A flat with a breathtaking view over the Strait of Messina

Today we have the pleasure of telling you about the work we carried out thanks to architect Marcello Alveario in a flat with a breathtaking view over the Strait of Messina. 

The project began with an analysis of the state of the property. "A living room that was too small, one of the two bathrooms that was too big compared to the overall size of the flat, an old-fashioned corridor in addition to the kitchen that was sacrificed because it was closed off with two retractable doors," explains architect Alveario, who focused primarily on reorganising the interior spaces. "Because you know that it is not enough to have a breathtaking view over the mouth of the Strait and a generous veranda from which to admire it if the beauty is not also inside. Space where it does not exist must be created'. 

The before and after pictures clearly show the work, which was carried out by the company Billè Costruzioni. Two partitions were demolished and the kitchen and corridor disappeared. A bathroom halved but still functional, the entrance to the small room repositioned. The focus of the house is now the living area. Here the entrance is delineated by Cattelan's Airport bookcase: scenic, versatile and functional, it is perfect as a dividing element in a large room thanks to its wooden shelves.

The custom-designed kitchen is an Ak Project by Arrital, with a Grigio ral 7043 matt lacquer finish, the same colour we also find on some of the walls. But more on that in a moment. Completing it all is the Ice table by Altacorte with an Oak top. The contrast between the warmth of the wood and the cold intensity of the grey is beautiful.

For the relaxation area, architect Marcello Alveario thought of a large L-shaped sofa, with an essential design but guaranteeing extreme comfort: the choice fell on the Barclay model by Bodema. 

"The end result is a delicate, almost minimalist open space. Parquet floor and two colours on the walls, a grey (identical to the kitchen finish) looking from the sea towards the land and white looking from the opposite side. The large dark 120x120 tiles 'held back' by the light effects of the high-efficiency LED lighting strips provide a backdrop for the TV," explains the architect. 

"Everything is enriched by the explosion of colours of the boats in regatta painted by Sicilian Maestro Francesco Toraldo, inserted in the spaces within the plaster frames on the walls. Subjects that have a really important meaning, since it is a sailor's home and the home, we know, must always reflect those who live in it. "These colours coming out of the frames gave the idea for the choice of transparent chairs in different colours around the dining table".

The bathrooms, carefully designed also through studio renderings faithfully reproduced in reality, were entirely covered with resin in two different colours with the addition of Swarovski powder. For the floors, a patchwork and, in part, but only in the master bathroom, lava stones with phosphor powder then covered with transparent resin for a "Kryptonite" like effect when the lights are turned off.

This is how a house is born, this is how professionals in architecture and interior design succeed in realising the client's requests by exploiting the full potential of a property. 

Project: Arch. Marcello Alveario

Contractor: Billè Costruzioni

Furniture: Mobilificio Marchese 

Photo: Mario Pollino Photography