The contemporary mid-century: between recovery and new inserts

For the P2A design studio, founded by Alessandro Pasini and Paola Renda, the renovation of a 1950s apartment turned into an occasion to use contemporary artisan furnishings, techniques and materials.

The apartment has not undergone substantial changes over the years, maintaining the original characteristics of the construction period in the layout and the materials (floors of all rooms made of Venetian flooring), except for the bathroom and the kitchen, renovated in the 90s with little attention to the decorative and material features of the building.

The project of renovation focused on maintaining the original features of the rooms and on the complete renovation of the service rooms (bathrooms and kitchen). The old bathroom, with a typical corridor layout, was divided into two, obtaining a small guest service and a larger en-suite bathroom. The kitchen, formerly annexed to the dining area, was partially hidden by two masonry abutments.

The new floors were linked to the original ones by creating a mosaic tile technique, inspired by the floor of the Olivetti shop designed by Carlo Scarpa, using white Carrara and Nero Belgio marbles where there previously were glass tiles.

The kitchen was designed as a decorative element, emphasizing its features rather than hiding them. The top made of Carrara marble rests on opaque black bases with the sole, separated from these by a brass cyma molding; the same material is used for the skirt-board, lightening the monolithic nature of the bases and acting as a connecting element between the light-colored tile flooring and the black bases.

In the living area, mid-century furniture elements interact with contemporary furnishings: a 60's bookcase with mahogany struts and brass scroll feet separates the corridor from the living room, where a more modern B&B shoulder bookcase with sliding door hides the Entertainment technology.