Sicilian contrasts

If it were not for the blue sky, the turquoise sea and the Liberty style villas, the photos of this interior design project would bring to mind a typical city apartment. The magnificent natural setting boasts a long shoreline of fine white sand and tropical coloured water, although the area is also popular with tourists and holidaymakers for the many splendid examples of Art Nouveau buildings dotted along the coast. The location is Mondello in Sicily, the best known seaside and holiday resort of the city of Palermo, delimited by Monte Pellegrino and the area north of Monte Gallo known as Partanna. The attic floor in this modern residential building has been renovated without any concessions to the traditional architecture of seaside resorts. The interior design combines neutral coloured materials with essential and modern furnishing elements. Pale, natural colour tones have been chosen, while the uniformity of the project is broken up by a small number of antique items of furniture and visually appealing designer lights. The wood-, terracotta- and concrete-look ceramic floor tiles contribute to the overall atmosphere. The site plan is rigorous, divided into daytime and night-time areas with a splendid walk-in closet and large bathroom. Caesar supplied some of its Italian porcelain tile collections for the floors in the living rooms, bathroom and bedroom. The living area in particular combines tradition and modernity through the use of One collection porcelain tiles, whose soft tones create a sensation of warmth, natural appeal and elegance. Chosen in a large 60×120 cm size and colour Rope, One melds contrasting inspirations to produce a uniquely harmonious style and unprecedented originality. Warmer materials and finishes are used in the night-time area, which is made even cosier thanks to the wood effect of the Life porcelain collection, chosen in the Noce (walnut) colour. Last but not least, the Gate collection – chosen in the Greige and mixed version in 75×75 cm, 60×60 cm and 30×60 cm sizes – lends a touch of elegance to the bathroom. Its essential and exclusive concrete-inspired texture ensures the maximum creative freedom, blending in perfectly with all the designer furnishing elements such as the freestanding bathtub designed by Philippe Starck for Duravit. White, grey and beige are the dominant colours, as if to say: “Let’s leave the vibrant colours of nature outside and allow ourselves a little relaxing normality”. When you’re staying in Mondello every day, you can afford to do that.