Under the Sicilian sun

A crumbling palazzo is the passion project of one Swedish family, who have uncovered its treasures

THERE IS A SURPRISING MIX OF CONTEMPORARY SCANDINAVIAN AND ITALIAN DESIGNS, AS WELL AS BE SPOKE PIECES

‘Here it is different. Sea, sun and a mild climate almost all year round, and luxuriant gardens full of fruit trees. It’s another landscape,’ enthuses Marie Olsson Nylander, sharing her love of Termini Imerese, a historic town on the Sicilian coast close to Palermo. ‘It’s a new world compared to Scandinavia.’

Marie, a stylist and interior designer, was sent a link to the sale of Palazzo Cirillo by a friend. She was so taken by images of the dusty pink, late-18th-century property in Termini Imerese’s oldest district, that she convinced her partner, Bill, and four children – Otto, Vidar, Ingrid and Solveig – to pack their bags. The family left their home in Höganäs, southern Sweden, for a holiday that would change everything. ‘Now we have a second home almost 3,000 kilometres from the first,’ she jokes.

Uninhabited for more than 30 years (ever since issues with the roof caused the previous owners to move out), this dream property was not without its challenges. For Marie, though, its history was irresistible. Researching the palazzo’s past, she discovered that a tunnel leads from the garden wall to a hidden door within the nearby church and that local legend told of a woman who once lived in the basement, making dolls from human hair. ‘Everybody was a little afraid of her,’ laughs Marie, who, herself, appears not to be frightenedofanything. Hertirelessrenovationofthishome,undertaken by the family and a small team of friends, even became the subject of a TV show, Husdrömmar Sicilien (or ‘Dream Houses’), in her native Sweden. Viewers were able to share in her joy as she unearthed the palazzo’s treasures, such as the pink, light blue and mustard plaster tones buried beneath countless layers of paint and wallpaper on the one-metre-thick walls, and preserved the original tiled floors.

To these uncovered delights, she has added a surprising mix of contemporary Scandinavian and Italian designs, as well as bespoke pieces and one-off finds from her own company, MO Interior. ‘The two teak lion statues at the entrance, the furniture, the lights and the precious carpets, all collected over many years, arrived from Sweden with us by cargo ship,’ says Marie. ‘Here, the rooms are so wide and the ceilings so high that you can’t fill them. No matter how much you put in, they always seem empty.’

Filling them will take time. But time is something the family are happy to spend here, soaking up the Sicilian sun as Marie’s to-do list continues. ‘The rooms on the ground floor need to be completed and we will have to take care of the garden, too,’ she says. ‘Perhaps we will add a small swimming pool, who knows…’ We’ll all just have to stay tuned to find out. mointerior.com

MARIE UNEARTHED TREASURES, INCLUDING THIS PINK PLASTER BURIED BENEATH LAYERS OF PAINT AND WALLPAPER

‘THE FURNITURE, LIGHTS AND PRECIOUS CARPETS, ALL COLLECTED OVER MANY YEARS, ARRIVED WITH US BY CARGO SHIP’

Opposite Owner Marie Olsson Nylander at the main entrance to Palazzo Cirillo. A teak lion, part of a pair sourced from an antiques dealer in Sweden, guards the foot of the staircase. The pendant lamp is a design from Morocco Above The building’s distinctive pink façade and an al fresco dining spot under citrus trees

Living room A ‘Camaleonda’ sofa and poufs by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia sit on a shag carpet from Soufiane Zarib in Marrakech. Against the wall is the ‘Carlo Ran Library’ by Carlo Forcolini for Stellar Works, bought from Danish store Roam, and the floor lamp is the ‘Toio’ by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos. The leather armchair (opposite) is a vintage piece, as is the 1970s coffee table from Sweden, on which sits a ‘Medusa’ lamp by Olaf Von Bohr for Valenti. The glass chandelier that crowns this marriage of Italian and Scandinavian design is from Swedish company Olsson & Jensen

Dining room Suspended above the 200-year-old wooden table and chairs, all from Sweden, Michael Anastassiades’s ‘Arrangements’ pendant light for Flos makes a modern statement. The wicker floor lamp is a handcrafted piece and the blue velvet chairs by the wall were purchased at a flea market in nearby Palermo. The vintage Italian armchair by the lamp was also found in the city Kitchen Located through glass doors off of the dining room, this tiny space has remained almost untouched and is testament to the history of the palazzo. On the table in the foreground sit Sicilian Moorish heads and coloured Syrian glassware, which was bought in Paris

Child’s bedroom Artist Mirja Ilkka created the mural that decorates the wall. At the entrance to the room stands a wooden desk from Danish store Roam and a ‘Carlo Cotton Club’ chair by Carlo Forcolini for Stellar Works. The vintage rug is from Antevasins Imports in LA Main bedroom The original blue of the walls is echoed in the rug from Noma Marrakech and bedding from Society Limonta. Maria by Patricio Reig, bought at a gallery in Sweden, hangs above the bed from Norwegian brand Jensen Beds. In front, is a 1960s chair by French artist Claude Courtecuisse. The ‘Taraxacum’ pendant light is by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos See Stockists page for details