A new interior design project has recently been completed and handed over: an apartment located in a residential area of Bordighera.
The project, designed by Chiara Fedele Interior Design, embodies all the distinctive characteristics of the projects created under this signature. A purely Mediterranean and elegant style, where aesthetics and functionality completely merge, making room for surprising solutions in which the way the spaces are used becomes versatile. As always, conviviality and slow living are the leading concepts of the project. Linen, wood and a monochromatic palette are the key elements that make the studio, the designer behind the project, recognisable from an aesthetic point of view.
It was a classic 1960s apartment: beige porcelain stoneware floor tiles, dated bathtubs, cherry wood doors, no possibility of incorporating standard wardrobes, no entrance area... But its potential was enormous: unobstructed views across Bordighera and its beautiful sea, a spacious and bright apartment, a quiet residential area, and a basic but well-preserved white kitchen that did not need to be replaced.
The clients wanted an apartment that would not follow trends, but instead feature solutions designed to stand the test of time, elegant and carefully considered. They wanted a home that would be warm, beautiful, functional and welcoming for an international couple. This is where my proposal to use travertine-effect porcelain stoneware as the common thread throughout the entire project came from. When asked to also intervene on the existing porcelain stoneware flooring, using the least invasive solution possible, I instead proposed laying SPC flooring by Decò Clap over the existing floor, thus adding wood to the palette of materials used throughout the project.
Travertine and wood, set against a warm white base, are therefore the aesthetic choices around which the project revolves.
Another key request was to carefully define the position of the sofa and an additional dining table that could accommodate more friends and family, alongside the existing island. This led to the decision to place a small extendable table in front of a large French door overlooking the sea, allowing the owners to share this beautiful view with their guests during convivial meals.
The Natuzzi sofa bed, white with woven fibres in shades of beige — another recurring element throughout the apartment — had been purchased just before the project was commissioned, which limited the possibilities for playing with its position and the view through the French doors. We therefore positioned it facing the TV for ergonomic reasons. The TV itself is perfectly integrated into the custom-made wall unit we had designed and commissioned.
The TV is mounted on a movable arm, allowing it to be rotated so that it can also be viewed from the dining table when needed.
Since the main part of the apartment consists of a large and bright open-plan space that you enter immediately, without even the possibility of being filtered through an entrance area, several measures were necessary to make everything both stylistically coherent and functional.
The wall unit we have just mentioned was designed to function partly as a proper living room piece of furniture and partly as an extension of the kitchen, adapting to different heights and also incorporating a wine cooler. It therefore appears, in every respect, as a continuation of the living area.
Since the existing kitchen furniture, although basic, felt somewhat out of context, we chose to adopt a few low-impact strategies to give it a new lease of life. We therefore intervened on the finishes, both on the island and on the backsplash. The island was clad in travertine-effect porcelain stoneware, replacing the cold and anonymous white Corian. The backsplash, meanwhile, was clad in white Lume tiles by Marazzi, further enhancing the natural light and giving the kitchen a more Mediterranean feel, replacing the old large-format grey porcelain stoneware tiles.
We addressed the lack of an entrance area with another custom-made carpentry solution, this time in elm wood, just like the wall unit. On one side, there are wall cabinets which, in addition to providing storage, conceal the unattractive electrical panel and intercom; a shelf; two catch-all drawers; and four shoe cabinets. There is also a wardrobe with mirrored doors, designed to reflect the sea directly opposite it.
The use of the shoe cabinets is made even more practical thanks to a convenient bench with a Vienna straw seat, positioned directly on the wall opposite the entrance door.
On the other side, instead of the usual slatted partition wall, we created a movable solution that allows each element to rotate and, when needed, become a proper partition wall.
Another requirement was to make the apartment genuinely hospitable and welcoming, allowing it to accommodate as many friends and family members as possible while guaranteeing comfort and privacy for everyone. The apartment already has a guest bedroom and bathroom, but we wanted to increase its capacity with the sofa bed in the living room and other strategies, including the movable slatted partition.
A blackout curtain has been placed in an “unusual” corner of the open-plan space, halfway between the living area and the kitchen. It does not cover a window, but nevertheless adds a touch of colour. A discreet white track runs along the entire length of the space, allowing the curtain to open and meet the slatted partition. The kitchen and living areas can therefore be clearly separated, transforming the latter into an additional guest bedroom when needed.
The wall unit we mentioned earlier hides another little design gem: exactly halfway along, it conceals a proper wardrobe for guests.
To solve the issue of where to place the remaining wardrobes in the bedrooms, we once again relied on our successful collaboration with our team of skilled cabinetmakers. The few available spaces that would have been suitable for wardrobes contained structural columns. We therefore incorporated them into the custom carpentry and made them functional by adding shelves.
All the custom carpentry was enhanced with framed doors covered in a linen-look fabric, but more durable. Contrasting beige fibres on a light background become another recurring element throughout this project, which has an original and timeless character. We find the same detail in the linen curtains and upholstered furnishings.
The clients can now enjoy an apartment that has truly been designed around their needs.
We eliminated all the critical points, sometimes adopting low-impact solutions that reduced both construction time and costs, while always maintaining high standards.
Chiara Fedele Interior Design is not distinguished solely by its aesthetic choices, but also by its ability to respond to every need with functional and original solutions. Always with the utmost attention to detail.
So, if you too have a specific need related to the way you live in your home that you have not yet been able to solve in a truly satisfying way, the Chiara Fedele Interior Design team may have the solution you have been looking for all this time!
