The House with a Forest Inside

P. 124

In an 18th-century villa in Bologna, an apartment is built around a monumental living room

Certain historic buildings in Bologna have realistic frescos with trees, ponds, statues, imitating an outdoor setting. But in this case, the building is of venerable age, while the depiction is contemporary, an erudite, eclectic divertissement. In keeping with the spirit of the owner, Fabrizio Cocchi, interior designer. After studying to be a chef, he realized he had a passion for plants, and opened a florist’s shop in 2003. He soon added some objects to the shop’s offerings. Then he worked in New York, at the Takashimaya department store. Back in Bologna, he decided to create a furniture showroom and to start designing interiors. Three years ago he discovered Villa Giulia: close to the city center, but in a green, countrified setting. Here all the buildings of the complex, the farmhouse, stables and an old deconsecrated chapel, have been transformed into homes. Like a small village.

Cocchi chose a large apartment, 200 sqm, of which 100 for the living room. «I liked the symmetry, with this huge space at the center», he says. The place had recently been refurbished, and it lacked atmosphere. «The large space with 6.5-meter ceilings was white, the only color that works there», the owner explains. «I wanted a vivid setting, so I thought about the boscherecce frescos of palaces in this city; if you painted one today it would seem too new, so I opted for wallpaper, for greater freedom».

Now the flat is full of contrasts: a large Chinese screen, antique bronze from the Orient, design pieces from the 1960s to the present. Every object reflects Cocchi’s personality: ethnic pieces from markets all over Europe, cushions in lavish fabrics, custom furnishings designed by the owner, along with artfully salvaged items. For the kitchen: an IKEA system, but with the addition of a top in fine marble, to match the floor.