AN APARTMENT IN ITALY

AN APARTMENT IN ITALY

This is the new project of a 190 sqm dwelling (+ 50 sqm of terrace) with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with an open plan living room area, sited on the gentle hills of the northern of Italy city of Conegliano (Treviso province), a UNESCO heritage site famous for the production of the Prosecco wine, with views toward the local castle on the opposite hill.
London based architect Massimo De Conti designed the apartment for a young professional couple in their 40s with a child and a Dachshund named Felpa. The architect (who also once played the role of Cupid for the couple) conceived an interior which is modern yet with a subtle elegance. It leaves room for apparently casual and refined episodes of design, like the step connecting the entrance with the living room area made with a block of stone with a shoal of fossil fishes. The Wiggle Side Chair by Frank Gehry (Vitra) is unexpectedly used as a shelf for mail and keys or the boiserie that includes the cupboards and has become an architectural feature. All corridor and secondary spaces have become very functional with wardrobes and storage areas. The sense of comforting emptiness is made on purpose in order to enhance the overall calm atmosphere of the house.
The architect had carte blanche in the design of the interiors (the only request by the client was to have a fish tank in the main bathroom) and the choosing of colour palette which blends with the floors in herringbone tinted oak. Colours are used without a specific rule and as an accent in the rooms. They attempt to tease out the qualities of light and to maximize delight in the individual rooms during the different times of the day.