Moscow architects Ivan and Natalia Yerkalov from ERK Buro and Anna Lazareva from Design Estate designed and built a villa in Italy in a European minimalist style. The use of advanced modern technologies has made the house energy efficient, so that a minimum of funds is required for its maintenance.

Area: 600 sq. m

The customers purchased a typical Italian house with a plot in a picturesque town and a gorgeous view of the sea and mountains in order to build a modern villa in its place, which will not only be a comfortable place to relax, but also a successful investment in case of sale.

View of the house from the mountains.

The exterior facade of the house is turned towards the sea and mountains: from all the main rooms (living room, dining room, study) there is a stunning view of the surrounding area. In addition to an outdoor swimming pool with a relaxation area, there is a court on the plot (the owners play tennis) and a children’s playground.

Working on the project, the architects proceeded from the principle of «maximum comfortable accommodation» both inside the house and outside. Everything is done taking into account the lifestyle of the family, hobbies and preferences of the household. For the owners who really like to cook, a spacious and functional front kitchen was equipped next to the living room, despite the fact that the house also has a working one located in the staff area.

The villa is two-storey. On the first level there is a public area and staff rooms, the second floor is completely private, there are bedrooms with bathrooms and dressing rooms.

View from the living room to the terrace.

Most of the rooms are flooded with sunlight, while direct rays do not fall into the office and gym — there is always a soft muted light for comfortable work and sports.

Living room. One of the spectacular and at the same time simple techniques were mirrors used in the decoration of complex shaped elements. For example, the supporting column in the living room was decorated with mirror panels. Thanks to them, the column literally dissolves into space, and the reflected sunlight complicates it and adds even more light. Sofas, Poliform. The shelving in combination of smooth white and veneered corrugated facades is made according to the sketches of the authors of the project. Mikado coffee table, Reflex Angelo.

Living room. Sofas, Poliform. Mikado coffee table, Reflex Angelo.

One of the most important requirements of the customers was a simple and understandable interior in terms of functionality and design, but at the same time «smart» in terms of technology. The authors of the project have tried to ensure that a minimum of funds is required for maintenance. The house provides itself with electricity (solar panels on the roof), a variety of modern devices are installed inside, allowing you to save on life support. By the way, the villa even received a «Golden Plate» for energy efficiency (there are no more than 100 such awards for the whole of Italy).

The floor on the ground floor is lined with engineering board, which adds warmth and comfort to the room, although in this area stone floors are traditionally preferred. The walls are painted white, decorated with slatted panels, and in the dining area — concrete slabs. Spyder dining table, Diamond mirror, Cattelan Italia.

Office. The desk is made according to the sketches of the authors of the project.

The main idea was to erase the boundaries between interior and exterior, between nature and interior. To create this effect, the architects used the same stone on the facade and inside, sliding partition windows and a large volume of wooden panels.

The master bedroom. Bed, bedside tables — custom-made.

The interior turned out to be minimalistic, but at the same time not boring due to the combination of different materials and the play of shapes. The strict lines of the slatted panels dilute the broken lines of the column and the attached table, natural wood floors gently contrast with concrete slabs.

Bathroom. Porcelain stoneware for marble is used in the decoration.

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