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"After press trips to Tokyo and Madrid, a New York flyby, a whirlwind visit to his hometown of Chicago, and two weeks of white sand in St. Bart&amp;#039;s, accessories designer Brian Atwood has finally parked his suede-moccasined feet at home in Milan. Home for this often-airborne gentleman is the top floor of a 1920s apartment building. The journey up four flights of stairs might be cause for a few grumbles if it did not end with a door that opens to an oasis perched triumphantly above the noise of a bustling piazza.   A former model who has lived in Milan for 12 years, Atwood has become known for the sexy strappy heels in eye-catching suede and patent leather and supple handbags he designs for his eponymous label as well as for the Swiss luxury brand Bally (he was named the firm&amp;#039;s creative director in 2007). This come-hither aesthetic is detectable but not overpowering in his residence. It&amp;#039;s a warm, masculine space belying both the gray anonymity and brand-name conformity characteristic of this Italian metropolis. Working with local architect Matteo Bermani on the eight-month renovation, Atwood joined two neighboring apartments, both cramped, into a commodious whole. As the place took on its present modern guise, the old bones of the building were not so much broken down as buffed to a high sheen. &amp;quot;I really wanted to keep the European flavor,&amp;quot; Atwood says, pointing out the handsome moldings and parquet floors that glisten as if they have been glazed with honey. He was also emphatic about bringing in 21st-century toys like a Bang &amp;amp;amp; Olufsen system that pipes music throughout every room, a workout area with Bosu balls and a flat-screen television, and stainless-steel light switches so advanced the whole apartment had to be rewired to accommodate them. Less pressing to Atwood was the search for furnishings. Though he is known to obsess over shoe shapes (&amp;quot;I can&amp;#039;t stand an elongated pointy toe!&amp;quot;) and heel heights (&amp;quot;Is it just me, or does four inches feel extremely low?&amp;quot;), the designer has never lost sleep over developing a furniture plan. &amp;quot;I don&amp;#039;t have the patience or time to deal with it,&amp;quot; he says with a groan. Enter Nate Berkus, the decorating king of American daytime television and, conveniently, Atwood&amp;#039;s boyfriend. &amp;quot;When I first saw the place,&amp;quot; Berkus recalls, &amp;quot;the only thing Brian owned was the sofa.&amp;quot; So on periodic visits from Chicago and New York, the interior designer began navigating the covert world of Milanese shopping. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s not an easy city,&amp;quot; he explains. &amp;quot;Many stores are totally hidden, and it took a while to find out who was doing midcentury well.&amp;quot; And when Berkus finally did locate them, his all-American decisiveness threw the shopkeepers into a tizzy. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m not a waffler,&amp;quot; the Oprah regular says. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;d point to five pieces, and say, &amp;#039;I want them delivered this afternoon.&amp;#039;&amp;quot; Meanwhile, Atwood had a few big decorating ideas of his own, such as the living area&amp;#039;s mirrored walls and the dining area&amp;#039;s palm-print wall covering, which is the same hallmark tropical design lining the coffee shop of the Beverly Hills Hotel. &amp;quot;I wasn&amp;#039;t used to being with someone who has such an evolved sense of aesthetics,&amp;quot; Berkus acknowledges, adding that some of Atwood&amp;#039;s choices gave him night sweats, notably the wallpaper. &amp;quot;At first I thought, How horrible! Now it&amp;#039;s my favorite thing in the apartment.&amp;quot; Though Berkus did much of the unearthing of treasures\u2014a collection of sculptural &amp;#039;50s lamps, a solid-brass &amp;#039;70s dining table so heavy it took five men to haul it upstairs\u2014Atwood&amp;#039;s imprint is very apparent, especially in the pettable textures. A chenille sofa, wider than most streets in Milan, is lavished with beaver-pelt pillows dripping suede fringe and blanketed by a huge coyote throw. A chair by Milo Baughman is covered in the same buttery suede Atwood uses for shoes and handbags. &amp;quot;I didn&amp;#039;t want it unlivable or cold,&amp;quot; the fashion maestro says. &amp;quot;That&amp;#039;s why the fabrics are soft and cozy and there is no overhead lighting.&amp;quot; Eclectic objects the couple has collected, from a tigereye box to antique frames, help warm up the place as well. &amp;quot;The apartment is a reflection of our relationship and of Brian&amp;#039;s lifestyle, but most important, it&amp;#039;s a home,&amp;quot; Berkus explains. Now that the rooms are complete, Atwood has begun to dream of constructing a catwalklike bridge connecting his studio, located in the same building, to the apartment&amp;#039;s front door\u2014not that his landlord would allow it. &amp;quot;But if that ever happens,&amp;quot; the designer says, &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m signing Nate up for that project too!&amp;quot;  Click here to view the resources. 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