Inspired by nature and the Modern Movement

Inland from Forte dei Marmi stand the Apuan Alps, famous for the quarries where Michelangelo sourced the marble for his sculptures.

The view from the villa’s large glass windows is truly breathtaking, stretching from the lush vegetation of this natural amphitheatre – its green slopes streaked with the white of Carrara marble – down to the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The layout centres on the living area, while the sleeping quarters form a series of rectangular clusters of five suites. Both zones overlook a large swimming pool with a shallow sunbathing area and a deeper section for swimming. 

A small bridge leads to the main entrance on the seaward side. 

The project sought to blur the distinction between interior and exterior, integrating the house seamlessly into the landscape. Simple, clear forms are paired with authentic materials to achieve a balance with the surrounding environment.

“The pure white of the Apuan Alps is echoed in the villa’s façades, in the pool tiling and in the patio decking,” explains Tanzini. “For the swimming pool, I chose the Calce collection from Laminam in the colour Avorio. Its texture and tone perfectly complement the building’s uniform, compact stone-like surface.” 

Inspired by traditional plaster walls, the Calce collection combines simplicity with a velvety touch. In its softer colour versions, the surface recalls the mottled look of freshly applied plaster.

“I also paid close attention to how natural light refracts at different times of the day, both in the pool and on the large surrounding surfaces,” notes Tanzini.

Calce Avorio is also used indoors, where it was chosen for the bathrooms alongside Laminam’s Fokos collection in the colour Rena for the vanity tops.

In contrast to the ethereal whiteness of Calce, Fokos draws inspiration from the materials of the earth such as stone, sand and lead. The collection’s beige palette finds its softest expression in Rena, reminiscent of the tactile warmth of fine golden sand.