Archiplan Studio has rejuvenated the interior of a villa in northern Italy, reviving original wallpapers and furnishings, and pairing them with contemporary details (+ slideshow).
Italian architects and Archiplan directors Diego Cisi and Stefano Gorni Silvestrini adopted a relatively conservative approach to the restoration of the early 20th-century Casa Errepi, which is located just outside Milan in the town of Busto Arszio.
Their aim was to leave much of the building's original exterior and interior intact, with minimal intervention.
"For us, the signs of ageing are to be valued because they constitute a key element in the relationship between old and new," said Cisi. "They are like the wrinkles on the face of a woman – we should give value to them."
Most of the renovation work was concentrated in the bedrooms, located on the upper level of the two-storey house, and in the central stairwell.
Archiplan restored the original wallpapers by lightly brushing the surfaces, revealing unexpected textures and complexity. The surfaces were then carefully resealed to protect them from further deterioration.
"This restoration project attempts to harmonise complete opposites such as strength and fragility, the perfect and the imperfect, the brightness of a piece of furniture that has just arrived from the factory with the unpredictability of materials that have fallen into a state of disrepair," Cisi told Dezeen.
"We, as a studio, consider the effects the passage of time has on building a patrimony which we safeguard in all of our restorations and renovations," he added.
The architects also redesigned the kitchen's interior. They installed a custom-designed chandelier in the centre of the ceiling, and below it they added a 6.5-metre-long dining table.
"The large table becomes a place to prepare food, a place where meals are eaten and also a place where children can sit and do their homework," said Cisi.
The clients also requested the addition of more washbasins, which were installed in the kitchen and in the first-floor bathroom.
Despite wanting to maintain the building's original aesthetic as much as possible, Archiplan did make a few changes to the building's exterior. The roofing was replaced as its structural stability was a concern, and existing windows were upgraded.
Photography is by Archiplan Studio.
