The project in a nutshell: I was in charge of the complete renovation of this residential building, one of the most important in the city. Built at the beginning of the 20^th century, it had never been restored, so it was necessary to adapt it to meet the needs of modern life and, at the same time, comply with the building’s tradition and its decorative and structural aspects.

A work in harmony

Having already worked with the house owners in the past, and therefore knowing each other well, there was an immediate harmony of language and an absolute common desire to maintain and enhance as much as possible the fine materials and finishes present: the door and window decorations in Finale stone, the floors in travertine or oak, and the interior doors in walnut. For the finishes, I integrated new elements with valuable materials and construction techniques.

For a modern lifestyle

In adapting the property to today’s lifestyles, it was also intended to include a swimming pool in which one could swim and which would be in harmony with the surrounding nature.

Then, a large underground garage connected internally to the main house and a wellness area with a gym and relaxation area, complete with Turkish bath and Jacuzzi.

The last intervention was a professional kitchen where to prepare banquets also for large receptions and a lift that could connect the four existing floors and the new basement of the garage.

Details and finishes

In addition to the large-scale building works, I also took care of the details and finishes: everything was custom-made and made to measure, from the box patterns of the reconstructed travertine floors to the choice of the unique piece of Kauri wood used to make the snack counter in the family kitchen, as well as the invisible lighting bezels inserted above the decorative capitals.

For the chandelier in the green living room, I was inspired by the original chandelier in the living room (kept by the villa’s former owners). I looked for the elements that I wanted to include in the design to reinterpret it in a more contemporary way, such as the brushed brass made in collaboration with an artisan company in Mantua and the blown glass with gold pigments made by old Venetian glassworks. Having found the elements, I designed and had the piece made in the correct proportions for the size of the room.

The other chandeliers were also the result of a great deal of research; they are almost all salvaged pieces that I selected from antique dealers in Italy and France, and proposed to my clients.

Again in collaboration with craftsmen specialised in metalworking, I designed the round tables for the entrance and the library room, with brushed burnished brass legs and glossy lacquered tops.

For the television room, I designed the lacquered boiserie that perfectly integrates the windows inside, maintaining the original interior shutters of the house.

Throughout the whole floor of the living area, I reused the original internal walnut doors (skilfully restored and treated) and bronze buttons and sockets, to discreetly embellish the rather austere rooms.

On the bedroom floor, on the other hand, the oak furnishings were made to measure and to my design, with MDF external doors painted like the walls to make them as invisible as possible. For the beds, in agreement with the landlady, we preferred to use custom bedheads, using fine Italian fabrics.

Another great work was done on the doors and windows, reconstructed in mahogany and bronze, which maintain the original mirrors and profile design, ensuring excellent thermal and safety performance and maintaining (restored) the original sliding shutters and the intrados with the shutters available on the bedroom floors.

Installations and lift

All the installations in the house were completely overhauled. I added a lift, for which I created a new space to connect all the floors of the house, including the new basement of the garage, covered in walnut, travertine, bronze and wallpaper, where, according to my design, the bronze push-button panel and the external string course above the landing door were made.

The bathrooms

All the bathrooms were completely rethought and redesigned, preserving, however, an authentic flavour, using materials that were already in vogue in the years when the building was constructed, such as travertine or hand-glazed terracotta tiles, made by a Florentine artisan factory, discovered after long and careful research.

The suppliers

These are just a few of the details I was delighted to recreate, working hard to find Italian and European top suppliers: more than 120 companies collaborated on the works in the villa, including contractors and suppliers.

I was greatly helped, comforted and supported by having a skilled project manager like my husband Andrea at my side, as well as thanks to the collaboration of a dozen external professionals, each with their own skills. With them I built a great team, on which I can also count for smaller-scale works.