Spotlight on colour

A Turin apartment that uses vibrant colour as an architectural device

The apartment of SCEG Architects’ Eirini Giannakopoulou

and Stefano Carera is testament to what two rising stars of architecture can achieve with space and colour. Located in the Lingotto district of Turin, this 90-square-metre home is shared with the couple’s one-year-old son, Nicola. The block was built in 1913 on the old industrial site that once housed the Fiat car factory; more recently, Italian architect Renzo Piano has transformed the area into a shopping mall and exhibition centre. It is the couple’s close proximity to this urban bustle that inspired the circular layout of the apartment. ‘ We have direct views of the street from three windows and from two balconies, so this became a reference for the design,’ says Stefano. The entrance leads directly into communal areas – the studio, kitchen and living room – while the bedrooms are cocooned at the heart of the property. ‘Our home is unpredictable! When you first walk around it, you discover one room after another in the most unexpected way,’ Eirini says.

The home’s colourful palette conveys a 1960s/70s vibe. ‘ We used colour and materials to create different atmospheres within each space,’ says Stefano. In the living room, the mood is set by a steely tone – ‘Lamp Room Gray’ by Farrow & Ball – that is evocative of its city location. It is broken up by bold hits of vibrant colour, such as the bright yellow which highlights the dining area’s spot within the open-plan living space. In the bedrooms, blues and purples are accompanied by a mustard yellow floor – it’s made of an innovative vinyl, designed by Annica and Marie Eklund for Bolon, that has the look and feel of a textile. ‘The colours are not just intended as decoration, they’re an architectural tool that helps us to clearly outline specific areas,’ says Eirini.

The couple also mixed furnishings from the 1970s (the ‘Parentesi’ light by Achille Castiglioni, for example) with classics from the 1950s and 60s ( such as the ‘ EM’ table by Jean Prouvé), and added some of their own custom-made pieces. ‘ We consider furniture to be an integrated part of the project,’ says Stefano. ‘It should express the same design language and complete a home.’ sceg.it

Words KARINE MONIÉ Photography SERENA ELLER/VEGA MG

Portrait Homeowners Eirini Giannakopoulou and Stefano Carera Living room The TV unit, benches and sofa were designed by the homeowners. They sit beside classic pieces, from the ‘Gräshoppa’ floor lamp by Greta Grossman for Gubi to the orange plastic...