist with the designer’s sculptural forms and bespoke furnishings, creating a balanced dialogue between the building’s historic architecture and a contemporary design language. Through a series of carefully orchestrated interventions, Minassian has conceived a coherent spatial narrative for Buccellati, in which the maison’s heritage is expressed through architecture, craftsmanship and the art of living.

“Maintaining a residential feel was essential,” explains Chahan Minassian. “The aim was to create a welcoming, lived-in interior, whilst preserving the architectural grandeur of Palazzo Gavazzi. The mirrors bring in light, movement and depth, whilst the materials, fabrics and Murano glass lend warmth and intimacy.” In this setting, Buccellati’s world of art de la table takes shape in a truly lived-in setting: the Caviar collection, together with the maison’s other iconic silverware pieces – from the collections created in collaboration with Ginori to the colourful Murano Collection, right through to the Furry Animals and other decorative elements that enrich the table setting – is not merely on display, but becomes an integral part of the hospitality experience.