Surprising mix of Chaos & Wonder

Photography by Seven H. Zhang

In the vibrant heart of the multi-ethnic Esquilino district in Rome, STUDIOTAMAT designed a brightly colored lo! for Matteo Soddu, co-founder of the studio and his partner Sergio Marras.

The overlap of being both the designer and the client, has allowed a 360° design, a perfect combination between the domestic dimension and architecture to be admired.

With a breathtaking view of the platforms of Termini Station and a stone's throw from Piazza Vittorio, the 95 m² apartment is located on the second floor of a late 19th century building. The three French windows of the living room and the studio have as their horizon the wall covered in Travertine, which houses the control tower that once regulated the railway traffic, designed in the early 1900s by Angiolo Mazzoni.

The central nucleus, which in the previous arrangement housed the bedrooms, has been completely emptied, becoming the beating heart of the loft. The customdesigned kitchen is covered with two contrasting materials: the steel of the drawers and the top, and the birch of the wall units, the fridge columns and the pantry. Next to it, a large vintage dining table with a black and white checkered top is perfect for organising dinners with many friends; its electric blue edge gives it a theatrical touch. Above, a minimalist design pendant by Redo Group Italia has been hung.

In the whole living area, the neutral color of the walls highlights the brick vaulted ceiling and, at the same time, recalls the reflections of the sun rays on the travertine of the station. While an air diffuser with circular cones and vents unfolds like a fil rouge throughout the apartment. The living area is furnished with a black leather sofa, a coffee table and vintage office armchairs found at a Berlin flea market. It also houses an open metal shelving, framed by walnut-covered audio speakers, which show the couple's large vinyl collection. To reveal the owners' background as DJs and event organizers, the console equipped with mixer, plates and CDJ, made of iron and painted in cherry-colored powder, which dominates the longitudinal wall, surmounted by the baroque shape of Servomuto’s applique in pure white linen. Boldly patterned cushions and colorful paintings scattered throughout the home add character and personality to the rooms.

The central open space leads to the study on one side, completely open onto the corridor, which can be transformed into a guest room if necessary. The studio is a volume defined by a shade of blue that recalls the sea of Sardinia, where the couple comes from, and the typical color of the houses in Greece, where they often spend their holidays, and extends as far as the corridor, chromatically interrupting the uniform lime-colored resin that extends over the floor in the rest of the apartment. Inside, there are a desk, the Wassily armchair by Knoll, an equipped wall and a niche with a sofa bed, set between a service bathroom and a wardrobe space. Two vintage lights, positioned on the two opposite corners, aim at the vaulted ceiling, here plastered in a neutral color that amplifies the sculptural effect of the blue that envelops the room.

The bedroom with the master bathroom, separated from the living area, find space where the living room once was, and overlook a more private and silent internal courtyard. The bedroom follows the logic of the studio: it is as well a single mustardcolored volume, a box that encourages rest. The wall behind the bed is shaped to house a shelf for books and a pair of Nemo's Lampe de Marseille. While the large wall unit for the open wardrobe is shielded by a full-height curtain with a toile de jouy pattern, in contrast with the suspension lamp by Servomuto, made with Hermès fabrics and brass details.

Characterised by a large arch that houses the sink, the bathroom is covered in three shades - yellow, pink, amaranth - of small sized tiles, which identify the different functions. Above the mirror is hung the wall lamp by Normann Copenhagen with an attractive design in all its simplicity. The elegant rounded washbasin by Ceramica Flaminia is accompanied by Paffoni's builtin taps. The two portholes on the wall that overlook the bedroom allow for natural lighting.