Sweeping view of the city and continuity of material through space for the Casa SG at Cagliari

It is sometimes difficult to imagine without actually seeing an example, but the interior and exterior of a home can combine in perfect harmony and continuity, almost as if the doors and windows did not form a barrier between them.

At the Casa SG in Cagliari, an extension at the same level of the existing terrace was designed by Studio LI-XI, which took this connection between indoor and outdoor as its guiding principle, to allow appreciation of every angle of the wonderful sweeping view of the city centre.

The living area therefore consists of two separate portions: one, inside the home, subdivided into a lounge, kitchen corner with dining table and small home office, and the other, outdoors, sheltered from the sun and weather by a number of screening systems and separated into several functional areas, perfect for enjoying the pleasures of outdoor life to the full.

But how did the architect reconcile the warm, comfortable indoor lounge with the casual, versatile outdoor area?

The answer lies not only in the design of the ideal architectural solutions to streamline the connections and ensure reciprocal visibility but also - and perhaps above all - in the well chosen finishes, able to guarantee continuity, comfort and excellent technical performances.

In this sense, the rectified concrete-effect porcelain stoneware slabs of the Rewind collection by Ragno proved to be a very effective solution. A 60x60 cm size was used to create a uniform, luminous grey pattern with a subtly industrial look, the ideal backdrop for the plants and furnishings. So, weather permitting, the indoor and outdoor areas become a single room.

But all the same there is a small difference between indoor and outdoor, although it is imperceptible and there is no apparent discontinuity in looks or feel. The hidden secret lies in the thickness of the tiles: indoors the floor is covered with Rewind collection tiles in the classic 9 mm thickness, but outside the material used is in the extra-thick 20 mm version, which is very strong, anti-slip and usable even in locations where mechanical stresses are high.