Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the history of the Mediterranean
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the history of the Mediterranean

This lookbook collects 10 interiors in Italy with a distinctly rustic feel, including homes and hotels replete with wooden beams, cool stone and other rich textures.

As well as being known for its contemporary furniture and lighting design, Italy is home to some of Europe’s oldest buildings and has numerous historic cities and villages.

From a 17th-century house in Puglia to a hotel in a 1,000-year-old castle, below are 10 examples of projects that pay homage to the Mediterranean country’s history while catering to modern tastes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.


Monteverdi Tuscany boutique hotel by Michael Cioffi and Ilaria Miani
Photo courtesy of Monteverdi Hotel

Monteverdi Hotel, Tuscany, by Ilaria Miani

Restoration specialist and interior designer Ilaria Miani helped transform several crumbling buildings in Val d’Orcia into a boutique hotel that aims to balance the history of the area with contemporary design influences from Milan and Rome.

In the bedroom suites, chunky exposed beams made from salvaged wood are complemented by natural colours and textures, while nearly all the furniture is handmade by local artisans.

Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel ›


Cascina by Jonathan Tuckey Design
Photo by Francesca Iovene

Cascina, Piemonte, by Jonathan Tuckey Design

London-based Jonathan Tuckey Design was tasked with returning this 19th-century farmhouse in northern Italy to its original state following a heavy 1980s renovation.

Stone walls and wooden beams now feature prominently, with a cool chalky palette offset by brass lamps and chestnut panelling and furniture.

Find out more about Cascina ›


Casa Soleto living room
Photo by Salva López

Casa Soleto, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez

Parts of Casa Soleto in Puglia are more than 400 years old. Architecture firm Studio Andrew Trotter and its studio manager Marcelo Martínez renovated the building without making any structural changes, leaving the irregular walls in place.

To give the interiors an authentic, natural feel, the designers used lime plaster for the walls, linen fabrics for the sofas and curtains, jute rugs, terracotta ceramics and antique furniture.

Find out more about Casa Soleto ›


Monastero Arx Vivendi
Photo by Alex Filz

Monastero Arx Vivendi, Trentino-Alto Adige, by Network of Architecture

Network of Architecture applied rippled antique-effect plaster to the walls of this 17th-century ex-monastery near Lake Garda, which is now a hotel.

The plaster is complemented by pale wooden floors, black iron furniture and earth-toned fabrics, while the original doors have been retained and restored.

Find out more about Monastero Arx Vivendi ›


Interior of Casolare Scarani in Puglia by Studio Andrew Trotter
Photo by Salva López

Casolare Scarani, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Potter

Casolare Scarani is a home created from the renovation of a long-abandoned girls’ school built in the style of a traditional Puglian villa – but still modest in size.

The vaulted ceilings were kept intact and covered in lime plaster, while the rooms were finished with earthy tones and traditional stone flooring.

Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›


Hotel Castello di Reschio
Photo courtesy of Hotel Castello di Reschio

Hotel Castello di Reschio, Umbria, by Count Benedikt Bolza

Hotel Castello di Reschio occupies a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian hills that was transformed by count Benedikt Bolza and his family.

Rooms have been decorated with terracotta-brick or wooden floors, hand-stitched linen curtains, Italian fabrics and locally crafted marble and brass vanities alongside portraits sourced from nearby antique markets in a reference to the building’s rich history.

Find out more about Hotel Castello di Reschio ›


Appartamento Brolettuono by Archiplanstudio
Photo by Davide Galli Atelier

Brolettouno Apartment, Lombardy, by Archiplan

Located in a building in Mantua that dates back to the 15th century, this apartment was overhauled on a budget by local design studio Archiplan.

The studio decided to honour the interior’s timeworn aesthetic by retaining the distressed floor tiles and faded frescos, combining these features with functional light-hued wooden furniture.

Find out more about Brolettouno Apartment ›


Interior of Casa Maiora by Studio Andrew Trotter in Puglia
Photo by Salva López

Casa Maiora, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter

Another project from Studio Andrew Trotter, this villa is in fact a newly built project – but carries heavy rustic influences from traditional homes in the area.

Flagstone floors, lime-washed walls and locally sourced antiques combine to create a soothing, timeless feel.

Find out more about Casa Maiora ›


G-Rough hotel Rome
Photo by Serena Eller

G-Rough, Lazio, by Gabriele Salini

Features showcasing the building’s 400-year-old history were juxtaposed with contemporary art and mid-century furnishings at this boutique hotel in Rome, Italy’s capital.

The imperfections of age, particularly on the patina walls, combine with furniture inspired by modernist Italian designers like Ico Parisi, Giò Ponti and Piero Fornasetti for a rough-yet-refined aesthetic.

Find out more about G-Rough ›


Bedroom at the Vipp pop-up hotel
Photo by Irina Boersma César Machado

Palazzo Monti hotel, Lombardy, by Julie Cloos Mølsgaard and Vipp

A collaboration with Danish homeware brand Vipp saw interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard create a pop-up hotel in a 13-century palazzo in Brescia.

To keep the focus on the building’s many historic features, Mølsgaard took a minimalist approach to the furnishings, with mattresses sitting directly on the floor and artwork propped up against the walls.

Find out more about the Palazzo Monti hotel ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.

Reference

Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the historic Mediterranean
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten rustic Italian interiors that evoke the historic Mediterranean

This lookbook collects 10 interiors in Italy with a distinctly rustic feel, including homes and hotels replete with wooden beams, cool stone and other rich textures.

As well as being known for its contemporary furniture and lighting design, Italy is home to some of Europe’s oldest buildings and has numerous historic cities and villages.

From a 17th-century house in Puglia to a hotel in a 1,000-year-old castle, below are 10 examples of projects that pay homage to the Mediterranean country’s history while catering to modern tastes.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.


Monteverdi Tuscany boutique hotel by Michael Cioffi and Ilaria Miani
Photo courtesy of Monteverdi Hotel

Monteverdi Hotel, Tuscany, by Ilaria Miani

Restoration specialist and interior designer Ilaria Miani helped transform several crumbling buildings in Val d’Orcia into a boutique hotel that aims to balance the history of the area with contemporary design influences from Milan and Rome.

In the bedroom suites, chunky exposed beams made from salvaged wood are complemented by natural colours and textures, while nearly all the furniture is handmade by local artisans.

Find out more about Monteverdi Hotel ›


Cascina by Jonathan Tuckey Design
Photo by Francesca Iovene

Cascina, Piemonte, by Jonathan Tuckey Design

London-based Jonathan Tuckey Design was tasked with returning this 19th-century farmhouse in northern Italy to its original state following a heavy 1980s renovation.

Stone walls and wooden beams now feature prominently, with a cool chalky palette offset by brass lamps and chestnut panelling and furniture.

Find out more about Cascina ›


Casa Soleto living room
Photo by Salva López

Casa Soleto, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez

Parts of Casa Soleto in Puglia are more than 400 years old. Architecture firm Studio Andrew Trotter and its studio manager Marcelo Martínez renovated the building without making any structural changes, leaving the irregular walls in place.

To give the interiors an authentic, natural feel, the designers used lime plaster for the walls, linen fabrics for the sofas and curtains, jute rugs, terracotta ceramics and antique furniture.

Find out more about Casa Soleto ›


Monastero Arx Vivendi
Photo by Alex Filz

Monastero Arx Vivendi, Trentino-Alto Adige, by Network of Architecture

Network of Architecture applied rippled antique-effect plaster to the walls of this 17th-century ex-monastery near Lake Garda, which is now a hotel.

The plaster is complemented by pale wooden floors, black iron furniture and earth-toned fabrics, while the original doors have been retained and restored.

Find out more about Monastero Arx Vivendi ›


Interior of Casolare Scarani in Puglia by Studio Andrew Trotter
Photo by Salva López

Casolare Scarani, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Potter

Casolare Scarani is a home created from the renovation of a long-abandoned girls’ school built in the style of a traditional Puglian villa – but still modest in size.

The vaulted ceilings were kept intact and covered in lime plaster, while the rooms were finished with earthy tones and traditional stone flooring.

Find out more about Casolare Scarani ›


Hotel Castello di Reschio
Photo courtesy of Hotel Castello di Reschio

Hotel Castello di Reschio, Umbria, by Count Benedikt Bolza

Hotel Castello di Reschio occupies a 1,000-year-old castle in the Umbrian hills that was transformed by count Benedikt Bolza and his family.

Rooms have been decorated with terracotta-brick or wooden floors, hand-stitched linen curtains, Italian fabrics and locally crafted marble and brass vanities alongside portraits sourced from nearby antique markets in a reference to the building’s rich history.

Find out more about Hotel Castello di Reschio ›


Appartamento Brolettuono by Archiplanstudio
Photo by Davide Galli Atelier

Brolettouno Apartment, Lombardy, by Archiplan

Located in a building in Mantua that dates back to the 15th century, this apartment was overhauled on a budget by local design studio Archiplan.

The studio decided to honour the interior’s timeworn aesthetic by retaining the distressed floor tiles and faded frescos, combining these features with functional light-hued wooden furniture.

Find out more about Brolettouno Apartment ›


Interior of Casa Maiora by Studio Andrew Trotter in Puglia
Photo by Salva López

Casa Maiora, Puglia, by Studio Andrew Trotter

Another project from Studio Andrew Trotter, this villa is in fact a newly built project – but carries heavy rustic influences from traditional homes in the area.

Flagstone floors, lime-washed walls and locally sourced antiques combine to create a soothing, timeless feel.

Find out more about Casa Maiora ›


G-Rough hotel Rome
Photo by Serena Eller

G-Rough, Lazio, by Gabriele Salini

Features showcasing the building’s 400-year-old history were juxtaposed with contemporary art and mid-century furnishings at this boutique hotel in Rome, Italy’s capital.

The imperfections of age, particularly on the patina walls, combine with furniture inspired by modernist Italian designers like Ico Parisi, Giò Ponti and Piero Fornasetti for a rough-yet-refined aesthetic.

Find out more about G-Rough ›


Bedroom at the Vipp pop-up hotel
Photo by Irina Boersma César Machado

Palazzo Monti hotel, Lombardy, by Julie Cloos Mølsgaard and Vipp

A collaboration with Danish homeware brand Vipp saw interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard create a pop-up hotel in a 13-century palazzo in Brescia.

To keep the focus on the building’s many historic features, Mølsgaard took a minimalist approach to the furnishings, with mattresses sitting directly on the floor and artwork propped up against the walls.

Find out more about the Palazzo Monti hotel ›

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring chequerboard floors, lime plaster walls and Mediterranean-style interiors.

Reference

Eight airy interiors that draw on Mediterranean living
CategoriesInterior Design

Eight airy interiors that draw on Mediterranean living

With summer in full flow, we have gathered eight residential and hotel interiors for our latest lookbook that each has a breezy and cooling Mediterranean style.

Mediterranean interiors can often be defined by their minimal, paired back aesthetic that focuses on creating bright, airy and cool living spaces that offer an escape from the heat of the sun.

White-washed walls, exposed brick and stone or terracotta floors typically serve as the basis for these interiors with furniture made from natural materials.

From hotels in Greece built into caves to a home in a former ruin in France, here are eight interiors that are influenced by the Mediterranean.

This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Barbie-pink interiors, rustic interiors and Wes Anderson-style interiors.


MA House by Timothee Mercier from Studio XM
Photo is by Simone Bossi

MA House, France, by Timothee Mercier

Architect Timothee Mercier of Studio XM converted this former ruined farm building in Vacluse, France into a home that aimed to honour the original features of the building.

The interior of the home was blanketed in white, covering its walls and exposed stone surfaces. The space was sparsely decorated with light wood furnishings and natural materials to give the interior a Mediterranean feel.

Find out more about MA House ›


Casa A690 by Fino Lozano
Photo is by César Béjar

Casa A690, Mexico, by Delfino Lozano

Named Casa A690, this three-storey building dates back to the 1970s. It was renovated by Mexican architect Delfino Lozano who looked to combine Mediterranean and Mexican aesthetics.

“We use the term Mexiterraneo to describe the materials and feeling we try to give our projects, in which we interpret the Mediterranean architecture – simple, pure materials – and mix it with our Mexican traditional architecture,” said Lozano.

Find out more about Casa A690 ›


Berlin summer loft by Loft Szczecin
Photo is by Karolina Bąk

Berlin summer loft, Germany, by Loft Szczecin

Polish studio Loft Szczecin looked to historic Mediterranean architecture when overhauling the interior of this apartment in the suburbs of Berlin.

The brick walls of the home were painted white while the floors of the interior were finished with old bricks that were sourced from industrial demolitions across Poland. Throughout the apartment, doors were removed to create more of an open-plan interior.

Find out more about Berlin summer loft, ›


Pura Comporta by Falcão de Campos
Photo is by Fernando Guerra

Pura Comporta, Portugal, by Falcão de Campos

In Portugal, Lisbon studio Falcão de Campos implemented a Mediterranean-informed interior scheme throughout this triple-pitched roof beach house.

White walls were paired with minimal architectural detailing and finishes to achieve a Mediterranean look. A natural-toned rug was used to zone the living area, while a 10-person wooden table occupies the dining area of the home.

Find out more about Pura Comporta ›


Saint Hotel by Kapsimalis Architects
Photo is by Giorgos Sfakianakis

Saint Hotel, Greece, by Kapsimalis Architects

Greek architecture studio Kapsimalis Architects transformed a series of former homes, barns and cellars on the island of Santorini into a hotel with rooms in caves.

The interior was designed to match the all-white exterior of the hotel. Each of the rooms features an almost all-white finish with the exception of their poured concrete floors and furnishings.

Find out more about Saint Hotel ›


Summer house on the mountain by Kapsimalis Architects

Summer house, Greece, by Kapsimalis Architects

Large arched openings add character to the open-plan interior of these Santorini apartments, which were designed by Kapsimalis Architects.

Throughout the space, small, wood-framed windows pierce the walls and furniture was organised sparsely.

Find out more about summer house›


Las 3 Marías by Bajet Giramé and Nicolas Burckhardt
Photo is by José Hevia

Las 3 Marías, Spain, by Bajet Giramé and Nicolas Burckhardt

Terracotta tile floors, large arched openings and bi-folding glass doors blend the boundaries of the interior and exterior at this Spanish holiday home, which was designed by Bajet Giramé and Nicolas Burckhardt.

Much like homes found across the Mediterranean, white stucco covers its walls and Valencian terracotta tiles run through both the interior and exterior.

Find out more about Las 3 Marías ›


Woorak House in Palm Beach, Sydney designed by CM Studio
Photo is by Prue Ruscoe

Woorak House, Australia, by CM Studio

CM Studio looked to bring a coastal, Mediterranean feel to the interior of this home in Australia through the use of a paired back interior palette and natural materials such as wood, stone and paper.

In the dining room, a wooden table, chairs and bench were placed beside a glazed corner of the home beneath exposed beams that run through the home.

Find out more about Woorak House ›

This is the latest in our lookbook series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring Barbie-pink interiors, rustic interiors and Wes Anderson-style interiors.

Reference

Linehouse creates Coast restaurant with “Mediterranean soul” in Shanghai
CategoriesInterior Design

Linehouse creates Coast restaurant with “Mediterranean soul” in Shanghai

Design studio Linehouse has used natural, tactile materials for the interiors of the Coast restaurant in Shanghai for China’s casual dining brand Gaga.

The restaurant is set inside a traditional mid-century Shikumen house – a blend of Western and Chinese architecture – with a renovated interior informed by its Mediterranean menu.

“We aimed to create a deep connection with coastal elements and Mediterranean soul,” said Linehouse co-founder Alex Mok.

Dining room in Gaga's Coast restaurant
Linehouse has completed the Coast restaurant in Shanghai

According to the studio, the restaurant’s aesthetic is one of “refined rusticity” – a contemporary reframing of rough-hewn vernacular styles, that creates a laid-back and tranquil atmosphere.

Throughout the scheme, Linehouse was informed by the idea of coastal terrain, including earthy and fired elements.

Linehouse chose a natural material palette, which in turn informed the colour scheme that flows throughout the interior of the three-storey restaurant.

Green-tiled cafe in Shanghai designed by Linehouse
Green-glazed lava stone surrounds the ground-floor cafe and bar

The aim was to take the visitor on a “vertical journey” by giving each of the three floors its own unique identity.

“The colours and materials shift on each floor, telling a different part of the story,” Mok said.

Bar in Gaga's Coast restaurant
The bar is finished in the same tiles

On the ground floor, where a daytime cafe transitions into an evening bar, green and earthy tones link to the leafy garden beyond. Walls are wrapped in a green-glazed lava stone, with a deliberately hand-made patina, “representing the earth element”.

Custom furniture pieces designed by Linehouse were used throughout the restaurant, while lighting was chosen for its intriguing, sculptural forms from designers including Santa & Cole and Studio KAE.

Natural timbers were used for the centrepiece bar counter, while the timber-framed windows open up to the silver-grey of the olive trees outside.

Open-hearth grill in Gaga's Coast restaurant
An open-hearth grill features on the first floor

Above this on the first floor is an intimate dining space lined with white-washed stone and timber panelling. Layered oak panels hung horizontally from the ceiling create intimate dining nooks, with taupe-toned banquette sofas and oak dining tables.

The focal point of this room is the parrilla – an open-hearth grill – and a chef’s table.

“The concept of the open parrilla grill captures the quintessence of Mediterranean cuisine,” Mok told Dezeen.

On this level, fire-informed red and brown tones punctuate the space including the tiles that line the kitchen, which were repurposed from used coffee grounds.

Finally, on the top floor under the exposed timber beams of the pitched roof, Linehouse created a string-wrapped wine room and a lofty private dining space.

Stairwell in Shanghai restaurant designed by Linehouse
Panels of string line the staircase structure

The walls were again clad in white-washed stone. But here, it is contrasted with the intense black of yakisugi, or fire-preserved wood, which serves as a backdrop to a chef’s table.

The space also features a generously-sized balcony, providing views out across this bustling neighbourhood.

Cord-lined wine bar in by Linehouse
Linehouse created a string-wrapped wine room on the top floor

The spaces are linked by a staircase that weaves up through the centre of the building. Its chalky-white outer walls are patterned with a sculptural relief of sea creature exoskeletons, echoed by collections of shells displayed in glass jars nearby.

Panels of string, woven into simple grids, line the staircase structure, allowing natural light to flow into the heart of the building.

“We chose materials that tell the story of the coastal journey, while the exoskeleton wall is a modern representation of the sea,” said Mok.

Wine bar with wooden furniture in Gaga's Coast restaurant
The top floor also houses a private dining room

Linehouse was founded by Mok and Briar Hickling in 2013 and the duo went on to win emerging interior designer of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.

The studio has completed a number of other projects in Shanghai, including a space-themed cafe decorated with real meteorites and an office housed in a former swimming pool.

The photography is by Wen Studio, courtesy of Linehouse.



Reference