Genoa Houzz Tour: Upside-Down House Looks Out to the Sea
With open-plan rooms, a large terrace and a wood-burning oven, this former restaurant has the recipe for relaxation
The true treasure of the region around Genoa, Italy, is the Ligurian sea, its breezes and stunning vistas creating the perfect backdrop for any architecture. To fully benefit from this panorama in an open, spacious living room and outdoor terrace, architects Isabella Invernizzi and Beatrice Bonzanigo of IB Studio gave this home an “inverted” layout, with bedrooms on the ground floor and the living area above.
White resin acts as a decorative through line, accentuated with subtle blue hues that echo the home’s stunning natural surroundings. Recycled wood furnishings and floral-print textiles add a touch of warmth and a relaxed feel. The overall minimalist but cosy style yields a comfortable, unpretentious home.
White resin acts as a decorative through line, accentuated with subtle blue hues that echo the home’s stunning natural surroundings. Recycled wood furnishings and floral-print textiles add a touch of warmth and a relaxed feel. The overall minimalist but cosy style yields a comfortable, unpretentious home.
This home is made up of two stories, its lower level partially below ground. It had previously belonged to the owner of the restaurant in the adjacent building.
The clients’ main request was a big combined living and kitchen area. They didn’t need a lot of bedrooms and instead prioritised large open spaces where they could entertain guests. “To fulfilthis request, we inverted the original layout of the rooms, which had the living area on the first floor and the bedrooms on the second,” Bonzanigo says.
Ceiling lamp: String Light by Flos
The clients’ main request was a big combined living and kitchen area. They didn’t need a lot of bedrooms and instead prioritised large open spaces where they could entertain guests. “To fulfilthis request, we inverted the original layout of the rooms, which had the living area on the first floor and the bedrooms on the second,” Bonzanigo says.
Ceiling lamp: String Light by Flos
As the home is built on a slope, the top floor also has garden access. It is taken up primarily by the living room, kitchen and guest bathroom. The latter has a wooden door, bought from antique door specialist Simone Marro in nearby Cuneo.
All of the floors and built-in sofas in the interior are finished in a concrete-effect white resin. “Our idea, which the clients liked, was that the resin should be a single, continuous motif throughout the house,” Bonzanigo says.
The table is made up of recycled boards resting on metal legs. It was made by Orissa Mobili Coloniali, a shop and furniture restoration studio in Milan.
Even the fireplace was moved from the first to the second floor: “We kept the chimney flue, but rebuilt the fireplace from scratch with recycled stones and wood from another of our company’s building sites.”
Pouf in ash and leather: Alma Design; floor lamp: Privat Lampe II by Memphis Milano
All of the floors and built-in sofas in the interior are finished in a concrete-effect white resin. “Our idea, which the clients liked, was that the resin should be a single, continuous motif throughout the house,” Bonzanigo says.
The table is made up of recycled boards resting on metal legs. It was made by Orissa Mobili Coloniali, a shop and furniture restoration studio in Milan.
Even the fireplace was moved from the first to the second floor: “We kept the chimney flue, but rebuilt the fireplace from scratch with recycled stones and wood from another of our company’s building sites.”
Pouf in ash and leather: Alma Design; floor lamp: Privat Lampe II by Memphis Milano
The living room and kitchen are separated by resin steps and an archway, which was added during the renovation to make the interior more dynamic. “The ceiling is original, though there used to be a false ceiling over it,” Bonzanigo says. “We got rid of the false ceiling, left the iron beams visible and painted the wooden beams white.”
Wall light: M1 Medio from Viabizzuno
Wall light: M1 Medio from Viabizzuno
The beams were left exposed even in the kitchen. This space also features a blue accent wall. Enamel paint was was chosen, as it can better withstand water and cooking splatter. The kitchen was custom designed by the architects and built by Cappellini Cucina. The table had already belonged to the clients.
Before. This is what the stairs to the lower floor looked like before the renovation.
After. The architects covered the stairs, as well, in white resin, while the original banister was replaced with a wrought iron one from a house in Milan.
The framed mirror is not just a decorative element; it swings open to reveal a pass-through to the laundry room.
The framed mirror is not just a decorative element; it swings open to reveal a pass-through to the laundry room.
The two bedrooms are on the ground floor. This one is the master bedroom. Simple in style, the white of the walls is dominant. The floral-patterned bedspread adds a colorful touch.
Even the bathrooms are resin, like the master bedroom’s en suite, pictured here.
Outside is a terrace that offers a stunning view of the sea. Before the renovation, this space served as the adjacent restaurant’s outdoor seating area.
The original ceramic floor tiles were in bad condition and were replaced with Iroko boards.
Outdoor straw rug: from Funky Table Milano; tripolina folding chairs: Palazzo Bianco, Eligo; sofa: from Maisons du Monde
The original ceramic floor tiles were in bad condition and were replaced with Iroko boards.
Outdoor straw rug: from Funky Table Milano; tripolina folding chairs: Palazzo Bianco, Eligo; sofa: from Maisons du Monde
The wrought-iron pergola was already here before the renovation, and a bamboo screen was added for shade.
Before. A wood-fired oven on the terrace was left over from the restaurant. It was closed off and rarely used.
After. It looks completely different now, as the already partially ruined wooden partitions were removed. The newly opened space is a cosy corner that can be enjoyed by all.
Under the terrace are a gym and a guest bedroom suite, which are separate from the rest of the house and can be accessed through the garden.
The big glass door can be concealed with light white curtains to provide some privacy during workouts.
The big glass door can be concealed with light white curtains to provide some privacy during workouts.
Next to it is a third bedroom and a bathroom for guests.
The architects added a swimming pool in the garden, just below the house. “It could not be made larger than 9 by 6 metres [about 29½ by 20 feet], due to local environmental protection laws.”
The pool is finished in a dark grey plaster. It gets deeper towards one end. In the deep end, opposite the steps, there is a big bench for relaxing and enjoying the stunning views.
The pool is finished in a dark grey plaster. It gets deeper towards one end. In the deep end, opposite the steps, there is a big bench for relaxing and enjoying the stunning views.
Top floor layout
Ground floor layout. The gym and guest bedroom suite are missing form this plan, as they were a later addition.
TELL US
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
TELL US
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A family, on holidays
Where: On the outskirts of San Lorenzo della Costa, near Santa Margherita Ligure, Genoa, Italy
Project duration: From 2014 to 2016
Architects: Isabella Invernizzi and Beatrice Bonzanigo of IB Studio
Size: About 1,400 square feet (130 square metres) with 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms and a more than 2-acre (8,000-square-metre) garden