Located in Rome in the charming Monti neighbourhood, near the Forum of Augustus, this renovated Italian apartment has a distinctly 70’s ambience. Massimo Adario Architetto was given the task of taking the original, small apartment and amalgamating the roof terrace, once used to house water tanks, to turn it into part of the condominium with the access via a glass lift. Once a dark, gloomy space the architects filled the apartment with light, revitalising it by the addition of five new skylights on the roof. Strategically located, the light wells have managed to bring light even into the centre of the interior. The end result is a delightful reconfiguration of space.

The circulation is a continuous flow working around the block of stairs that link the different levels together. Whilst each of the areas are well defined individually, they work together collectively, lending the small apartment a feeling of space. The first floor houses the living room cum library, the dining room and the kitchen with two terraces. One terrace looks toward Via Baccina and the other over a courtyard. A marble and brass staircase takes you to the second floor, a bedroom loft. And then the finale, the glass lift taking you to the third level, decadently devoted to the bathroom and small terrace which overlooks The Capitol.

The décor with it’s vintage furniture pieces selected from the 40’s and the 70’s is echoed by the material selection for this apartment. Metals (specifically brass), timber, leather and marble feature extensively throughout the project. The kitchen takes up the entire length of the perimeter of the apartment, facing the inner courtyard of the building, connecting the interior with the second terrace looking out towards the dome of the Church of St Luke. Beautifully made by Italian craftsmen a long, grey carnico, marble top is the feature. The loft bedroom is clad in leather, and the bed, made especially for the space, has been crafted from ebony Macassar with a leather bedhead.