The scent of the sea

Acqua (Water), Sabbia (Sand), Corallo (Coral), Perla (Pearl) and Nautilus are the names of the five rooms in the « Il Mare Dentro » bed & breakfast, just a short walk from the beach and the crystal-clear waters of San Vito Lo Capo, one of Sicily’s most famous stretches of coast in the province of Trapani. Located in the old town centre amongst the typically Mediterranean narrow streets, the building that houses the B&B blends in perfectly with the town’s urban fabric. In the bright, welcoming rooms, one can breathe in the salt air and enjoy the relaxing sound of lapping waves. There are marine references everywhere, even in the colours chosen for the surface coverings, but without ever appearing clichéd. « San Vito Lo Capo is a fast-growing tourist resort, so a special effort was needed to differentiate this hospitality project from the numerous establishments already present, » explained architect Maurizio Gagliardo. « We decided to use top-quality ceramic products and furniture aimed specifically at a mid to high-end clientele. » Porcelain tile was used everywhere, from the entrance to the terraces, lending a sense of uniformity to the spaces and character to the rooms, all of which are sea-themed in accordance with their names.
« The concept was based on the name we chose for the B&B, which in Italian means ‘The Sea Within’, so the headboards, the room colours, the ceramic sanitary fixtures and the lighting design all followed on from this idea, » continued the architect. « Sabbia, Corallo, Acqua, Perla and Nautilus became the individual chapters in a single story. » The floor and wall tiles – « modern but elegant » as the architect described them – are all produced by La Fabbrica.
Kauri, the name of the porcelain tile chosen for the bedroom floors, is inspired by the eponymous ancient wood from New Zealand, sourced from trees that fell due to natural forces and remained underground for thousands of years. It has a warm colour and an elegant, powerful grain that leaves room for creative touches on the walls, such as stylised designs and natural stone. Splashes of red like coral on the curtains and furnishing accessories light up one of the rooms, while blue tones reminiscent of the sky and sea feature in another.
Nature again served as reference for another type of floor selected for this meticulously designed B&B. Mahogany and yesquero wood provided the inspiration for the grain of the Amazon collection, named after these highly-prized Amazonian timbers. The slatted ceramic surfaces have a sober, elegant and sophisticated style that blends agreeably with the sea-themed rooms and creates a strong sense of colour continuity between the interiors and exteriors. All the spaces of the B&B speak of the sea, of the harmonious fusion between the harmony of the waves and the infinity of the horizon. With the 5th Avenue porcelain tile collection the modern tones become more pronounced. A collection with a sophisticated design and tone-on-tone pattern in a 60×60 cm size, it stands out for its prestigious, elegant style.
For the functional and soberly-furnished exteriors, the architect opted for the Pietre Miliari series with an R11 non-slip finish. This collection reproduces the colour and appeal of natural stone and has the aesthetic harmony required for multi-size installations. It combines « a sophisticated, elegant design with cutting-edge production technology, which coupled with the 12 mm thickness guarantees excellent technical qualities such as frost-resistance and high breaking strength ».