Roman Apartment Is a Canvas for Design and Color
An Italian family’s renovated home shows off a playful collection of modern furniture and decor
Giulio Aragona and Chiara Colaiacono are design lovers, and their home in Rome has been conceived as a place to display the collection of furniture, lamps, posters, prints and other designer decor that Aragona has collected over the last 15 years.
This apartment is in Balduina, a crowded and chaotic historic district of Rome. Like its neighborhood, the home is crammed with things, with a studied chaos dictated by a passion for design.
The flat was Aragona’s family home, the place where his mother lived from about age 10 until she married.
When Aragona and Colaiacono decided to take it over in 2013, they undertook a comprehensive renovation, radically changing the style of an apartment that had never seen any major renovations.
When Aragona and Colaiacono decided to take it over in 2013, they undertook a comprehensive renovation, radically changing the style of an apartment that had never seen any major renovations.
Aragona knew exactly what he wanted to do: open the house up as much as possible to make it brighter, but also create a functional and thoughtfully laid-out space that would be warm, comfortable and cozy.
With the help of architectural studio PaoliPinto, the couple tore down walls, reorganized rooms, expanded windows, got rid of wallpaper that had covered every wall in the home and brought in a whole lot of light.
The yellow Spun chair, designed by Thomas Heatherwick for Magis, stands out in the middle of the living area. The twirling seat, which resembles a gigantic spinning top, gives off an energetic vibe. Aragona originally bought it to use outdoors, but the family found itself short of seats at its housewarming party, so he brought it inside and placed it in the living room, where it has remained.
“The house is an open space. When we invite friends, it’s fun to share moments like preparing dinner with them, and when our teenage children have their friends over, to see them sleep on the sofa and the floor. In short, we live in a fun and informal way,” Aragona says.
The home is full of color and design items large and small. The dining table, for example, is surrounded by a mismatched collection of chairs in different shapes and hues.
The home is full of color and design items large and small. The dining table, for example, is surrounded by a mismatched collection of chairs in different shapes and hues.
There are items by Ettore Sottsass, Philippe Starck, Marc Newson, Enzo Mari, Konstantin Grcic, Arne Jacobsen, Jasper Morrison and many others produced by Edra, Cappellini, Driade, Emeco, Memphis Milano and Ingo Maurer.
Among Aragona’s favorite things are the miniature models of Vitra’s iconic chairs. He and Colaiacono have collected them over time from around the world, buying them online or receiving them as gifts.
Among Aragona’s favorite things are the miniature models of Vitra’s iconic chairs. He and Colaiacono have collected them over time from around the world, buying them online or receiving them as gifts.
They chose an ice-white laminate for the kitchen and the shelving in the living area. The surface creates continuity and a neutral backdrop in the two spaces.
The steel exhaust hood, framed by two panes of tempered glass, is a key architectural feature in the kitchen. It serves as a functional but stylish partition between the cooking zone and the rest of the room.
Design finds its way into even the smallest corners of the kitchen.
Aragona and Colaiacono were adamant about their vision for the bathrooms. Instead of a neutral palette, they went for mini mosaic glass tiles in an intense orange for one bathroom.
In the other, they opted for saturated blue.
The kids spend most of their time in their bedroom, the largest room of the house.
Under the window is a custom desk where they do their homework. In another corner is a fitness area with a punching bag, weights and a pull-up bar.
Gym-style metal lockers complete the design of this space for the two athletic teens.
Colaiacono spends a lot of time in the home office, which is also full of Aragona’s collected pieces, design prints and architectural photography. Even the table/desktop is covered with collectibles.
The bed is one of the few pieces of furniture that wasn’t chosen specifically for the flat. It had been in the couple’s previous house, and they bought it before they found their passion for design.
The bed has stark, clean lines, and Aragona installed steel rail frames above it to display family photos. They add energy to an otherwise minimalist space.
The bed has stark, clean lines, and Aragona installed steel rail frames above it to display family photos. They add energy to an otherwise minimalist space.
“I have always thought that design, creative items and colors have a psychological function and can improve one’s quality of life,” Aragona says. “I firmly believe that interior decor choices reflect a person’s character. Your house expresses your personality, and I think this one fully express mine.”
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Apartment at a Glance
Who lives here: Giulio Aragona and Chiara Colaiacono (pictured) and their 16-year-old twins, Mattia and Riccardo
Location: Rome
Size: 1,560 square feet (145 square meters)
Architect: PaoliPinto
Year built: 1957
Budget: $175,000