A country home with a strong personality

Moving into a new home often means not only redesigning the spaces but also rethinking the way they are used. This was the case for a couple who had just moved to Italy and had bought an apartment in a renovated farmhouse in a village surrounded by countryside. Although perfectly habitable at the time of purchase, the house needed work to become a place that truly reflected the character of its new owners.

The restyling project was led by Francesca Rogers and Bianca Rizzi of the Rizzi Rogers architecture and design practice with the aim of creating comfortable, modern interiors while preserving the authentic atmosphere of a country home. “Whilst the bathroom needed to be renovated to fit a bathtub, we also suggested demolishing the kitchen wall to create a luminous open-space living area where you could see all the windows together,” explain the architects. “From there, we worked on restyling the whole apartment with the involvement of the clients in the choice of materials, the colour scheme and the furniture.”

The kitchen, with its deep-blue cabinet doors and open shelving in place of wall units, has become one of the most distinctive rooms in the house. “We replaced the cabinet doors with rustic-style fronts in an intense blue and substituted the wall units with open shelving. We wanted small-format tiles that would provide contrast while remaining neutral in colour and with the slightly irregular look of handmade tiles. For this purpose, we proposed the Senren collection from Tonalite, arranged vertically to give the tiles a more contemporary look.” This vertically stacked installation enhanced the tiling’s modern look while fitting in harmoniously with the kitchen’s rustic character.

In addition to the stylistic choices, the project also addressed technical and sustainability aspects. The existing technical systems were already efficient and were upgraded only where necessary, while the wooden flooring was replaced with great care to ensure proper operation of the underfloor heating system. The furnishings included numerous reused items, a hallmark of the Rizzi Rogers practice and consistent with a design approach focused on sustainability and minimising invasive interventions. The result is a home that combines modernity with tradition, comfort with personality, demonstrating that the right combination of interior design and ceramic materials can create spaces with a unique, welcoming atmosphere.