“FLAT ELEVEN”: COMFORT AND FUNCTIONALITY IN 50 SQM

Studio Pierattelli Architetture has designed a 50-square-metre flat in the heart of Florence: a private residence where the absence of space is not a limitation but an opportunity to interpret the theme of contemporary living by combining absence and presence, function and form, comfort and perspective.

The furnishings are all tailor-made and their millimetric precision has freed up spaces, that domestic life can now enjoy, as they are not occupied by previous structures or facades.

A restrained entrance opens onto a surprisingly large, double-height room, in which the vertical dimension contrasts with the horizontal main room below, used as a living area. The arch becomes a scenic backdrop framing both kitchen and living room and determining the volumetric relationships between different spaces. In the centre, the Arclinea kitchen watches over the living area.

“We thought the apartment would have more breathing space without furniture scattered all over the place, which would have restricted freedom of movement and contributed to reducing the perception of space”.

You go up to the sleeping area by a cantilevered staircase whose lacquered iron structure also supports a craftsman-made fixed bike. The apartment jewel is the tiny window through which you can admire the dome of the Renaissance church of Santo Spirito.

The choice of materials, colours and finishes is dictated by the need to maximise the permanence of light. A palette of pale colours has been favoured throughout the dwelling, with the exception of the indigo blue wall and the matching sofa, which, by contrast, characterise the entire project.

Attention to detail is also reflected in the choice of furnishings, true design icons: the Taccia lamp by Achille Castiglioni by FLOS, the work of the contemporary photographer Wolfgang Uhlig, the Fort Knox projectors by Philippe Stark by FLOS, the elliptical Tulip coffee table by Charles and Ray Eames by Knoll.