Defhouse is the new Gen-Z home to go viral
After the worldwide domination of collab houses that started with Los Angeles’ Spanish-style mansion Hype House down to UK’s Essex McMansion Wave House, the trend has reached the Italian soil with the creation of Defhouse, an ideal set for Gen-Z influencers producing double-tap-worthy contents and embracing entertainment through smartphones. The emerging influencer marketing craze opens its doors with aesthetic maximalism for young Italian content creators from Tik Tok, Instagram and Youtube.
Content house, collab house or creator house, is the new residential typology that rose alongside the trend of content creation among social media influencers. This shared dwelling space is particularly designed to host creators where they can live together and collaborate with each other, tapping more likes and following through cross-promotion. With the concept of “instagrammable” backgrounds making evident pay-offs for online contents, such houses typically feature abundant lightings, well-decorated bedrooms, quirky hallways and huge outdoor spaces for gatherings.
Created by the digital company Web Stars Channel (WSC), the first concept collab house in Italy situated in the heart of Milan is intended not as a mere place-stage but a real training hub for young influencers to cultivate their talent. The 500-sqm penthouse has initially hosted eight young TikTokers, each with a definitive skill, aiming not to entertain and engage but to offer contents that create culture and depth. With its mantra #FocusOnYourPotential, Defhouse brings the crowd who grew up with the internet to attend courses within and beyond the realm of online platforms.
The youthful interior of Defhouse is prompted by the WSC art director John Pentassuglia aided by the technical support of Milan-based studio Tresoldi & Architetti. Envisioned with a strong fusion of luxury and pop aesthetics, the house is inspired by significant artistic movements from the past like Alchimia and Memphis from the 80’s mixed with the vibes of Miami Beach art deco. From vivid geometric patterns, non-trivial graphics to fluorescent colors ubiquitous around, Defhouse becomes a post-modern visual stimulus perfect for curated posts on social media.
Upon entering, influencers are welcomed with an explosion of saturated hues in a living area surrounded by large windows. The natural light is directed towards the multi-colored sectional sofa and iconic armchair lipsticks from Italian brand Seletti. The space is enveloped in a psychedelic mix of stripes, zigzags and triangles on the walls and a neon-lit ceiling decorated with cloud-like wire mesh balls by Benedetta Moris Ubaldini for Magis. Adding to the quirkiness of the area are soft furnishings and decors including zebra print inserts, arcade gaming machine, and yellow polka-dot rug from Seletti’s joint collection with Toiletpaper magazine.
On the opposite side of the living area is the outdoor terrace accessible by glazed doors where inhabitants can relax in the hydromassage tub and jacuzzi and enjoy a generous space for gathering.
The areas of the house are connected with eccentric linkages, from cloud-print floors to glow-in-the-dark walls. While one hallway is back painted in neon purple animated by photoluminescent scribbles of world-renowned Italian calligrapher Luca Barcellona, another walkway leading to the kitchen is rendered straight from a distorted chessboard. The stairways, on the other hand, is a splash of juxtaposed patterns ranging from stripes to polka dots, furnished with vibrant neon lights – a prevalent fil rouge in the whole house.
Clouds on the laminated floor can be found again in the kitchen, and as you look above, the ceiling flaunts its eye-catching feature of printed vegetables. While they keep themselves busy on cooking, tenants are given ease as the white storage cabinets are playfully decorated with doodles indicating the placement of cooking utensils and ingredients.
The design of the bedrooms considers the personalities of the residents, defining the spaces in blue, gray, pink and red colors. Aside from accent walls filled with geometric patterns, neon emoji-shaped artworks are pinned to add more insta-friendly character. Complementing the bedrooms are bold-toned bathrooms illuminated in bright LED lights ideal for mirror selfies.
While the social media apps sustain its wide influence over various markets, it’s undeniable how architecture and interior design make a huge impact for content producers in reaching viral fame. Is the Philippines’ digital agencies and local influencers ready to hop on this collab house trend?
All Photos by Simone Fuoriosi
