Construction Diary: 650 Square Feet Is Perfect for an Italian Couple and Their Three Cats

Growing up, Massimo Ricci cherished the time spent at his grandparents’ summer home in the historic center of Termoli, an old fishing town filled with narrow alleyways and pastel facades on Italy’s Adriatic coast. The 650-square-foot, two-story house accommodated as many as seven family members when his mother was a child, although space was always an issue, and socializing happened mostly outdoors. To this day, some of Massimo’s fondest memories are of his grandparents chatting with their friends in the street outside.