LAKESIDE RETREAT
A summer house for a young couple mingles modern amenities with restful design elements
一對年輕夫婦的夏日家園結合現代設備與閒適的設計元素
There’s a dreamy quality to homes by the water – and particularly those by a lake. In an era of constant noise and notifications, the stillness of the water and the proximity to nature are alluring qualities. And yet, with the help of technology, we’ve also grown to anticipate our needs being met, so much so that the absence of such creature comforts can become its own distraction.
This dichotomy is basically what this lakeside summer house needed to address: a bit more functionality to ensure a comfortable stay without losing the holiday-inspired quality of the home. Located in Milan, the 1,200sqft abode was redesigned by St Petersburg-based studio Cartelle Design. Owned by a young, married couple with very distinct preferences, the house’s redesign required multiple considerations and compromises – among them, the need to add a sense of country-house warmth to an otherwise cold and minimalist space.
The result is a home “built on contrasts,” as the Cartelle Design team describes it. The first floor features two levels, with the living room slightly higher in elevation from the kitchen and dining areas. Large-format porcelain stoneware flooring demarcates the latter areas, while wood features primarily throughout the rest of the interiors. The wooden touches lend a sense of warmth to the living room and recreation area, in particular. A denim-hued sofa from BoConcept adds a subtle pop of colour to the mostly neutral-coloured space. Next to it, a modern fireplace comes with a compartment for wood storage; around it, shelf after shelf of books add to the quiet, cosy ambience.
Decorative elements and textures – the ropes in the living room, the woven poof from Zara Home, the dried flowers, the grey cushions – also soften the presence of several technological
“THE ABSENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CREATURE COMFORTS CAN BECOME ITS OWN DISTRACTION”
很多人也偏愛沿海而建的房子，而湖邊更加是人們夢寐以求的生活地點。在這個充斥著噪音和手機提示響聲的時代，能居於水源近處，獨擁寧靜氣氛，是多麼的難能可貴和迷人吸引。隨著科技日益發達，我們很多需求也總能得到滿足，而物質享受也成為理所當然的必備條件。
這間地理位置極佳的湖邊大屋亦不例外；只要需要作出一些調整，例如加入更多功能以確保空間舒適宜人，便能營造出不失其獨有的夏日度假感覺。大屋位於米蘭，面積達1,200呎，由駐聖彼得堡的設計工作室Cartelle Design進行翻新。屋主是一對品味截然不同的年輕夫妻，新設計需要作多項考慮和配合，包括為原本簡潔又冰冷的空間注入鄉郊大屋的溫暖感。
Cartelle Design團隊形容說，換上新裝的屋子滿載鮮明的對比效果。一樓分作兩層，下層是廚房和用餐區，稍為升高的空間則是客廳所在之處，鋪有特大陶瓷石材地板，而屋內裝潢則主要以木元素為主。
“SCONCES AND LAMPS CREATE A MOODY AMBIENCE IN THE EVENINGS”
features. These include an overhead projector, suspended from the ceiling just above the couch. A massive window opposite brings in views of the outdoors; otherwise, a screen can be rolled down for all those Netflix picks to be projected on. In the kitchen, the island contains a wine cooler, while above the bar, a sleek wooden wine shelf has been installed – both features reflecting the homeowners’ passion for the great grape.
To further delineate the intimate and relaxed mood of the home, Cartelle opted for some distinctive lighting indeed. Sconces and lamps, rather than top lighting, create a moody ambience in the evenings. Another lighting feature that lends character to the rest of the home is an old wall lamp in the dining room – installed in the 1960s by the previous owners and still in its original place.
The simple, refined use of neutral colours and textures extends through to the rest of the space. The bathrooms, for example, feature sleek grey-blue walls, paired with terrazzoinspired shower tiles and grey concrete flooring. Both bedrooms boast the same palette as well: shades of grey,
木材為客廳和遊戲區添上溫暖感覺。來自BoConcept的牛仔藍沙發為中性色系的居所帶來一抹矚目明亮感。沙發旁的現代壁爐設有一個存放木頭的儲藏間，周邊設置多個放滿書籍的書架，增添和諧寧靜的氣氛。
裝飾元素和質感，如客廳的繩子、Zara Home的布藝厚墊子、乾花和灰色墊子，有助緩和家中的科技設備，包括裝設於躺椅上方的投影機。對面一道寬闊大窗把戶外景色帶進室內，屋主又可隨時把投影幕放下來，輕鬆欣賞Netflix的節目。廚房的中島配備冷凍酒櫃，酒吧上方裝設了一個木製酒架，反映屋主熱愛品酒的個性。
為了進一步提升屋內的親密和悠閒格調，Cartelle在照明方面花了不少心思，不採用常見的天花燈，改用掛牆燭臺和地燈，日落時一屋瀰漫著柔和情調。此外，飯廳內可見一盞漂亮的舊壁燈，是前屋主於1960年代裝設並沿用至今，為居所注入滿滿特色。
家中各處也應用了簡約而精緻的中性色調和質感，例如浴室採用了灰藍色牆壁，仿水磨石瓷磚和灰色水泥地板。
white, slate blue, wooden accents and touches of terracotta. The children’s bedroom, too, is consistent with the rest of the house’s theme while remaining childlike. Fish drawings feature prominently on the white and slate-blue walls, one of them just above the wooden twin-deck bed. The grey cushions parallel those in the living area. The rug and footstool, meanwhile, also carry beige and red, perhaps the only other colours in the house.
It’s an altogether warm and cosy dwelling – neutral in palette, subtle in its richness of textures and tasteful in its furniture choices. In the dining room, a mix of Lena mid-century dining chairs and Classic Café upholstered chairs surround a Bonaldo Flag table. A Hay coffee table sits in the living room, as does a swivel armchair from BoConcept.
For a summer house by the lake, this one comes with just the right ambience and tech-driven amenities to ensure a comfortable getaway. It’s modern and functional, yet also warm and full of character – just the right touches of seasonality for a summer lakeside home. //
“IT’S MODERN AND FUNCTIONAL, YET ALSO WARM AND FULL OF CHARACTER”
兩間睡房的色彩組合同樣採用灰、白、暗藍灰、木材和赤陶土色。小孩睡房的用色則跟居所的色彩主題相配合，再加入只為孩童而打造的特別元素。白藍色牆壁上綴以魚兒畫作，其中一堵牆前擺放了木製雙層床。這兒的灰色墊子跟客廳相呼應，而地毯和小凳子則以米黃和紅色為主，大概是全屋唯一的異彩。
居所兼備溫暖和舒適格調——中性色彩組合、低調但豐富的質感，還有一屋品味出眾的傢具配飾。飯廳的主角包括Bonaldo Flag的餐桌，配以Lena的中世紀餐椅和Classic Café的襯墊椅子。Hay咖啡桌和BoConcept扶手椅美化了客廳空間。
這間大屋擁有恰到好處的情調和便利生活的設備，使之成為一個最舒適寫意的生活樂園，集現代、多功能、溫暖和獨特個性於一身，盡展「湖邊」和「夏日」的迷人優點。//