Many of you will know the name Gae Aulenti. The designer, who lived from 1927 to 2012, began her career at the design magazine Casabella and, throughout her life, moved fluidly between architecture (most notably designing the Musée d’Orsay), furniture design, industrial design, stage design, academia, architectural theory, and installation art. For photographer lesliewilliamson, Aulenti’s furniture and lighting designs were particularly inspiring. In the spring of 2012, Williamson ended up on the design giant’s doorstep to photograph her home, which connected to her office. “She waved her hand in a nonchalant gesture, as if to say, ‘Here it is,’” writes Williamson. “It was spectacular.” At that point, the flat held 40 years’ worth of Aulenti’s designs. In late September, Williamson returned to shoot the apartment more formally for a book she was working on, making notes to ask Aulenti about her idiosyncratic spaces. A month later, Aulenti passed away from a long illness, making William...