text: A Home in Italy Designed for Rock Climbing Enthusiasts | Goodhomes.co.in
  A Home in Italy Designed for Rock Climbing Enthusiasts
  Built in the 1980s, this two-storey home in Tuscany gets a sporty makeover
  by Seema Sreedharan | Jul 9, 2020, 02:51 IST
  He's a chemist, PhD student at the CNR (National Research Council) in Italy. She is Italian-French and descends from the family of Parisian perfumers, the Gellé Frères. On her quest for perfecting languages, she lived between Italy and Paris, moved to Japan, and then decided on moving back to Italy. They bonded over their love for travel and passion for rock climbing, and when they decided to redesign their house, they were certain about one thing, that their home should capture and reflect their adventurous spirit.
  Photograph: Anna Positano
  The two-storey house in the dense hilly region of Tuscany, built in the 1980s, was in a state of disarray and required a complete refurbishment. In came Javier Deferrari and Lavinia Modesti of Deferrari + Modesti. The villa had quite a few things working for it -- the breathtaking views of the Florentine plain and the mountains of Calvana, and closer home, the dynamic layout of the original structure. Javier and Lavinia responded with a space that plays with the differences in height present in the original structure to create a space characterised by lively and detailed spatial connections.
  Javier and Lavinia designed an integrated furnishing system to update the ground floor, which houses living areas and bedrooms. The living area consists of four interconnected areas: the living room, the reading and music corner, the dining room, and the kitchen. The sculptural staircase that connects the two levels of the villa is inspired by the owner's love for rock climbing, and is quite obviously, as Javier explains, "the fulcrum of the house."
  While the staircase is the fulcrum, the versatile bookshelf serves as the anchor of the living space. The ground-floor living areas are spread over three different levels. Deferrari+Modesti tied the separate areas – living room, reading and music corner, dining room, and kitchen – together with built-in furniture while coordinating the colour palette with the staircase. In the reading and the music corner, the furnishing unit multitasks as a bookcase and a seating space with an added bench and container. The bench separates the space from the dining area, where the furnishing system continues in the form of cabinets.
  "In our projects technical details disappear. The main elements thus become the composition and the space. We follow with scrupulous care the selection of materials and details, we work closely with artisans to identify the solutions that seem most suitable to us and then we bring them back into our own idea of architectural space."
  -- Javeir Deferrari, Founder, Deferrari + Modesti
  The staircase is the real fulcrum of the house, the meeting point of various leves, highlighting the differences in altitude. "The staircase becomes a sort of micro-architecture inside the house, a playful space to live in. Circulation element, but also rest area, reception area, container cabinet, filter and separation device, frame for climbing. Like other furnishings, the staircase also offers elements of surprise; gradually, as it unfolds, the structure becomes lighter and changes its appearance," explains Lavinia.
  "The function of the staircase is central to the house. Not only does it represent the connection between the various levels and zones, but it also becomes the fulcrum and the element of spatial articulation. The staircase also speaks of one of the most vivid passions of its owners."
  --- Javier Deferrari, Co-founder, Deferrari + Modesti
  Talking about camouflaging the technical details, the bar is smartly hidden behind sliding walls. The bar, though really compact, is beautifully integrated into the entire system. When not in use, it hides behind the sliding wall and when the party begins, the mustard-coloured lacquered wooden cabinet makes a striking appearance in contrast with the dominant blue.
  The dining room, characterised by a long table and grey highlights that counterpoint the blue and wood, is encircled by a long cabinet that serves as a container and shelf. Here, separated by an island with stools, stands the kitchen which, like the rest of the furnishings of the house, has been completely custom-designed.
  Javier Deferrari and Lavinia Modesti
  Co-Founders, Deferrari + Modesti
  DEFERRARI+MODESTI was founded in 2010 in Florence, Italy by Argentinian-Italian duo Javier Deferrari and Lavinia Modesti. The multidisciplinary studio specializes in architecture, exhibition design, and interiors. The studio works on projects at different scales and its research ranges from the definition of new spatial solutions to research on materials. Each project is developed according to the individual needs of the client. From the study of the brief, the geographical context, the history of the place, the demands of the client, a unique concept with its own distinctive philosophy is born.
  Related Tags: ItalianDeferrari + ModestiBlue Living RoomOpen-plan HomeDifferent Levelssculptural staircase