Inside, however, space and light chase one another, intertwine and blend … the floors of the house merge in a play of varying levels that surprises from every angle. A hollowed-out, textured, powerful space seems to spring from vernacular origins, and as you move through it, it evolves into a luxury design which, through the attention to its myriad details, manages to convey great elegance and refinement.
Amongst a host of other challenges, the project also addresses the issue of contemporary living within a historical context. We are, in fact, in the now historicised fabric of Ragusa’s town centre, comprising long rows of small, adjoining buildings, laid out in a pattern reminiscent of the medieval layout of our most characteristic villages. Is it possible to live as if in a modern villa within such a setting? The project aims to answer this question in the affirmative. Indeed, the striking contrast that arises from walking along ancient streets only to find oneself, once through the front door, in such a contemporary and distinctive space, defines a perceptual boundary between life ‘outside’ and the intimate, personal, identity-defining dimension of the home.
The desire to maximise the sense of space as much as possible – like an air bubble in water – led us to organise all the rooms into a large, double-height open-plan space, limiting the use of partition walls to what is strictly necessary. This approach fits perfectly with the clients’ personalities – a couple of professionals and entrepreneurs who love conviviality, company and sharing. This also inspired the design of the main living area, comprising the sofa area, dining area and kitchen, where the different spaces have no boundaries but blend into one another, even extending beyond the confines of the house to ‘reach out’ into a small private garden through two large sliding glass doors.
The furnishings and fittings of our miniature villa are designed to ensure maximum integration and a sense of unity within the space. There is no kitchen, no TV wall, no bookcase… there is a single, fitted interior surface that accommodates the kitchen units, then transforms into a bookcase and a fitted wall unit, whilst still allowing itself to be carved out and shaped by the flooring, which clings to and rises up along it with the first textured steps of the staircase. The space’s enclosure is a large, bespoke unit that discreetly envelops the functional areas, providing all the necessary amenities for using the rooms without compromising the design of the overall look.
As mentioned above, the kitchen fits this concept perfectly. The tall units housing the fridge, ovens and spacious storage compartments are arranged around the recess from which the sculptural island emerges. The cupboard doors are retractable, so that when the kitchen is not in use, the lines remain clean and uncluttered. The island overlooks the entire living area and also offers a view of the garden at a single glance. Its sculptural form plays off the geometric composition of the wooden tabletop with a solid, abstract volume. The integration of the table into the island also helps to optimise the space, freeing it from the need for a separate table.
The kitchen was designed by our studio and made entirely to measure by local craftsmen. The materials used are:
Corian for the worktop and sides of the island;
white lacquered MDF for the cabinet doors and island drawers;
Cleaf dove-grey laminate for the interior of the cabinet doors;
Cleaf wood-effect laminate for the table top;