Sometimes a client with particularly ‘fascinating’ requests and desires can be a major stimulus for lively, creative design. This was the case with Studio Claudia Pelizzari, which was a partner in crime in the renovation of a home belonging to a demanding, ironic professional couple.
The firm was the perfect match for a home located right in the historic center of Padua, in a 15th-century tower that has retained little of its original design other than a succession of rooms one above the other. The tower, which has been conservatively restored, offers a view of the pinnacles, spires, tracery and domes of the nearby Basilica di Sant’Antonio.
The tower’s limited light exposure, due to its enclosed position between alley houses, led to the decision to open up the rooms as much as possible with sliding elements and glass floors, as well as a glass and Corten staircase. Almost all the furniture was designed by the firm and made by craftsmen.
The eccentric choice of “notary blue”, so-named and specifically chosen by the clients, dominates the house.
Every room has been designed with exceptional detail, characterized by materials used as finishes for the custom-made furniture, such as resined jute, three-dimensional textures and velvets, which are used to create unique pieces.
The living room has a welcoming atmosphere thanks to the large light greige bean sofa, gunmetal gray chaise longue with multi-colored cushions, natural iron bookcase with an irregular design and a piece of furniture covered in parchment. The room is illuminated by the cascade of copper globes designed by Tom Dixon, vertically aligned with the leaf-shaped cast brass table.
The kitchen boasts an island with a trapezoidal worktop made from Forest Green marble and Zimbabwe granite, as well as containers with bronzed brass textured and metallic doors. Alongside, there is a dining table with an earthenware top and sculptural branch-shaped legs, and a container made from Japanese Tamo root.
The walls of the master bedroom, which are panelled in gray wood, conceal cupboards and dressing rooms, while the wall at the end of the bed features a glass screen that enhances a work on gauze by Vashuda Evans, illuminated by LEDs, giving it the appearance of being in a glass case.
Artworks pervade the whole house, mingled with collections of glass and ceramic vases and ethnic objects acquired by the owners on their travels around the world.
Credits:
Owner: private home
Main suppliers for the interior: tailor-made based on designs by Studio Claudia Pelizzari/Illuminazione Tom Dixon
Design team: Studio Claudia Pelizzari
