My Little World

My little (zero impact) world

The need to escape from the “madding crowd” prompted a friend of ours to look for a place where he could relax, unwind and recharge. His choice fell on a small, quiet and charming medieval village.
Here, he bought a two-storey property along the ancient walls, a former tool shed that could be transformed into his own “little world”. A pleasant retreat which, during the lockdown, became the ideal place to live and work from home.
But it was up to us to make his wish come true.
We based the home renovation project on recycled materials and the concept of zero-impact building: the table, for example, was made using oak planks from the old loft; the straw seat chairs come from an old tavern; the vintage1930s wooden armchair comes from an office in the centre of Rome; the mirror in the bathroom is made from an old piece of furniture from the nearby abbey.
There was also the desire to customise each room to recreate the client’s world based on memories and life experiences. Thus the bicycle wheel hanging over the old fireplace, a companion of many adventures, and the classic leather bicycle seat used like a relief painting.
The dark concrete used for the walls and floor is like a blackboard on which to “write” and record one’s memories and passions.
In this project too lighting played a central role. The lightsarearranged so as to highlight the most particular and original items, like exhibits in a museum. With somehumorous touches like the lamp in the shape of a fairy tale gnome that illuminates the old staircase carved out of the bedrock, or the gorilla-lamp that watches over the house and its inhabitants.
For us, the project was an experiment in how to create pleasant, unique and functional environments with little effort, using recycled and sustainable materials, furnishings and techniques.