From Milan: Everyday Life Shop

From zines to ceramics, textiles to large, colorful, Bertjan Pot-designed paper lanterns, this pop-up store put together by Apartamento magazine and Philadelphia-based Andy Beach of the blog Reference Library was a little treasure trove of good stuff. I had a chance for a quick chat with Andy about the curated curiosity shop.

This is definitely a different space than many in Salone. What was your idea behind putting it together?

I wanted the shop to have an American angle, but also an Italian angle—or my idea of an Italian angle. My blog goes in phases, and I’ve been on a home kick, which makes sense for the magazine. We talked a lot about having a lounge-like space where people could come and do nothing: just hang out and shop. There’s so much to see at Salone but not much to buy, so we thought maybe they’ll want to take something home with them.

How did you gather all the goods?

I started with the books, and we also worked with a great bookstore in the city, Libet. I picked up things like bandana aprons and kids’ clothes and from there, I asked some friends to contribute. Slow and Steady Wins the Race and Stand Up Comedy collaborated to make a poncho. I brought most of this with me on the plane from Philly.

So is everything in here for sale?

Pretty much, yeah. It’s going well and the idea is that I won’t have to bring anything back to the states with me. But I’m not sure if the Milanese are ready to, you know, buy a poncho.