Casa FLOVVER, the home of floral designer Barbara Mattei – FLOVVER – is located in Rome’s Ostiense district, inside a 1930s building nestled between the Ostiense Station and the Pyramid of Cestius.
The renovation project, overseen by Manuela Tognoli, was guided by a single core principle: deep respect for the original identity of the apartment. Together with the owner, a choice was made to enhance the historical elements through meticulous conservative restoration, creating an authentic balance between the apartment's history and a contemporary design language capable of expressing both the owner's personality and my approach as a designer, translating it into a space that is not simply "decorative," but profoundly personal.
Each intervention was designed to generate a coherent narrative, respectful of the past yet capable of speaking the language of today—a silent dialogue between memory and contemporaneity, between the client's identity and my design language.
The decorative terrazzo flooring, found hidden beneath a layer of vinyl floor, was restored and completed in missing areas using period-appropriate materials. Doors, windows, and decorated glass panes were brought back to life with their original fittings, reviving the elegance of the era.
The wall that once separated the kitchen from the living room was removed, but the original ceiling decorations still trace the former layout, acting as visible marks of a living architectural memory.
Two contemporary cinnamon-colored volumes were introduced into the space: the kitchen and the bathroom’s shower niche. The kitchen, custom-designed and built by a carpenter, picks up on the color tones of the terrazzo flooring in the living area and contrasts them with a stainless steel countertop, creating a look that is both modern and in dialogue with its surroundings. Above, a white storage unit extends to the ceiling.
In the bathroom, the shower becomes a “box” clad in small, glossy vertical tiles in the same color as the kitchen. Here too, the upper part serves as storage, maintaining consistency with the intervention in the living area. The walls continue in a warm white tone that unifies the entire apartment.
In the bedroom, the checkered red and white floor pattern continues and is reflected and enhanced by a mirrored wardrobe, multiplying light and material.
The architectural project is accompanied by a curated artistic intervention by Manuela Tognoli, designed to reflect the vision and sensitivity of the homeowner, Barbara Mattei – a floral designer with a background in contemporary art. Selected works by artists Marta Roberti, Elena Bellantoni, and the duo Marie Hervé & Elsa Martinez create an intimate narrative made up of suggestions, symbols, and feminine universes.
At the center of the living area stands “Lilith”, an installation by FLOVVER: a snake that protects the home, evoking ancient Roman rituals. But here, the snake is a self-portrait of the designer herself – independent, vital, and bold. Lilith becomes a symbol of empowerment and equality, subverting the traditional iconography of womanhood as subordinate.
In the same space is Marta Roberti’s work “Self-portrait as an Aztec statue with dog nose and eagle headpiece” (Courtesy z2o Sara Zanin), created after the artist’s residency in Mexico. The self-portrait draws inspiration from Aztec deities, exploring the bond between the sacred and the animal: Marta Roberti’s face takes on the features of a dog’s snout, topped by a feathered headdress.
On the desk, an Olivetti typewriter and blank sheets of paper invite the visitor to engage with “Parole Passeggere”, a participatory installation by Elena Bellantoni. The project originated as a performance at Ostiense Station in collaboration with MAXXI Rome in 2015, where passersby were invited to write thoughts and stories while seated at old school desks with Olivetti typewriters. Here, within the home, the work finds a new echo: a space of listening, exchange, and active memory.
From the central hallway – naturally lit and adorned with original stucco work – one glimpses in the shower one of three artworks from the “Nostalgie des Mondes Perdus” series by French duo Marie Hervé & Elsa Martinez. A reflection on the Mediterranean as a space of memory suspended between reality and myth. The other two pieces are in the living room, next to a 1950s bookcase: a visual journey through geographies, landscapes, and cultural archetypes.
The bedroom, the most intimate space in the house, is home to “The Fox and the Wolf: struggle for power”, a video work by Elena Bellantoni. Filmed in the International Conference Room of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the video features two tango dancers wearing animal masks – a wolf and a fox – which are also seen resting on the bed in the apartment. The dancers flirt, fight, and vie for space around the grand negotiation table. In a game of role reversals, it is the woman who leads the dance, subverting the established order. A reflection on power, relationships, and dynamics of control, between public space and intimacy.
