It was love at first sight when architect Alessandro Capellaro and partner, Sabrina Bignami, first cast eyes on the abandoned industrial space in a building located in the heart of the historic area of Florence. He bought it in order to fulfill his vision of what the space could become; a home.
With respect for the heritage of the space, which had been a carpenter’s workshop in the 1950s, he began his restorations by preserving the traditional arched ceilings. He went on to pull down all non-essential dividing walls and replacing the small windows with floor to ceiling glazing, which instantly opened up the loft, flooding it with natural daylight.
The purchase of 300 old wooden ballot boxes was instrumental in his choice of furnishings. The boxes can be seen in all rooms as modular wall units, cupboards, a couch and even a bed. The variety of tones in the wood of the boxes is a perfect match for the hardwood floors. Further additions to the decor are new and vintage pieces, the 60s dining chairs, brightly colored objects from the personal collections of the architects and even ‘found’ objects. A note of modern minimalism is seen in the choice of grey stone and stainless steel in the bathroom and kitchen.
The result is a wonderful eclectic mix of old and new, which ensures that the history of the space is not compromised in the slightest. The architect states: ‘this is a house free from conventions and full of memories.
