In the green, hilly setting of Val Seriana, the client wanted to create a two-storey villa, one of which is underground. The villa is perfectly in harmony with the surrounding space, sitting within the garden as if it were part of it. The beautiful architectural and material interplay connects the elements through colours and lines, creating a continuous dialogue between stone, glass and sand-coloured walls.
The natural colours and the use of materials such as wood, stone and concrete create a truly unique sense of continuity, in which the villa appears to belong to the space that surrounds it, without separating from the garden. The garden itself is marked by elements free from any sense of artificiality: only grass interrupted by the occasional plant, with no flowerbeds or bushes, for a natural and spontaneous effect.
Although the home is the result of extensive design work, nothing feels forced or oversized. The result is a kind of continuous dialogue with the garden and the greenery around it, as if nature itself had shaped it.
The client wanted the home not to feel out of context, as often happens with excessively modern houses, but at the same time wanted a structure that was anything but traditional or conventional, without losing sight of the comfort required by those who would live in it every day.
In short, a cover-worthy home, but not too much so: capable of surprising without effects for their own sake, where wonder is generated only by the harmony with which the house seems to have always belonged to the land from which it emerges. The client also wanted the exterior lines to be in perfect balance with the interiors, so that the entire home would reflect this sense of modernity, without sacrificing functionality. As mentioned, this was not meant to be only a deliberately extreme architectural home: liveability had to remain fundamental.
We can say with confidence that the client’s goals were fully achieved, both for the exteriors and interiors. The exteriors are by architect Miriam Cortinovis, who succeeded in creating a structure where everything is harmonious yet capable of surprising the eye, with a presence that is both art and magic.
The villa is decidedly avant-garde, dominated by a recessed stone agora that brings light both to the basement level and to the interiors of the villa; light is present throughout the house thanks to large sliding glass windows and carefully placed openings in the walls.
Nothing seems to interrupt the constructive continuity, and the choice of materials also amplifies this impression: stone, wood, concrete, glass and metal are balanced down to the smallest detail to achieve a style that is decisive yet understated. The lines are exquisitely minimal and geometric, but the final effect is not cold, as one might expect; instead, it is warm and welcoming, also thanks to the strong symmetry that defines the design.
As for the interiors, we find the same minimal lines designed and used for the exterior, together with the choice of natural materials and warm yet bright colours: the result is clean and orderly, far from the coldness often associated with ultra-modern spaces.
There is a pleasant interplay of references between the outside and inside of the villa, both in the materials used and in the colours chosen. The result is one of great harmony, in terms of both form and overall atmosphere.
In particular, the use of glass, visible externally on the first-floor parapet as well as in the many sliding windows, helps generate a strong sense of belonging between inside and outside. The common thread of the entire construction lies in the minimal lines: they are the true protagonists of every space, indoors and outdoors alike.
Light is immediately perceived as the protagonist: both natural light, entering through tailored wall openings or the large glass surfaces, and artificial light, the result of careful study and detailed design. More generally, light highlights the various architectural elements of great value, giving them a rare visual power.
It is also worth noting how the wooden floors, present throughout the home, create even greater cohesion within the structure. The furnishings are equally remarkable: light, unobtrusive, minimal and clean in their lines. The very simple white curtains, for example, are ideal frames for the large glazed areas.
The kitchen is a magnificent synthesis of modernity and functionality: made entirely in glass by Valcucine, it is an ode to lightness and brightness, for a result that is aesthetically refined yet deeply technological. It includes highly fascinating solutions such as the New Logica System: an upper flap door and a lower sliding door positioned around the sink, creating an equipped wall that appears only when needed. The geometrically arranged ceiling lights also bring order, rigour and lightness. The curtains discreetly conceal the glass walls, ready at any moment to open like a stage curtain.
The central island, equipped with a large worktop and snack counter, enhances the sense of lightness while providing plenty of storage space through handleless doors and drawers. Also noteworthy is the Canaletto walnut boiserie that houses the refrigerators, pantry units and oven column: it brings order while echoing wood, a key material in both the interior and exterior of the villa.
The dining area is disarmingly simple, yet features elements of great value and taste: geometric wallpaper, a splendid chandelier and light points that seem sewn into the wall. Everything helps accentuate the light elegance of the space, where sober, linear furnishings were chosen so as not to distract the eye from the architectural and lighting details.
Extreme sobriety, then, but not a lack of personality: here too, everything is studied down to the smallest detail as part of a whole in which nothing is accidental.
In the bedrooms, too, we find references to the other rooms of the house: the use of wood for both floors and furnishings, glass discreetly concealed by the light curtains chosen, and artificial lighting that frames every detail. The boiserie and sliding doors deserve particular attention, as does the choice of LEDs inserted into the doors of both the master bedroom and the children’s room, which are truly distinctive.
The rooms are geometric and regular, as emphasised by the lighting, but the overall effect is warm, also thanks to the neutral tones chosen for furniture and accessories. The Canaletto walnut walk-in wardrobe also echoes the kitchen boiserie.
The bathrooms also participate in the play of references present throughout the home: here too, geometric LED lights brush essential design solutions, together with unique details such as the chromotherapy shower in the guest bathroom. This pairs perfectly with the jellyfish painting, giving the entire space a pleasant sense of peace, relaxation and refined elegance: the jellyfish themselves seem to dance as the colours change, creating a truly magical effect.
The staircase is magnificent: a suspended structure detached from the wall, where lightness merges with architectural expertise to create something truly unique, underlined by the glass parapet that seems to disappear, the choice of the Catellani & Smith chandelier and the LED lights recessed into the wall.
On the basement floor there is a wine cellar worthy of a restaurant, where glass and plays of light take centre stage.
The entire construction is dominated by the presence of light, strong yet never intrusive: whether it filters through strategic wall openings, floods the rooms through the glass surfaces, or is carried by LEDs and chandeliers, it is one of the absolute protagonists. It is almost as if this home were a painting observed from the outside, with glass acting as our filter. There is no denying that we are facing a work of art in every sense. At the same time, we must underline the extreme functionality of the spaces and furnishings, which make the house not only beautiful, but also highly usable for those who live in it. For this reason, we can only be grateful to the creators of this masterpiece: the architects and interior designers who, with great skill and professionalism, helped turn the client’s wishes into a splendid reality.