GRAND UNVEILING

A sleek, contemporary redesign reveals the true beauty of original 19th-century decorative details in this majestic Turin apartment

Once home to generations of Turin’s Colli di Felizzano dynasty, this grand mid-17thcentury palace still features the family’s crest, immortalised in the Venetian terrazzo floor of its imposing entrance hall. It’s a tangible link to the history of this building, which, now owned by Annamaria and Marco, a couple of young entrepreneurs, has become a place where the decorative elegance of Italy’s past sits side-by-side with designs by some of the country’s finest contemporary designers. ‘When we first saw the place, it was a stunning surprise,’ says Annamaria, who was instantly taken by the interior’s neoclassical frescoes – a 19th-century addition by Swiss architect Giuseppe Leoni. However, the building, which is located just a short walk from the city’s National Library and Museum of the Risorgimento, had experienced something of a fall from grace since its heyday. Broken up into individual office units, it had, for a while, housed the headquarters of a consulate and, when Annamaria and Marco visited, was little more than an abandoned shell. Empty apart from a lonely reception desk.

To devise a scheme that would highlight the property’s incredible original features while adding a modern edge, the couple looked to local architect Fabio Fantolino. ‘We have known each other for a long time so they trust me,’ he explains. ‘Annamaria and Marco’s aim was to create wide spaces ideal for entertaining.’

To this end, Fabio rethought the existing layout, turning the smaller individual rooms on the ground floor into bedrooms and bathrooms, with the main family areas situated beneath the grand frescoes of the first floor. Here, on the landing at the top of the stairway, sits a table and chairs, disguised from the nearby rooms by a screen. This unusual corner came into its own last year when, during the pandemic, it was the perfect spot to host meetings while working from home.

Throughout, Fabio has taken inspiration from the colours of the neoclassical elements, selecting pieces of furniture that offer a fresh perspective. Where the ideal design couldn’t be found, he created it himself, crafting bespoke sideboards, wardrobes, and kitchen cabinetry. And, where the original herringbone parquet flooring no longer existed, he added simple grey resin. An intervention that is, he explains, ‘neutral enough not to distract attention’. Even his biggest addition – the new mezzanine level above the living room – is a sensitive reinterpretation of the centuries-old coffered wooden ceiling above.

It is not easy to match the magnificence of a building like this one, but for Fabio the project was not a battle between old and new. He may have placed the past in a modern context but, ultimately, he says, ‘I let the building’s character prevail’. fabiofantolino.com/it

Bathroom Fabio designed the Canaletto walnut vanity unit with its Calacatta marble top – the same stone used on the wall and edge of the floor to create a luxurious zone. The taps are by Fantini and the linen towels from Society Limonta. On the shelf above the sink is a ‘Nova One’ soap dispenser by Zone Denmark

Bedroom Society Limonta sheets decorate a ‘Basket’ bed by Mauro Lipparini for Bonaldo. The bedside table and dressing table are bespoke pieces by Fabio and the blush pink ‘Magnum’ chair is by EstudiHac for Sancal. An ‘Aballs’ pendant light by Jaime Hayon for Parachilna adds an elegant finish. Reflected in the mirror, above, can be seen another ‘Angui’ bench by AYTM

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F R E S CO E S

Dining room Custom-designed boiserie (decorative wood panelling), created by Fabio, acts as a counterpoint to the sections of the original fresco above. The table is the ‘499 Ordinal’ by Michael Anastassiades for Cassina and the chairs are the velvet upholstered ‘Series 430’ by Verner Panton for Verpan. Three ‘Aperitivo’ pendant lights by Servomuto hang above and a geometric Battilossi rug adds colour from below

Landing Located at the top of the stairs, a ‘Minima Moralia’ screen by Christophe de la Fontaine for Dante Goods And Bads adds privacy for at-home business meetings. The ‘Illo’ table and ‘Iola’ chairs are all by Miniforms and the ‘Hanging Lamp No.1’ is by Muller Van Severen for Valerie Objects. Sam Baron designed the red ‘Venus’ vase for Bosa that sits on the table Kitchen Architect Fabio Fantolino (pictured above on the staircase beside a pair of ‘Disc and Sphere’ wall lights by Atelier Areti) designed the cabinetry for this space, above which hangs a ‘Formakami JH5’ pendant light by Jaime Hayon for &Tradition. A ‘Mist’ vase by Tamer Nakisçi for Nude and ‘Volvi’ bowl by AYTM sit on the countertop to the left of a collection of red vintage pieces

Below Outside the dining room hangs Lo Sono Dio by Italian artist Pierluigi Pusole and beneath it a painted wooden bowl from Kose sits on a bespoke walnut sideboard designed by Fabio Living room Two blue ‘Lima’ armchairs by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Tacchini add vibrant colour to this large space. In front is a ‘Soap’ coffee table by Gordon Guillaumier, also for Tacchini

Living room A ‘Campiello’ sofa by Antonio Citterio for Flexform is placed on a ‘Tocca’ rug by Battilossi. Artist Elvio Chiricozzi’s large Nuvole Sole painting celebrates the height of the ceiling, which allowed room for a modern mezzanine. The pendant lights beside it are the ‘Saint Louis’ by Jaime Hayon for Ceccotti Collezioni. A bespoke Canaletto walnut bench by architect Fabio stretches beneath the window, topped by an ‘Atollo’ lamp by Vico Magistretti for Oluce. Fabio also designed the sideboard behind the sofa, which turns into a handy shelf/ desk where two ‘Angui’ stools by AYTM provide seating