A house dating back to the fourteenth century and set in an ancient village in the hills of Reggio Emilia, in the valley of the Crostolo river, with the evocative name of Ca' Caprari, has become the home of architect Giulia Delpiano and designer Corrado Conti, owners of the architectural studio ovre.design® in Reggio Emilia.
The house had undergone a previous architectural and structural renovation by Corrado Conti's father: Fausto Conti, a passionate collector of medieval and renaissance art. Thanks to his deep experience and knowledge of the architectural and artistic landscape of the Reggio Emilia Apennines, Fausto Conti completed a restoration characterized by an important respect for the artistic heritage of the territory.
When the house became the home of Giulia and Corrado, the two architects integrated the historical pieces belonging to their father's collections with a different historical vision, where vintage is combined by suggestions of modernity, in a multifaceted historical dialectic rich in references.
A reinterpretation of the setting, which has enhanced the dialogue with the original architecture in a continuous alternation between existing and new, history and contemporaneity. A place that speaks of a couple who loves design and modernity, together with the fascinating and suggestive memory, still full of vitality, of the past.
Vintage for us is the recovery of the fifties and sixties, which we would have liked to live because they were the years of the birth of great Italian design."
Corrado Conti, designer of ovre.design®
The house is developed on two levels connected by a central staircase in glass and Corten that constitutes a very modern axis at the centre of the house, topped by a characteristic architrave with double shelves. Engraved in the architrave, the date 1512 and the six-pointed rose, solar symbol, which emphasizes the entrance to the main floor.
The various rooms of the house, from the living room to the kitchen, to the "study" area up to the master bedroom are the result of a careful work of research in which it is possible to find a philological association of local historical elements with characteristics of modernity both at stylistic and functional level.
The ancient forms are a source of inspiration and creative reinterpretation for Giulia and Corrado who live in these spaces every day, interpreting the dwelling as a protective shell in which the ancient stone creates a feeling of well-being and gives a constant energy charge.
All the finishes, doors and windows, floors and walls date back to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, were recovered from villas and palaces in the Reggio Emilia area. The oak floors are also recovered from historic buildings as well as for the fireplaces and stones that bear the spirit of the "genius loci" of belonging to the territory where the house is located.
A distinctive element inside the house is a continuous game of contrasts. Thus, Martini crystal glasses and original plaques from the 1950s act as a counterbalance to a set of eighteenth-century amphorae in glazed ceramic, that were used to produce balsamic vinegar, with an obvious reference to the tradition also in its gastronomy. At the same time, the choice of furnishings, selected one by one, dialogue in a journey between present and past, such as the modern antique armchairs that is in balance with a sixteenth-century fireplace bench next to a Fiat fiberglass sign. The signs are a present and significant element of decoration, with references to iconic Italian names, such as Moto Guzzi.
In the kitchen area, a table dating back to 1500 has the function of a contemporary kitchen island in perfect harmony with a wall cabinet made unique by its painted doors from the Renaissance period.
In the master bedroom there is a particular brightness thanks to the presence of a double window that develops vertically and creates a cosy and intimate atmosphere. In this space we find pieces of art and historical furniture integrated with modern furnishings such as the mirror that deliberately reflects the charm of a rural staircase. In the room there is also a wooden and Corten staircase that connects to the walk-in closet in the loft.
The light is the protagonist throughout the house with its games between glass and stone. Unexpectedly, it creeps in from a “gattarola” located in the kitchen door, the circular hole that the original owners of the 17th century reserved for the free passage of the cats.
We really love the historical layering, such as the fiberglass sign with an eighteenth-century door and a piece of design furniture. This is a feeling from our American years, in which the absence of Italian history has accentuated even more the sense of belonging to a collective and individual journey of the tradition."
Giulia Delpiano, architect of ovre.design®
Indeed, the story of the personal and professional relationship between architect Giulia and designer Corrado starts from a meeting in New York's Central Park.
