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      Patricia Urquiola converts historic palazzo into Six Senses Rome hotel

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      Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola has converted a palazzo in Rome into a hotel and spa, filled with circular elements and traditional Italian materials.

      The Six Senses Rome is located within the Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, close to historic sites like the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain in the city centre.
      The lobby of the Six Senses Rome is an open social space with multiple seating areasAdjacent to the Church of San Marcello al Corso, the building was first constructed in the 15th century before being updated in the 18th-century baroque style by architect Tomaso De Marchis.
      An impressive central staircase and the building’s main UNESCO-listed facade, which overlooks the bustling Via del Corso, are among the period details that were restored during the renovation works led by Studio Urquiola.
      The Bivium restaurant connected to the lobby offers all-day diningThe entrance to the Six Senses Rome from Piazza di San Marcello leads into an open lobby and social area, furnished with a variety of sofas and lounge chairs from Urquiola’s oeuvre alongside classic Italian designs.

      These are positioned in groupings with tables and decorative objects on circular rugs, between potted plants spread across the travertine floors.
      Circular elements appear throughout the hotel, including rugs and tables in the lobby”At every turn, the craftsmanship, the finishes, the materials and the graphics create a union with nature while staying true to both Roman classicism and Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini’s rich history,” said Urquiola.
      A curved green marble bar is positioned near the windows, forming an incomplete circle with the matching counters in the courtyard, which are visible through the glazing and follow the shape of earth-toned steelwork overhead.
      In the courtyard, a green marble bar counter continues from insideThe courtyard also features benches built into planters along the back wall and additional seating, where diners can enjoy food and drinks from the trattoria-style Bivium restaurant.
      Circular forms and motifs continue throughout the hotel, including in the Six Senses Spa and Roman baths on the first floor.
      The spa waiting area features seating within sheer curtain enclosuresHere, sheer curtains encircle small seating areas for those waiting for treatments or preparing to enter the travertine-lined bathhouse, which offers multiple pools for soaking and relaxing.
      Bedrooms across the central levels have “quirky” layouts and a soft neutral decor, including tambour panelling, patterned rugs and a variety of spherical light fixtures.
      Travertine lines the walls and ceiling inside the spa and Roman bathsSeveral of Six Senses Rome’s 96 guest rooms and suites have balconies, and all enjoy either a courtyard or city view.
      Plasterwork in the rooms is made from an ancient Roman material known as cocciopesto, which comprises fragments of earthenware or brick mixed with lime and sand.

      The Rome Edition opens in converted 1940s bank building

      “The legacy of antiquity is also honoured with the choice of cocciopesto, which decorates the plaster of the rooms and gives a nod to Roman architect Vitruvius,” said the studio.
      The hotel also features a roof terrace and bar called Notos that offers views across the city and serves botanical cocktails and light bites.
      The bedrooms at the Six Senses Rome have a soft neutral decorArtworks such as watercolours, sculptures, textile works and canvases throughout the interior are curated by art advisor Federica Sala and are all unique to the hotel.
      Six Senses Rome is shortlisted in the hotel and short stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2023, while Studio Urquiola is shortlisted for interior designer of the year.
      Plasterwork in the bedrooms and suites is made from cocciopestoOriginally from Spain, Urquiola is one of Europe’s most sought-after designers and has released furniture and product collections with brands like Moroso, Cassina, Kettal and Boffi among many more.
      Other hotels designed by her studio include the Haworth Hotel in Michigan, the Hotel Il Sereno on the shores of Lake Como and the Room Mate Giulia in Milan.
      The photography is by Luca Rotondo.
      Project credits:
      General contractor: CDS HoldingArchitecture: Starching and professor Paolo MicalizziInterior design: Patricia Urquiola

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      Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the history of the Mediterranean

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      This lookbook collects 10 interiors in Italy with a distinctly rustic feel, including homes and hotels replete with wooden beams, cool stone and other rich textures.

      As well as being known for its contemporary furniture and lighting design, Italy is home to some of Europe’s oldest buildings and has numerous historic cities and villages.
      From a 17th-century house in Puglia to a hotel in a 1,000-year-old castle, below are 10 examples of projects that pay homage to the Mediterranean country’s history while catering to modern tastes.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.
      Photo courtesy of Monteverdi HotelMonteverdi Hotel, Tuscany, by Ilaria Miani

      Restoration specialist and interior designer Ilaria Miani helped transform several crumbling buildings in Val d’Orcia into a boutique hotel that aims to balance the history of the area with contemporary design influences from Milan and Rome.
      In the bedroom suites, chunky exposed beams made from salvaged wood are complemented by natural colours and textures, while nearly all the furniture is handmade by local artisans.
      Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel ›
      Photo by Francesca IoveneCascina, Piemonte, by Jonathan Tuckey Design
      London-based Jonathan Tuckey Design was tasked with returning this 19th-century farmhouse in northern Italy to its original state following a heavy 1980s renovation.
      Stone walls and wooden beams now feature prominently, with a cool chalky palette offset by brass lamps and chestnut panelling and furniture.
      Find out more about Cascina ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasa Soleto, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez
      Parts of Casa Soleto in Puglia are more than 400 years old. Architecture firm Studio Andrew Trotter and its studio manager Marcelo Martínez renovated the building without making any structural changes, leaving the irregular walls in place.
      To give the interiors an authentic, natural feel, the designers used lime plaster for the walls, linen fabrics for the sofas and curtains, jute rugs, terracotta ceramics and antique furniture.
      Find out more about Casa Soleto ›
      Photo by Alex FilzMonastero Arx Vivendi, Trentino-Alto Adige, by Network of Architecture
      Network of Architecture applied rippled antique-effect plaster to the walls of this 17th-century ex-monastery near Lake Garda, which is now a hotel.
      The plaster is complemented by pale wooden floors, black iron furniture and earth-toned fabrics, while the original doors have been retained and restored.
      Find out more about Monastero Arx Vivendi ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasolare Scarani, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Potter
      Casolare Scarani is a home created from the renovation of a long-abandoned girls’ school built in the style of a traditional Puglian villa – but still modest in size.
      The vaulted ceilings were kept intact and covered in lime plaster, while the rooms were finished with earthy tones and traditional stone flooring.
      Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›
      Photo courtesy of Hotel Castello di ReschioHotel Castello di Reschio, Umbria, by Count Benedikt Bolza
      Hotel Castello di Reschio occupies a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian hills that was transformed by count Benedikt Bolza and his family.
      Rooms have been decorated with terracotta-brick or wooden floors, hand-stitched linen curtains, Italian fabrics and locally crafted marble and brass vanities alongside portraits sourced from nearby antique markets in a reference to the building’s rich history.
      Find out more about Hotel Castello di Reschio ›
      Photo by Davide Galli AtelierBrolettouno Apartment, Lombardy, by Archiplan
      Located in a building in Mantua that dates back to the 15th century, this apartment was overhauled on a budget by local design studio Archiplan.
      The studio decided to honour the interior’s timeworn aesthetic by retaining the distressed floor tiles and faded frescos, combining these features with functional light-hued wooden furniture.
      Find out more about Brolettouno Apartment ›
      Photo by Salva LópezCasa Maiora, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter
      Another project from Studio Andrew Trotter, this villa is in fact a newly built project – but carries heavy rustic influences from traditional homes in the area.
      Flagstone floors, lime-washed walls and locally sourced antiques combine to create a soothing, timeless feel.
      Find out more about Casa Maiora ›
      Photo by Serena EllerG-Rough, Lazio, by Gabriele Salini
      Features showcasing the building’s 400-year-old history were juxtaposed with contemporary art and mid-century furnishings at this boutique hotel in Rome, Italy’s capital.
      The imperfections of age, particularly on the patina walls, combine with furniture inspired by modernist Italian designers like Ico Parisi, Giò Ponti and Piero Fornasetti for a rough-yet-refined aesthetic.
      Find out more about G-Rough ›
      Photo by Irina Boersma César MachadoPalazzo Monti hotel, Lombardy, by Julie Cloos Mølsgaard and Vipp
      A collaboration with Danish homeware brand Vipp saw interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard create a pop-up hotel in a 13-century palazzo in Brescia.
      To keep the focus on the building’s many historic features, Mølsgaard took a minimalist approach to the furnishings, with mattresses sitting directly on the floor and artwork propped up against the walls.
      Find out more about the Palazzo Monti hotel ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.

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      The Rome Edition opens in converted 1940s bank building

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      American entrepreneur Ian Schrager’s The Edition group has landed in Rome, opening a hotel in a converted bank that makes use of its soaring lobby, original marble staircases and hidden front courtyard.

      The Rome Edition began welcoming guests earlier this year to the 91-room hotel, located a block away from Via Veneto – the street that was immortalised in the 1960 movie La Dolce Vita.
      Arrival to The Rome Edition is via a path under a bronze pergola that leads to the lobbySchrager and his in-house team spearheaded the renovation of the grand building, utilising many of the original features including a cipollino marble staircase, central courtyards, statues and lamps.
      “Built in the 1940s and formerly occupied by one of the main Italian banks, the building is a striking example of the rationalist style and was created by Cesare Pascoletti in collaboration with the famed architect Marcello Piacentini,” said The Edition team.
      The plant-filled, sunken courtyard acts as an all-day lounge and dining spotUnusually for Rome, arriving guests are escorted through a sunken garden “piazza” – which acts as an outdoor lounge, restaurant extension and gathering place – before reaching the lobby.

      Once inside, dramatic seven-metre-high ceilings, full-height windows and green curtains, and travertine floors and walls set the tone for The Edition’s signature brand of soft minimalism.
      The dramatic hotel lobby features seven-metre-high ceilings and full-height green curtainsSymmetrical arrangements of custom white furniture and low coffee tables exaggerate the strict geometry of the architecture.
      “The lobby is Edition at its most dynamic,” said the team. “It is a place to relax and make merry; a place to see and be seen or play a few games of pool on the custom-made table.”
      The Amina restaurant is divided into two dining spaces, one of which is accented with chartreuse-coloured upholstery and carpetFor the hotel’s signature restaurant, Anima, the team partnered with local chef Paola Colucci on a menu that puts a modern spin on family recipes and traditional Roman dishes.
      Amber glass separates the kitchen from the two dining areas, one with chartreuse-toned accents across furniture and artwork, and the other blue.
      The restaurant’s second dining space is decorated with blue accentsThe various bar areas on the lobby level each provide guests with a experience. The Punch Room is a concept borrowed from other Edition properties including another recent opening in Tampa and occupies a cosy room with warm wood panelling and deep red tones, for sharing bowls of punch – a 17th-century tradition that’s been given a contemporary spin.
      A dark walnut bar, Rosso Levanto marble fireplace, dark pink velvet sofas, and custom armchairs in rosewood and dark brown leather all add to the cosy atmosphere in the dimly lit space.
      Off the lobby, The Punch Room bar is lined in walnut and includes dark pink velvet furnitureWith space for just 10, the intimate Jade Bar features a rotating cocktail menu and is fully lined in deep green antique marble.
      This small and dramatic room is furnished with emerald-hued velvet soft seating and satin brass and gold accents – including a wall-mounted sculpture influenced by artist Jeff Koons.
      The Jade Bar is wrapped in antique green marble, with emerald seating and brushed brass accentsIn the front courtyard, The Garden is filled with over 400 plants and lightly perfumed by the jasmine that climbs over the facade.
      A bronze awning divides the outdoor space in two, with an al fresco dining area for Amina on one side, and an all-day casual terrace for cocktails and light bites on the other.

      Tampa “about to explode” as a destination, says Edition hotels founder Ian Schrager

      Teak banquettes and free-standing furniture are surrounded by “an Italianate arrangement of lanterns to give it the feel of a traditional Roman garden”.
      The roof terrace on the seventh floor features a pool and bar area that offers sweeping views over the Eternal City’s rooftops.
      Walnut wall panelling and herringbone floors feature in the bright guest roomsIn the bright guest rooms, walnut wall panelling and herringbone floors are paired with custom beige leather furniture.
      Carrera marble basins and brushed brass fixtures stand out against the grey stone bathrooms, and frosted glass partitions are used to conceal showers and toilets.
      Carrera marble sinks contrast the dark grey stone in the bathroomsThe Rome Edition is the group’s 16th global property, following locations that include Times Square in New York, West Hollywood in Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
      The Madrid Edition, designed with British minimalist John Pawson, was longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interiors category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
      The photography is by Nikolas Koenig.

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      Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez refresh 17th-century home where time “stood still”

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      Casa Soleto, a 17th-century house in Puglia, Italy, has been carefully renovated using lime plaster, terrazzo and furniture salvaged from a monastery.

      The four-bedroom house, parts of which are over 400 years old, was given a refresh by its owners – architecture firm Studio Andrew Trotter and its studio manager Marcelo Martínez.
      Casa Soleto is located in southern ItalyWhile no structural changes were made, the designers redid some of the building’s roofs, which were falling apart, added two bathrooms and powder rooms, and swapped the living and dining spaces around.
      “The street front had all the baroque details of a small palazzo and inside it was like time stood still,” Studio Andrew Trotter founder Andrew Trotter said of the house.
      Parts of the house are over 400 years oldNone of its walls were straight and the layout was designed for the needs of past occupants, with a chapel located behind the kitchen so that the family did not need to leave the house to pray.

      This place of worship was transformed into a media room and a powder room with an outdoor shower, creating a space that can be used as an extra guestroom if needed.
      A former chapel was turned into a media room that can also serve as an extra guest roomTrotter and Martínez aimed for the renovation of Casa Soleto to resemble the original building as much as possible and the team preserved much of its original flooring.
      “We tried to use natural materials as much as possible,” Martínez told Dezeen.
      “We used lime plasters to give a natural and raw feeling to the walls, terrazzo floors – battuto alla veneziana – in the areas where new floors had to be made, wooden windows and doors seeking to imitate the original ones, cast iron hardware and linen sofas.”
      The 17th-century house was decorated with modern and antique furnitureThe designers also chose a discrete colour palette for the lime plaster used on the walls of the house, which on the ground floor culminate in five-metre-high ceilings.
      “We chose subtle earthy and greeny colours,” Martínez said. “Colours played a central role, as some make spaces feel light, others moody.”

      Studio Andrew Trotter transforms 19th-century school into family home in Puglia

      Studio Andrew Trotter kept the house’s original kitchen and commissioned local woodworkers from the city of Lecce to recreate the home’s original wooden doors.
      To add to the natural feel of the interior, the team used jute rugs to cover the stone floors and sourced linen upholstery and curtains from local artisans.
      Lime plaster was used to give the walls a natural feelFurniture and accessories by Danish brand Frama were juxtaposed with antique furniture pieces including an 18th-century dining table that was salvaged from an Abruzzo monastery.
      The studio also sourced a late 18th- early 19th-century wardrobe from Lombardy for one of the bedrooms in Casa Soleto, which can only be accessed by going through the front patio and up an outside staircase.
      The original kitchen was kept and refurbishedStudio Andrew Trotter, which has worked on a number of projects in Puglia, plans to use Casa Soleto as a rental property.
      “We purchased and restored it mainly to rent it out, and also to invite creative minds that we appreciate, make gatherings and exhibitions,” Martínez said.
      An exterior staircase leads up to the bedroomsPrevious projects the studio has completed in the area include a 19th-century school that was turned into a family home and an earth-toned villa made from local sandstone.
      The photography is by Salva López.
      Project credits:
      Interior design: Andrew Trotter and Marcelo MartínezPlaster application: Tullio Cardinale and teamWoodwork: Alba Falegnameria

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      Marcante-Testa blends “unique characteristics of Venetian identity” for Ca’ Select bar and distillery

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      Italian studio Marcante-Testa has turned an industrial building in Venice into the canal-side Ca’ Select bar, visitor centre and production facility.

      Set alongside a small canal in the Cannareggio district of Venice, the bar and distillery belong to the company behind Select Aperitivo – the main ingredient of a Venetian Spritz.
      Ca’ Select bar is located on a canal in Venice”The history of Select is closely tied to that of Venice, where the brand was founded in 1920,” said Marcante-Testa.
      “Starting from this awareness, the mother company Gruppo Montenegro commissioned the architects Andrea Marcante and Adelaide Testa to formulate a reinterpretation of the unique characteristics of Venetian identity, reviving one aspect of the city’s past.”
      The space includes a Select Aperitivo barMarcante-Testa led the conversion of the former metal workshop into a bar and events space, spanning 690 square metres. Throughout the bar and production spaces, glass and ceramic details were chosen to highlight traditional Venetian crafts.

      The elongated space was split linearly into three zones, with the bar placed at the front of the building so it can be accessed from the canal by a corridor clad in white and red Zellige tiles made by Mosaic Factory.
      The bar is wrapped in blue wavy glassAt the centre of the space is a freestanding bar wrapped in blue wavy glass “in the Murano tradition”, created by the Wonderglass company to recall the waves of the nearby lagoon.
      The space features three handmade mosaics made from tiles fired in the historic Fornace Orsoni and informed by the sketches of Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny, who was a long-term resident of Venice.

      Cocktail bar “suspended between sea and sky” draws upon nearby Mediterranean

      Venetian seminato terrazzo flooring with red glass and blue sodalite marble inlays was used to unify the spaces, running from the entrance through the bar to the production area.
      Separated from the bar by a large curtain is a seating area furnished with steel-framed sofas alongside armchairs upholstered in reds and pinks as a nod to the aperitivo’s colour. This area will also be used as an events space.
      An events space is located next to the barThe event space has views through a red-tinted glass wall to the production facility at the rear of the building.
      Here, the maceration of the herbs and spices used to make the distinctive aperitivo takes place.
      The distillery is separated from the public areas by a glass wallThe final space in Select Aperitivo’s building is nestled above the entrance corridor. Accessed by steps to the side of the entrance is a small visitor centre with exhibits curated by Turin-based Studio Fludd.
      It contains seating and exhibits that aim to tell the story of the aperitivo brand, which was established in 1920.
      An exhibition space is located above the entranceSelect Aperitivo hopes that the bar and visitor centre will continue to reinforce the brand’s historic links to the city.
      “Ca’ Select represents a fundamental step in our multi-year plan to consolidate the brand and aims to strengthen the link with the city of origin,” said Marco Ferrari, CEO of Gruppo Montenegro, which owns the brand.
      “It is no coincidence that we have decided to bring the heart of Select’s production here, to enhance the local culture starting with the valuable architectural elements that enrich the space.”
      The building also houses a Select Aperitivo production facilityOther recently completed bars that have been featured on Dezeen include a brewery in a former Copenhagen slaughterhouse and a bar in Calgary topped with plywood barrel vaults.
      Project credits:
      Architectural project: Marcante-TestaInterior design project: Marcante-TestaProject and content management: Mindthegap StudioPlants and facilities design: Pgs Ingegneria – Studio AssociatoContent of the exhibition design: Studio FluddProduction coordination and executive production: Epica filmVisual identity project: Studio FluddBuilding works director: Valter Camagna, Andrea marcanteLocal architect: Stefano RomagnaProject manager: Roberta MiniciSafety manager and coordinator: Sebastiano CibienBuilding construction: Steelwood EngineeringPlant engineering work: Gruppo Frassati, Vem SistemiSet-up arrangements: Steelwood Rngineering, Gruppo Frassati, Amap, WonderglassLight design: Marcante-Testa with FlosDecorative lighting supplier: FortunyTechnical lighting supplier: FlosSystem integrator: Acuson, Red Group

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      Studio Wok designs Milan bakery Pan as contemporary take on Japanese culture

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      Architecture practice Studio Wok has created a matcha-green counter and Japanese-style fabric panels for bakery and wine bar Pan in Milan’s Acquabella district.

      The studio created the eatery, which is led by Japanese chefs Yoji Tokuyoshi and Alice Yamada, to have an interior that would represent a meeting between Japan and Milan.
      “There are references to Japanese culture, non-literal and far from stereotypes,” Studio Wok said. “The intention was for a deeper understanding, working on the concept of quality, both in materials and in details.”
      A fibreglass counter sits at the centre of the bakeryA central bread counter is the “protagonist piece” in Pan’s interior design.
      The counter was constructed from panels of fibreglass grid and its eye-catching colour was informed by the vivid green of matcha, an ingredient widely used in Pan’s food, the studio said.

      Fibreglass was also used to create an external bench, linking the bakery with the wider neighbourhood.
      Fibreglass was also used for an external bench”We did a lot of research looking for a ‘poor’ material that could be ennobled by being used in an innovative way,” Studio Wok told Dezeen.
      “Fiberglass grating is a material used in industry but little used in interiors and it seemed perfect to us.”
      Fabric hangs from the ceilingThe green of the fibreglass is echoed in vertical fins of hanging fabric that define the ceiling, creating a dialogue between hard and soft elements within the space.
      These suspended sheets of fabric are a contemporary update of the traditional Japanese design element of ‘noren’, meaning curtains or hanging divider panels.
      Wooden seats have views of the street”The ceiling sheets have the main function of creating a three-dimensional covering to make the environment more welcoming and also to work from an acoustic point of view,” the studio said.
      “They create a suspended three-dimensional world, both continuous and ephemeral. Furthermore, they dialogue with natural light during the day and with artificial light in the evening.”
      The bathroom has a decorative stone sinkIn the bathroom, the green theme continues with a wall and sliding door featuring translucent panels of pressed cellulose, which have been fixed onto a wooden grid frame.
      “We were looking for a translucent material to allow natural light to pass through the anteroom. It also reminded us of the rice paper walls, typical of Japan,” Studio Wok said.

      Studio Wok designs cavernous pizza restaurant to recall rocky coves of Sardinia

      The effect of these materials is to create “a green monochromatic box from which the monolithic element of the sink emerges,” Studio Wok said.
      The sink was made of a grey-tinted natural stone called Moltrasio.
      In the main space, light grey walls and floors in hand-trowelled cementitious resin amplify the sense of light, while chestnut was used in both its pale natural form and stained black across integrated and freestanding furniture.
      Black-stained chestnut was used for the bar areaThe bar area has a more serious, less playful atmosphere, informed by the black-stained chestnut wood of the counter and cabinetry.
      Here, a rough-hewn natural stone boulder serves as a water counter, introducing a freeform, sculptural element to the space.
      Studio Wok designed the bakery and wine bar with references to JapanTo anchor the space in the local neighbourhood, Studio Wok designed large windows with pale chestnut frames that open the bakery up towards the street.
      Seating in the window areas “project the interiors of the venue outwards, creating a hybrid threshold space between the domestic and the urban,” the studio said.
      “Our vision for the material palette at Pan was to seek a balance between elements with a contemporary and industrial flavour, with others that are more natural and timeless,” said Studio Wok.
      “It’s a celebration of Japan and its dualism between innovation and wabi-sabi spirit.”
      Studio Wok has previously designed a cavernous pizza restaurant and transformed a barn into a country home.
      The photography is by Simone Bossi.

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      India Mahdavi enlivens Rome’s Villa Medici with bold geometric furnishings

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      Architect India Mahdavi has updated six rooms within Rome’s 16th-century Villa Medici to feature an array of contemporary and colourful furniture.

      The intervention comes as part of a three-year project called Re-enchanting Villa Medici, which was launched in 2022 to amplify the presence of contemporary design and craft within the Renaissance palace.
      India Mahdavi has furnished six rooms inside the Villa Medici including the Chamber of the Muses (above) and the Lili Boulanger room (top image)While the first phase of the project saw fashion brand Fendi revamp Villa Medici’s salons, Mahdavi was asked to freshen up rooms on the building’s piano nobile or “noble level”, where the main reception and the bedrooms are housed.
      She worked on a total of six spaces including the Chamber of the Elements, Chamber of the Muses and Chamber of the Lovers of Jupiter, which once served as an apartment to Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici.
      Several of Mahdavi’s Bishop stools were integrated into the designThe three other rooms – titled Debussy, Galileo and Lili Boulanger – were formerly used as guest quarters.

      In the Chamber of the Muses, which is topped with a dramatic coffered ceiling, Mahdavi inserted sea-green editions of her Bishop stool alongside an enormous hand-tufted rug by French workshop Manufacture d’Aubusson Robert Four.
      Its geometric design features green, purple, red, and rosy pink shapes, recalling the flowerbeds that appear across the villa’s sprawling gardens.
      Chairs were reupholstered with eye-catching raspberry-hued velvetOnly subtle alterations were made to the Chamber of the Elements and Chamber of the Lovers of Jupiter, where Mahdavi has repositioned an existing bed to sit against an expansive wall tapestry.
      Some of the chairs here were also reupholstered in raspberry-hued velvet.

      Fendi introduces modern furnishings to Rome’s historic Villa Medici

      A cluster of bright yellow sofas and armchairs sourced from the French conservation agency Mobilier National was incorporated into the Lili Boulanger room, named after the first female composer to take up residence at the villa.
      The furnishings sit on top of a blush-pink rug by French manufacturer La Manufacture Coglin and are accompanied by octagonal tables designed by Mahdavi.
      The Lili Boulanger room has a grouping of bright yellow sofas and armchairsA Renaissance-style four-poster bed was added to the room named after astronomer Galileo Galilei, who reportedly visited Villa Medici twice in his lifetime.
      The bed’s tiered wooden base and headboard were inlaid with graphic, berry-toned marquetry by cabinetmaker Craman Lagarde. The pattern, which also appears on the curtains that enclose the bed, takes cues from the design of the villa’s flooring.
      A grand four-poster bed is inlaid with berry-tone marquetryA similar bed can be seen in the room named after French composer Claude Debussy. But this time, the marquetry done by French furnituremaker Pascal Michalon is executed in more “acidulous” colours that Mahdavi said reminded her of Debussy’s piano piece Clair de lune.
      Mahdavi has lent her distinctive colour-rich aesthetic to a number of significant venues. Recent examples include the lavish London restaurant Sketch, to which she added sunshine-yellow and golden furnishings.
      The photography is by François Halard.

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      Co.arch Studio creates show kitchen for candied fruit specialist Cesarin

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      An Italian company that makes candied fruit now has a dedicated space for cookery demonstrations, designed by Milan-based architecture office Co.arch Studio.

      Cesarin has produced its fruity bakery products at a factory between Verona and Vicenza in Italy for over 100 years.
      The plywood structure is installed within one of Cesarin’s factory buildingsCo.arch Studio founders Andrea Pezzoli and Giulia Urciuoli worked with the company to create a pop-up kitchen for hosting live-audience events and filming videos for social media.
      Built from plywood, this double-height structure is located on the first floor of one of the company’s existing factory buildings.
      It provides space for hosting events and filming cookery videosIt incorporates a demonstration counter area, a kitchen, a meeting room, and storage and toilet facilities.

      The design concept developed by Pezzoli and Urciuoli was to create the impression of a singular, solid volume within the room.
      “The new volume was designed as a large piece of furniture, inspired by Antonello da Messina’s painting San Girolamo Nello Studio,” explained the duo.
      The demonstration counter is designed to move aroundThe Renaissance artwork they refer to depicts a priest sitting in a study room where architecture and furniture appear as one.
      “This painting is known for the impeccable use of perspective, restoring the image of a space that is lived in but at the same time utopian and rigorous,” Pezzoli and Urciuoli said.

      Nimtim Architects updates London house with plywood partitions and arch motifs

      Here, a similar effect is created. The structure was designed to look like a box with openings carved out of it, each incorporating a different function.
      The demonstration counter sits within a large void at the front, although it is set on castors so it can be moved around.
      An arched doorway leads up to the mezzanine levelA rectangular niche in the side wall creates a casual seat, while an arched doorway frames a staircase that leads up to a mezzanine level that functions as the meeting space.
      The kitchen and toilet facilities are located within the volume, accessed from either a side door or via the counter area, while a cloakroom slots in underneath the stairs.
      The meeting space sits directly beneath the roof trusses”The wooden volume highlights the height of the ceiling, defining the rhythm of the spaces with plays of solids and voids, and creating unprecedented internal views,” said the architects.
      The plywood is made from okumè, a timber with a similar appearance to cherry.
      The okumè plywood has a similar appearance to cherry woodThe idea was to reference the fruit that Cesarin is best known for; the land surrounding the factory is famous for its Prunus Avium plantations, which produce a particularly sweet type of cherry.
      Behind the plywood panels is a balloon-frame structure, with pillars and beams made from fir wood.
      Toilet and storage facilities are located within the wooden volumeThe entire construction was prefabricated by a carpentry workshop in South Tyrol, allowing the architects to achieve “a quality that would otherwise be impossible”.
      The rest of the space is painted white, allowing the wood to stand out.
      Pezzoli and Urciuoli liken the overall effect to that of a theatre. “To emphasise the theatrical aspect of the space, light wavy curtains resembling a curtain were used to darken the numerous windows,” they added.
      Other recent projects in Italy include the Boyy flagship in Milan designed by Danish artist Thomas Poulsen and a sushi restaurant designed to resemble a futuristic spaceship.
      The photography is by Simone Bossi.

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