Houzz Tour: A Cleverly Reworked Layout Transforms a Hillside Home
Before and after photos show how turning this house upside down opened it up and made the most of the views
The true treasure of the region around Genoa, Italy, is the Ligurian sea, its breezes and stunning vistas creating the perfect backdrop for any architecture. To fully benefit from this panorama, architects Isabella Invernizzi and Beatrice Bonzanigo of IB Studio gave this home an ‘inverted’ layout, with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living area above.
White walls run throughout the house, accentuated with subtle blue hues that echo the home’s natural surroundings. Recycled wood furnishings and floral-print textiles add a touch of warmth and a relaxed feel. The overall minimalist but cosy style makes for a comfortable, unpretentious home.
White walls run throughout the house, accentuated with subtle blue hues that echo the home’s natural surroundings. Recycled wood furnishings and floral-print textiles add a touch of warmth and a relaxed feel. The overall minimalist but cosy style makes for a comfortable, unpretentious home.
This home is made up of two storeys, its lower level partially below ground. It was previously owned by the restaurant next door.
The owners’ main request was a big combined living and kitchen area. They didn’t need a lot of bedrooms and instead prioritised large open spaces where they could entertain guests.
“To fulfil this request, we inverted the original layout of the rooms, which had the living area on the ground floor and the bedrooms on the first,” Bonzanigo says.
String Light pendant, Flos.
The owners’ main request was a big combined living and kitchen area. They didn’t need a lot of bedrooms and instead prioritised large open spaces where they could entertain guests.
“To fulfil this request, we inverted the original layout of the rooms, which had the living area on the ground floor and the bedrooms on the first,” Bonzanigo says.
String Light pendant, Flos.
As the home is built on a slope, the top floor also has garden access. It’s taken up primarily by the living room, kitchen and guest bathroom. The latter has a wooden door, bought from antique door specialist Simone Marro in nearby Cuneo.
All of the floors and built-in sofas in the interior are finished in a concrete-effect white resin. “Our idea, which the clients liked, was that the resin should be a single, continuous motif throughout the house,” Bonzanigo says.
The table is made up of recycled boards resting on metal legs. It was made by Orissa Mobili Coloniali, a shop and furniture restoration studio in Milan.
Even the fireplace was moved from the ground to the first floor. “We kept the chimney flue, but rebuilt the fireplace from scratch with recycled stone and wood from another of our company’s building sites,” sh says.
Pouffe in ash and leather, Alma Design. Privat Lampe II floor lamp, Memphis Milano.
All of the floors and built-in sofas in the interior are finished in a concrete-effect white resin. “Our idea, which the clients liked, was that the resin should be a single, continuous motif throughout the house,” Bonzanigo says.
The table is made up of recycled boards resting on metal legs. It was made by Orissa Mobili Coloniali, a shop and furniture restoration studio in Milan.
Even the fireplace was moved from the ground to the first floor. “We kept the chimney flue, but rebuilt the fireplace from scratch with recycled stone and wood from another of our company’s building sites,” sh says.
Pouffe in ash and leather, Alma Design. Privat Lampe II floor lamp, Memphis Milano.
The living room and kitchen are separated by resin steps and an archway, which was added during the renovation to make the interior more dynamic.
“The ceiling is original, though there used to be a false ceiling over it,” Bonzanigo says. “We got rid of that, left the iron beams visible and painted the wooden beams white.”
M1 Medio wall light, Viabizzuno.
“The ceiling is original, though there used to be a false ceiling over it,” Bonzanigo says. “We got rid of that, left the iron beams visible and painted the wooden beams white.”
M1 Medio wall light, Viabizzuno.
The beams were left exposed even in the kitchen. This space also features a blue accent wall. The architects chose enamel paint, as it can better withstand water and cooking splatter.
The kitchen was custom-designed by the architects and built by Cappellini Cucina. The table already belonged to the owners.
Need some help with your kitchen revamp? Read reviews of kitchen designers and fitters in your area
The kitchen was custom-designed by the architects and built by Cappellini Cucina. The table already belonged to the owners.
Need some help with your kitchen revamp? Read reviews of kitchen designers and fitters in your area
Before This is what the stairs to the lower floor looked like before the renovation.
After The architects covered the stairs in white resin, while the original banister was replaced with a wrought iron one from a house in Milan.
The framed mirror is not just a decorative element; it swings open to reveal a pass-through to the laundry room.
The framed mirror is not just a decorative element; it swings open to reveal a pass-through to the laundry room.
The two bedrooms are on the ground floor; this one is the master. The floral-patterned bedspread adds a colourful touch to the simple white space.
Find bedding sets from as little as £8.50 in the Houzz Shop
Find bedding sets from as little as £8.50 in the Houzz Shop
Even the bathrooms are resin, including the master en suite, seen here.
Outside is a terrace that offers a stunning view of the sea. Before the renovation, this space served as the adjacent restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
The original ceramic floor tiles were in bad condition and were replaced with iroko boards.
Outdoor straw rug, Funky Table Milano. Tripolina folding chairs, Palazzo Bianco, Eligo. Sofa, Maisons du Monde.
The original ceramic floor tiles were in bad condition and were replaced with iroko boards.
Outdoor straw rug, Funky Table Milano. Tripolina folding chairs, Palazzo Bianco, Eligo. Sofa, Maisons du Monde.
The wrought-iron pergola was already in place, and a bamboo screen was added for shade.
Before A wood-fired oven on the terrace was left over from the restaurant. It was closed off and rarely used.
After The area looks completely different now, as the already partially ruined wooden partitions were removed. The newly opened space is a cosy corner that can be enjoyed by all.
Under the terrace are a gym and a guest bedroom suite, which are separate from the rest of the house and can be accessed through the garden.
The big glass door can be concealed with sheer white curtains to provide some privacy during workouts.
The big glass door can be concealed with sheer white curtains to provide some privacy during workouts.
Next to the gym is a third bedroom and a bathroom for guests.
The architects added a swimming pool in the garden, just below the house. “It could not be made larger than 9 x 6m due to local environmental protection laws,” Bonzanigo says.
The top floor layout.
The ground floor layout. The gym and guest bedroom suite are missing from this plan, as they were a later addition.
Tell us…
What do you think of this rejigged home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of this rejigged home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here A family
Location On the outskirts of San Lorenzo della Costa, near Santa Margherita Ligure, Genoa, Italy
Size Three bedrooms and two bathrooms; about 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m)
Project duration From 2014 to 2016
Architects Isabella Invernizzi and Beatrice Bonzanigo of IB Studio
Photos by Luca Miserocchi