The project involves the restoration of the ground floor spaces of the main manor house within a late 19th-century rural complex located in the Val di Noto.
Set against a landscape of rolling hills and agricultural estates, the property is arranged around a characteristic baglio (courtyard), which provides access to the main residence, the historic stables, pigsties, and tool sheds.
A central staircase leads to the piano nobile, dividing the ground floor of the main building into two separate spaces that originally served as stables.
The renovation project, which converts the ground floor into a private residence, is driven by the dialogue between contemporary living and tradition. The historic charm of the building has been refreshed through modern spatial and functional solutions that radically update its image.
A passage was created beneath the central staircase creating a new path that navigate a rigid and uncompromising layout defined by 80 centimeter thick stone walls, a sequence of barrel vaults, and arched openings.
This intervention established a continuous circulation loop around the staircase, which acts as the guiding spine of a journey leading into progressively more private areas of the house. An uninterrupted visual axis flows between the spaces: moving from the living room to the kitchen-dining area, continuing toward a reading space, and finally reaching the bedroom and bathroom, which reopens onto the courtyard.
The flooring features a decorative pattern made of cement tiles (pastine di cemento) that transitions in color from room to room, shifting between white, green, and black. Interrupted by transverse thresholds of local stone (pietra pece), this “pixelated carpet” creates a element of surprise as one transitions between spaces, generating a distinct atmosphere in every room.
All original barrel vaults and limestone surfaces were carefully restored and left exposed, while the more degraded walls were repaired and finished with breathable lime-based plaster.
The overall goal was to create a simple, essential layout shaped by linear and curved overlaps. Within this holistic landscape, custom furniture and interior design play a key role in reinforcing the architectural coherence and rustic materiality of the structure while reinterpreting its philosophy.
The bespoke cabinetry is conceived as “hyper-furniture”: designed to follow and amplify the fluid geometry of the arches, these built-in units seamlessly integrate and conceal all the technical and mechanical systems of the home.
The interior design is a curated blend of vintage elements, highlighted by iconic scandinavian mid-century modern pieces.
