An original restyling project in the heart of old Monopoli creates a light, airy open space made unique by original use of Ragno Rewind cement tiles
In the heart of old Monopoli (Italy), in a small premises with an arched, vaulted roof, there was once a street-side shop, which has now been transformed into a splendid loft apartment with immense character in spite of its small size: the Loft B22. The dominant feature of the entire project is white, which gives the interior a roomier, brighter feel.
White is the colour of the large metal gate that separates the home from the street, leaving glimpses of it through a dense mesh enclosing a space useful both for ventilation and for parking bicycles, as well as being the only source of natural light: the owners have even created a small raised vegetable garden in this area.
White, as we said, is also the key feature of the interior design, made extremely light and airy by snow-white surfaces (the furniture is white, as well as the ceiling and walls) and the seamless resin floor, which is white as well. This whiteness is interrupted by a few touches of colour - grey and a warm shade of yellow - as well as a few design pieces in vintage style. Less is quite definitely more for this interior design project.
The skilful choice of colours combines with clever use of materials, mainly wood, chosen in a natural finish, and stoneware, used in a truly unusual way: the Loft B22 is a perfect example of how to utilise tiles in fresh ways and places.
There is great originality in the use of the hexagon cement tiles from the Ragno Rewind collection, which appear sparingly to define the entrance area, cover the kitchen counter and decorate the wall behind the bed.
So in the first case the tiles were laid on the floor, in the second on the counter, and in the third on the wall to form a kind of bedhead, demonstrating the amazing versatility of concrete-effect stoneware, used in the Vanilla, Polvere and Peltro colours and in the hexagon size that has recently made such a strong comeback.
It is almost strange to think that where there is now an intimate, white-painted loft there was once a street-side shop. The restyling project, handled by M+T Architetti (Montalbò+Tanese), had to solve this very problem of how to rethink what was once a public space and convert it into a private home, providing all the privacy this implies.
The interior is conceived as a single open space, thus retaining the layout of the original shop, with the various functions arranged in a line working inwards from the outside, concealing the most intimate areas, most closely associated with relaxation, from view.
All the special appeal of the original interior is conserved thanks to the splendid arched, vaulted ceiling, which gives the entire loft a unique character and brings an exclusive touch to what is now a light, airy studio apartment furnished with vintage style overtones – not just the furniture but also the stoneware that recalls the cement tiles of yesteryear - and hints of industrial style, in the black metal details of some items. A fine example of successful renovation and restyling.
