David/Nicolas Studio Launches Milan Design Week Installation and Shares Insider Guide

Design duo David Raffoul and Nicolas Moussallem of the Beirut-based studio David/Nicolas are inaugurating their new Milan studio during Milan Design Week 2026 with an installation titled "La Boiserie." The project explores decorative wood paneling as a modular architectural system rather than mere decoration, continuing their research into surfaces as spatial elements. Beyond this installation, the duo also contributed a bedroom design for Nilufar's "Grand Hotel" group presentation. As part-time residents of Milan, they shared extensive recommendations for the design week, highlighting the exhibition "Celebration at The Cloister" curated with Sam Baron as a standout intimate event. They frequent the Giardino Botanico di Brera for calm inspiration and recommend shopping at The Cloister and Antonia for unique finds. Favorite dining spots include Pasticceria Cucchi, Trattoria del Nuovo Macello, Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, and Mezè for Lebanese cuisine. The duo regularly visits Palazzo Reale for its evolving exhibition program, noting a recent Robert Mapplethorpe show, and suggests escaping crowds at Villa Panza, which houses works by Dan Flavin and James Turrell and is part of the Guggenheim collection. Their international portfolio includes scenography for Buccellati, collaborations for the Nicole Hollis Collection, Pierre Frey, Tacchini, and CC-Tapis, and interiors from Paris to Amman.