My Houzz: In Rome, a Treasure Chest of Found Objects
An artisan’s work-home space is a place of reinvention, where vintage and modern finds are given a creative spin
In 2009, Federica Raddi fell in love with an apartment complex on Rome’s Via Ettore Rolli. She decided to buy an office unit in the building, which had once provided low-income housing, to serve as both her home and studio, a multipurpose space to reflect her multifaceted personality. Today objects old and new have starring roles in her charming home.
One of the apartment’s more unusual decor elements is this bar cart, which consists of a tempered glass top and a lacquered wood shelf on a frame that was once part of a 1960s baby carriage.
“I found the stainless steel frame — complete with shock-absorbing springs and brake pedal — beside a dumpster in 2011,” Raddi says. “When I look at it, I am reminded of the importance of creativity and the value of ideas.”
“I found the stainless steel frame — complete with shock-absorbing springs and brake pedal — beside a dumpster in 2011,” Raddi says. “When I look at it, I am reminded of the importance of creativity and the value of ideas.”
“I’ve shared this apartment with several roommates and a few ex-boyfriends over the years,” Raddi says, “and they all knew that on any given day, upon opening the door they could find the house turned upside down, rearranged or invaded by some bulky guest such as a new sofa, a table or armchair made for a client, or even something salvaged from the trash. After all, in the past all furniture migrated, moved inside or out, or from one room to another depending on the season. Only in modern times do we produce furniture that is destined to remain in one room of the house…. So, there’s nothing new under the sun; my task is simply to continue an old tradition.”
Lamp: Arco by Flos; shelves: Errex by Marcegaglia
Lamp: Arco by Flos; shelves: Errex by Marcegaglia
“Not even the walls were spared from my horror vacui,” or aversion to empty spaces. Black and white photos adorn them, first proofs from a period when Raddi created photographic books. They include shots by famous photographers such as Anders Petersen, Raghu Rai, Gabriele Basilico, Don McCullin and Patti Smith. Other images are family photos such as those taken by her grandfather in 1960s Rome, her father in the ’70s and Raddi herself during her many travels.
In this corner, an old window and two vintage suitcases come together to create a unique TV stand.
For the kitchen, Raddi wanted a modern and functional space, so she replaced the floor with slate gray porcelain and added white diamond-shaped tiles on the walls.
Coffee and tea mugs are displayed on little shelves in a corner of the kitchen.
The small bedroom is just 97 square feet (9 square meters). Not wanting to do without a double bed, Raddi decided to add a loft structure, leaving the area below open. She created a step ladder that contains a series of cabinets for additional storage.
The white of the loft structure stands out against a purple wall and contrasts with the warm colors of the unusual furnishings, such as the 1940s pale wood valet stand and the folding theater seat.
Loft structure: Stora by Ikea
The white of the loft structure stands out against a purple wall and contrasts with the warm colors of the unusual furnishings, such as the 1940s pale wood valet stand and the folding theater seat.
Loft structure: Stora by Ikea
Raddi’s inventiveness is also on display in the bathroom.
A racket guard from the 1940s now serves as a towel holder.
A section of Raddi’s workshop sits in the heart of the apartment and holds two objects dear to her: the work table, in solid wood with steel legs, built especially for the apartment, and an antique Murano glass chandelier that belonged to her grandmother Rosella.
This room is where Raddi spends most of her time: “I often sit on the floor while I work, surrounded by kilometers of material to be cut, basted, folded and ironed.” She focuses mainly on upholstery, sewing and decoration here, while restoration and carpentry work is done in a separate space in Rome’s Ostiense neighborhood.
“I mostly abuse, rather than use, my work space, stretching it to the limit of its capacity,” Raddi says. “But I always thank it with gestures of affection, such as regular deep cleaning and improvements.”
Frames: Tonki
This room is where Raddi spends most of her time: “I often sit on the floor while I work, surrounded by kilometers of material to be cut, basted, folded and ironed.” She focuses mainly on upholstery, sewing and decoration here, while restoration and carpentry work is done in a separate space in Rome’s Ostiense neighborhood.
“I mostly abuse, rather than use, my work space, stretching it to the limit of its capacity,” Raddi says. “But I always thank it with gestures of affection, such as regular deep cleaning and improvements.”
Frames: Tonki
“My Singer pedal sewing machine was purchased when my grandmother was born in 1923. I rescued it from the basement of my family’s country house, where the humidity had significantly damaged the upper part. It was the first work of restoration that I ever carried out, and I sometimes think it’s here to remind me of the beauty and effort of manual labor.”
“My idea of home is similar to the atmosphere found in the historical Wunderkammer, or cabinets of curiosities. With 15 years of travel under my belt, I have created a personal style that expresses my bohemian spirit, with objects reminiscent of my bourgeois origins as well as the industrial elements so popular with my generation.”
The main bedroom is occasionally rented out as a B&B — guests can see, feel and breathe in the creativity and craftsmanship of the furniture Raddi designs and makes.
“I inherited the headboard from my ex-boyfriend and I like it because it’s deep blue and has reclining backrests. Above, in a distressed wood frame, is a poster that I had made with movable-type printing.”
Hanging lamps: Easy by Kartell; poster: BetterPress Lab
“I inherited the headboard from my ex-boyfriend and I like it because it’s deep blue and has reclining backrests. Above, in a distressed wood frame, is a poster that I had made with movable-type printing.”
Hanging lamps: Easy by Kartell; poster: BetterPress Lab
Raddi personalized an Ikea wardrobe with white curtains and leather inserts.
“What I really love are the nightstands: two mismatched stools in the same shade of blue, picked up from two different basements, and two suitcases, one salvaged from beside a dumpster and the other bought in a shop outside of town, which just happened to be the same size, are coupled together to create cute and practical bedside tables.”
Above them, two small oval plaques, the kind usually found on bathroom doors to distinguish the ladies’ room from the men’s, are incorporated into the hanging lamps.
Wardrobe: Stolmen by Ikea
“What I really love are the nightstands: two mismatched stools in the same shade of blue, picked up from two different basements, and two suitcases, one salvaged from beside a dumpster and the other bought in a shop outside of town, which just happened to be the same size, are coupled together to create cute and practical bedside tables.”
Above them, two small oval plaques, the kind usually found on bathroom doors to distinguish the ladies’ room from the men’s, are incorporated into the hanging lamps.
Wardrobe: Stolmen by Ikea
The renovation allowed one of Raddi’s dreams to come true: the installation of industrial hardwood floors, which are particularly resistant to wear and tear. They can be refinished over and over, meaning Raddi can work directly on them without worry.
For the guest bathroom, Raddi salvaged a piece of cafe furniture and turned it into a sink base.
An old drawer hangs on the wall as shelving.
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Who lives here: Federica Raddi, an artisan who works in interior and furniture design, and her gecko, Jack
Location: Porta Portese neighborhood of Rome
Size: 969 square feet (90 square meters)
Year built: 1965
Year renovated: 2010
Federica Raddi’s flat is in constant metamorphosis, the furniture redistributed frequently to keep up with the new organizational requirements of the space. The renovation of it was carried out by Raddi’s architect sister, Caterina.
“Our styles are the exact opposite,” Raddi says. “She favors minimalism while I prefer a chaotic look, but that’s why I hoped she could help me create a place with clean, elegant lines to house all my treasures.”