CASA LEONE

PHOTOGRAPHY: MARCO BERTOLINI STYLING: ORAZIO SAPIENZA
















RADICAL AND VERY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL was the architectural style Valerio Leone wanted for the second-floor, 1930s apartment he shares with his wife, Nastya Shershen. The couple loved the historical nature of the building but wanted a home that reflected their creative lifestyle. Architect Hannes Peer (Hannespeer.com) stepped in with a vision to create “a container for contemporary life” – while still respecting the building’s roots – and fulfilling Valerio’s dream of a home with an eclectic and unique ambience. 

Hannes wanted to incorporate a strong architectural element in contrast to the apartment’s historical features (such as the decorative plaster ceiling, Carrara marble floors, and marble fireplace – this was actually added during the refurbishment). The original elements were the props or backdrop for Hannes’s new ideas. Just because something can’t be moved, it doesn’t mean it can’t be transformed! Hannes decided to feature a stainless steel built-in element. This “landed like a spaceship” between the living room and bedroom, functioning as a sofa alcove on one side and a wardrobe on the other. The design reference was the Altana Palazzo Pucci apartment in Florence, Italy, which was designed by architect Gae Aulenti (1927–2012) in the 1970s. In contrast to the warm hues of that amazing space, she designed stainless steel built-in furniture to create a cool, modern vibe. 

In fact, all the wall surfaces in the apartment sing in different ways. Delicate floral wallpaper in the dining room contrasts with bare walls throughout the home, which were stripped back to brick, and in turn, contrast with other walls and the ceiling finished in a porcelain white. The kitchen offers another contrast; it’s a lesson in black-on-black, with gloss black high-tech built-in furniture combined with black Marquina marble and a stunning Venini chandelier. The bathroom is another highlight, with marble layered with original mosaic tiles, a further example of the material-on-material and color-on-color approach that characterizes the apartment. The feeling of understated opulence has much to do with the richness of the textural palette: silk rugs, oxidized metals, aged timbers, and glossy table surfaces. These textures combine with natural light, giving the home a sense of theatre. 

It’s glamour-plus in this apartment, also exemplified by a series of human-scale vignettes – lamps, chairs, and tables carefully arranged to define spaces. Pieces of different vintages and origins are combined with a contemporary sensibility. Rock on! 

Text: Diana Prichard for Real Living Australia