Casa Silvia: Remote-Led Home and BnB Makeover in Palermo

*The kitchen, renovated. Clap! oak parquet, installed w/o skirting board.* *Ph.© S.Andretti*

Home renovation for a Videomaker and her two Children.

Casa Silvia was from the beginning a 100% over-the-phone, co-design commission.
The brief was to create a comfortable home for a family of three that could easily be converted into a BnB, given its location in the heart of Palermo, and back.

Mobile technology affords a lot of freedom to the Client, having the architect within reach at any moment doubts would arise. This allowed us to make the most out of our time working together, as online meetings do not need to be scheduled long in advance.

Every effort was directed towards a shared understanding of:
1) the Space that we were going to renovate (lighting, comfort);
2) the Dream home in my Client’s mind;
3) the New Life, or how the new home was to bring joy to those living in it.

The fitted kitchen, before and after. Beech shelves and custom designed iron hood frame. *Ph.© S.Andretti*

Building Together: A Collaborative Approach to Project Planning.

I helped my Client choose a good contractor through a few phone interviews. Next, I provided guidance to get a good survey of the apartment, and assess its conditions. Then we agreed upon a project timeline and a budget, and envisioned a route to stick to it.

Over the course of our conversations, I helped my Client get a clear vision of her project, by exchanging Before & After images of hypotetical design choices. This often happened when my Client was on site: she would send me a picture of a room, or a detail, and I would get back to her with a quick sketch over the picture itself, measurements checked on the plan beforehand, to evaluate options together.

This way we could make the project truly collaborative and examine a high number of options, almost in real time.

The bathroom, before and after. Walk-in shower, built-in cabinet and custom made beech counter. *Ph.© S.Andretti*

Cold, calming colors and energizing warm accents. The sliding pocket door to the bathroom is custom made. *Ph.© S.Andretti*

Foundations of Harmony: A Model for Design and Family Engagement.

Plans, 3d models, photomontages, tactical questions, and a lot of good listening, were all instrumental to this process that I enjoyed immensely. Once this was done thoroughly, I knew that we had laid the foundations for a good project, and that we could focus on a few pivotal elements to get there without wasting resources.

At some point, I made a whole foldable model of the apartment with tiny people to scale, including magnets to move them around the rooms. I flat packed it, and sent it over by post. The joy, when my Cient sent me back videos of her children playing with it!

The model was key in creating a sense of the home as a whole, rather than a room by room project. I believe it helped getting everyone on board for an end result that is peaceful and consistent. In the words of my Client, “c’è un’armonia straordinaria”, you can feel an extraordinary harmony.

Along with the model I sent plans and elevations for every room, with layout options and color schemes; and electrical, plumbing and tiles installation layouts, to guide the construction team.

Creating a shared vision of color scheme and lighting through a foldable model of the apartment.

Finding the True Colors

The renovation was entirely focused on creating a vibrant home to rest, recharge and create, on the fourth floor of a 60 sqm (650 sqft) sized apartment in the heart of Palermo. My task was essentially about clearing up all the thorny, anxiety-inducing aspects of a renovation, and creating a joyful frame of work.

The new layout, including furniture, color scheme, lighting, would soon become my Client’s happy playground. Silvia had ample space to choose over finishes and details, with the support of a professional throughout the process, journeys to Palermo antiques dealers included.

We decided to keep the furniture to a minimum and mostly custom made, which I took care of by sending appropriate construction drawings and overseeing the building process through video-calls with contractors, suppliers, artisans.

Finding the colors that most resonated with the Client's expectations about the new home. — *Finding the colors that most resonated with the Client’s expectations about the new home. The Art Nouveau palette and the chevron motif from Moorish architecture are nods to the history of Palermo.*

Studio/Wardrobe and Bedroom Elevations and Color Scheme. — *Studio/Wardrobe and Bedroom Elevations and Color Scheme*.

Redefining Home: Practical Design Choices for Comfort and Longevity.

I find this way of operating especially suited to home renovation or explorative projects (when I am interested in purchasing/renting a space and I want to explore its potential).

Most of the times, it is possible to turn around a space without doing any structural work. Yet it is finishes, not structures, which are are the most expensive part of a project. A thoughtful design process can definitely get to desired results saving money and time.

Beyond the immediate satisfaction over a renovation, professional help ensures long lasting functionality of your spaces: a bathroom that feels spacious whatever the size; a low-maintenance kitchen, that makes you feel like cooking for your loved ones, including yourself; a veranda where you can be on your own and feel the sun on your skin.

The veranda, before and after. From utility space to indoor garden. — The veranda, before and after: from utility space to indoor garden. *Ph.© S.Andretti*

Discussing design options using a 3D model walkthrough in video conference mode.

*Plan detail with elevations, showing the living room, kitchen, bathroom and veranda.*

Transform Your Ideas into Reality with Collaborative Design

Get in touch for a quote about a project you have at heart, such as an explorative layout for a place you are interested in, a renovation of a room or a home, or professional help for construction processes which are already underway, and need to be revised.

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