Roman loft apartment, UK

19 May 2009

Roman loft apartment, UK

A loft apartment in Rome has been totally transformed by working within the limitations of its architectural features.

Project description

Carola Vannini of Carola Vannini Architecture has transformed a dark, old Roman loft apartment into an open, living space that shows off the strong, minimal, design features. ‘My client was a young entrepreneur who enjoys an unfussy style that would enable him to relax and clear his mind once home from work,’ explains Vannini. ‘He wanted the majority of the space to be open plan with a separate private bedroom.

However, my mind quickly went on to dealing with the impressive structural pillars which happened to be positioned in the centre of the main living area!’

Both Vannini and the client were keen to make a feature of this existing element of the apartment, so instead of hiding them they have been emphasized with a red motif. ‘I always like a project to be the result of a client’s needs and my ability to visualize and make them tangible,’ she says. ‘It allows me to grow professionally and to always create something different as of the other person’s input.’ The common narrative of the beamalso serves to bring continuity to the “rooms” as the red joists wind through the flat.

As it is totally visible from the clean lined living area, the kitchen has also been set out in this minimal manner, with a sleek fold-out, black oak worktop designed by Vannini and red bar stools by Frighetto. A specialist resin by Sikkens has been used to coat both this and storage units beneath the worktops, in order to highlight the wood’s grain.

Both bathrooms have a masculine, industrial feel – the master has simple blocks of colors and shapes provided by the solid grey resin coated walls, from Spatula Stuhhi, a bidet and toilet by Ceramica Globo, a bathtub by Makro, with fittings from Boffi and lastly, a teak floor. In comparison, the narrower and more awkwardly shaped guest bathroom has an overtly curved feature in the form of a Boffi shower pipe.

Vannini’s interior cleverly melds architecture and design features to create a totally new look for the irregularly proportioned apartment, resulting in one proud owner. ‘He is very attached to every detail of his home,’ laughs Vannini. ‘He’s very happy to live here, which is the best compliment as architect can have.’