Houzz Tours
Italy Houzz Tour: A Holiday Home With Deftly Disguised Extra Beds
They only met in person twice, but this designer was able to create the perfect holiday home for international clients
This close-knit German family of four bought a holiday home in the northern Italian town of Iseo, which they love to visit for active holidays playing sports and hiking between the lake and the mountains. As they live in Munich, Germany, they did not know any local design professionals. That’s why they searched on Houzz, where interior designer Francesca Vizzari’s style won them over. She stayed in touch with them via phone calls and emails throughout the renovation of the interior: “Over a year of work, we only met in person twice,” she says.
As the owners requested extra space for guests, the interior designer incorporated additional beds into her design of the living room. Instead of traditional sofas, she designed models with removable back cushions and seats the size of single mattresses, custom-made by sofa manufacturer Cierre Salotti.
Vizzari also designed the wall unit and had it custom-made by Siderio. Made of white-painted iron, it holds the TV. The storage units have touch-to-open doors.
Vizzari also designed the wall unit and had it custom-made by Siderio. Made of white-painted iron, it holds the TV. The storage units have touch-to-open doors.
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The paintings in the apartment – including the one on the right-hand wall here – are by local painter Camilla Rossi, based in Brescia, Italy. “I really wanted to bring in some local art for these foreign guests who love our country,” says Vizzari.
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Looking to renovate? Find an architect near you, browse images of their work and read reviews from their previous clients
A hallway leads from the living room to the three bedrooms. The main bedroom is pictured here.
The wall behind the bed was hand-finished with lime-based paint. Vizzari used a subtle herringbone pattern on the wall to create a minimalist and down-to-earth feel, softened with the lace-effect texture.
The wall behind the bed was hand-finished with lime-based paint. Vizzari used a subtle herringbone pattern on the wall to create a minimalist and down-to-earth feel, softened with the lace-effect texture.
The wall behind the bed in the owners’ daughter’s room is decorated with wallpaper. The handmade hanging chair is by Emanuela Ceccarini, a designer from Rimini in Italy.
In the couple’s son’s bedroom, the wall is decorated with posters of sports and surfing – Vizzari personally found and printed them to create a lively feel without compromising the clean lines of the space.
The two bathrooms in the bedroom area (not pictured) were renovated later.
The two bathrooms in the bedroom area (not pictured) were renovated later.
The dining area and open-plan kitchen, designed by Vizzari and made-to-measure by Bescia-based carpentry firm Bini, are also on the ground floor.
The island curves along with the shape of the table, as this photo shows. Four poufs between the two fixed units serve as additional seating. Storage is incorporated on the other side of the island.
The window in the dining area frames a view of the lake.
Browse more beautifully designed open-plan kitchens
Browse more beautifully designed open-plan kitchens
The French doors in the kitchen lead to a terrace overlooking Lake Iseo. “It is a large, 2.5-by-9-metre rectangular terrace. There are two sofas facing each other for chatting or an aperitif in the evening, and a large table that seats 10, which was made-to-measure in iron and teak by firms Bini and Siderio. The soft coloured bands on the chairs recall those from kiosks in the ’60s,” says Vizzari.
A staircase at the side leads from the kitchen/dining room to the mezzanine level. The wallpaper on the staircase wall “was designed entirely by me and printed by Inkiostrobianco, with an antique plaster effect to respect the feel of the building,” says Vizzari.
Shades of pistachio, sand, yellow and powder pink are layered over one another. As with the rest of the interior, the wallpaper recalls the palette of the home’s surroundings, characterised by the lake and mountains.
Shades of pistachio, sand, yellow and powder pink are layered over one another. As with the rest of the interior, the wallpaper recalls the palette of the home’s surroundings, characterised by the lake and mountains.
Vizzari placed a large, round sofa-like seat on the mezzanine. It is made up of two half-moon units that create a double bed when combined. Pulled apart, they serve as two conversation sofas.
The colourful artificial plants throughout the house create a nature-inspired setting where real plants would not survive, as the home is only used on holidays.
Your turn
Which elements of this colourful home are your favourites? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Can’t get enough of great design from around the globe? Journey east from this Italian holiday home to a Russian weekender with this Russia Houzz Tour: Scandi Style in a St Petersburg Holiday Home
The colourful artificial plants throughout the house create a nature-inspired setting where real plants would not survive, as the home is only used on holidays.
Your turn
Which elements of this colourful home are your favourites? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Can’t get enough of great design from around the globe? Journey east from this Italian holiday home to a Russian weekender with this Russia Houzz Tour: Scandi Style in a St Petersburg Holiday Home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A German couple and their children, aged 15 and 22, holiday here
Location: Iseo, Italy
Date of renovation: 2018
Size: About 200 square metres with three bedrooms and two bathrooms
Interior designer: Francesca Vizzari of Pistacchio & Caffé
The house has two levels: the three bedrooms, the living room and the kitchen/dining area on the lower storey, and a living-guest room in the mezzanine.