From the 1700s to the present

IN THE OLD CENTER OF TURIN, MIRRORS, STUCCO, GILDING AND MODERN DESIGN TOUCHES FOR A REINVENTED FLAT.

Turin, historical center. An apartment on the main floor of an outstanding 18th-century building. The house is the result of the subdivision of a larger home, a sequence of spaces reinvented with originality and tact, simultaneously conservative and radical. Eclectic style, open to modernity. Enhancement of the existing decorations – gilded stucco, fine paintings, precious architectural details – is combined with improvements to add the comforts we take for granted today: a modern, functional kitchen, an en suite bathroom in the nighttime zone, and closet space. The new solution takes advantage of the space of a large corridor that connected the various rooms. The two main spaces with impressive decorations are living areas; a third has been divided in two for the bedroom and bathroom. Other smaller spaces provide small dining and conversation zones. The renovation has been conducted by Paolo Genta Ternavasio, including the interior design, starting with research on the history of the building. The furnishings include some items from the 1700s, but also modern vintage pieces (reinvented by using different materials, alongside contemporary design creations: tables in glass and metal, suspension lamps that seem like abstract sculptures). The atmosphere is far from cold, thanks to a myriad of decorative effects: an 18th-century table displays an African head covered in beads, a niche hosts an antique Chinese statue against a backdrop of white and red fabric. The rich ornament is interrupted and underscored by linear white panels that bring rhythm to the spaces filled with works of art and design lamps. A case of harmonious orchestration.