A natural setting on the outskirts of Rome
The architect Stefano Dorata has created a bright home with double-height ceilings, having repaired the outer walls.
“The universe is built on a plan, the profound symmetry of which is somehow present in the inner structure of our intellect.” This quote by Paul Valéry is a favourite of Stefano Dorata, renowned architect and interior designer from Rome, who designed a project in the countryside around the Italian capital that benefits from a unique and unmistakable style. It is marked by Dorata’s fondness for neoclassical architecture, yet brought up-to-date by the carefully selected materials and colours, modern furnishings and a strong connection with nature.
The home consists of the main three-storey villa, an annex for guests and staff, and a heated pool. “The outer walls have been repaired,” explains Dorata in an interview with Ville&Casali. The architect opened up many of the walls with verandas and large windows, but also introduced large ‘slits’, which serve not only to flood the interior with light, but also to enhance certain features such as the fireplaces, considered by Dorata to be an architectural element with a strong personality. The ground floor of the main villa houses the lounge, dining room, study and kitchen, while the master bedroom, two children’s bedrooms and three bathrooms can be found on the first floor. The square lounge is dominated by a large, bespoke, Emperador Light marble fireplace and by four sets of French doors. Stefano Dorata furnished the lounge with a daybed dating back to the early 1900s and with French 1950s armchairs, contrasted by the other armchairs, the sofa and the table designed by the architect himself that exude a touch of elegance and modernity. The shape of the dining room is unusual but is rendered symmetrical thanks to a false pitch that evens out the ceiling and aligns the grey stone fireplace, table and two arch windows. The kitchen features an open truss ceiling, just like in the master bedroom. The central table with iron base and oak slatted top was also designed by the architect. The “superleggere” chairs are by Gio Ponti. The bedrooms feature double-height ceilings. The master bedroom boasts an adjoining dressing room and bathroom. Designed to be axial and symmetrical, the room is dominated by wooden ceiling trusses, an Emperador Light marble fireplace and four windows that look out onto the garden.