A Refined and Delicate Renovation Primes a Historic Puglia Apartment

Luce Architetti added built-ins and a wire-frame stair that complement the two-level flat’s ancient stone interiors.

Text by

Houses We Love: Every day we feature a remarkable space submitted by our community of architects, designers, builders, and homeowners.

Project Details:

Location: Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy

Architect: Luce Architetti

From the Architect: "The building, located in the historic center of Martina Franca, is spread over two floors and is characterized by traditional cross vaults and partitions in local stone masonry. A profound renovation brought the ancient stone vaults back into view and redesigned the internal layout with the addition of two toilets, one patronal, and one service.

"On the first floor, an equipped wall elaborates on the composition and arrangement of the stones of the ancient partitions, hiding the bathroom behind it and providing a scenic backdrop to the living room.

"The dark-toned kitchen overlooks the large central space where a new vertical connection with the upper floor has been inserted. This, in addition to being a mere staircase, acts as a bench for the dining room and as a visual fulcrum of the entire environment. With compact and full shapes, it offers support for the iron staircase with fine lines in stark contrast to the strong materiality of the entire space.

"On the second floor, the volume of the bathroom divides the serving spaces consisting of a walk-in closet and an anteroom, lending itself as a bed headboard. The clean and candid lines of the volume accentuate the material qualities of the stone ceiling which gives the room a warm and welcoming atmosphere."