One of design’s most in-demand names – Cristina Celestino – has an extensive portfolio, with more recently adding the likes of creating a furniture line for Fendi Casa, boutiques for Sergio Rossi and a home scent collection for Diptyque, as well as designing a hotel in Ravello, the Palazzo Avino, and homes in Milan and Udine. But it’s this Rome apartment that Celestino describes as her studio’s “most important residential project so far”. Created for an overseas couple who had fallen in love with the city, it serves as both a home and creative workspace and is distinguished by its spectacular rooftop views.
When Cristina Celestino first encountered the apartment, which is on the attic floor of a four-storey 1930s building in the Parioli district, it had been in a state of semi-abandonment for many years. “The first thing that made an impression on me was the natural light filtering through every corner,” she remembers. “I was also impressed by the incredible surrounding landscape, and the potential of the rooms in relation to their connection with the outdoors, through framed views.”
When the building was originally completed, Celestino explains, the attic level was conceived as a “place of delight”, dedicated to leisure; it therefore needed some reworking to make it function as a domestic space. Celestino looked at the apartments on the lower levels, designed according to Rationalist principles, to understand how the new layout should work. “Facing west, the living area is open to the terrace; the south wing hosts the private bedroom areas, and the kitchen is north-facing,” she says.
The owners, who run an events company, wanted to host meetings here and incorporate a showroom, which added another level of challenge to the renovation. To pull off this dual private/public role, Celestino focused on the central living area. “The intention was to shape a space that would feel fluid yet carefully planned, capable of being the centre stage of the inhabitants’ everyday life in all its aspects,” she says.
The living and working zones are separated by a step – “a soft gesture that highlights the different uses of the space” – while the central structural wall is delineated with pale veneer panelling. “It’s like a thread to follow while moving from the dining area to the sitting area and studio,” Celestino continues. The flooring in the social spaces – a mix of travertine, chosen for its typically Roman character, and bleached oak – features subtle geometric patterns that nod to the building’s Rationalist architecture.
In the private sleeping area, Celestino took inspiration from the Scandinavian concept of hygge, imbuing the rooms with cosiness. “The palette is dominated by warm, buttery tones, with plush carpeting that complements exotic wood and textured plaster finishes,” says the designer, who used colour as a framing device throughout the apartment. “Each area was designed around a specific palette: a green hue welcomes guests in the entrance hall and living area, while mustard yellow marks thresholds, such as the bay window looking out towards the terrace, and the portals separating the living room from the hallway, kitchen and showroom.”
Another common thread is the abundance of light – as reflected in the nature-inspired colour scheme, every room has a strong connection to the outdoors. “The large windows were an excuse to introduce long, slim travertine benches, which are pause points for enjoying the views,” says Celestino. “We also created custom-made travertine flowerbeds that welcome greenery indoors, and installed mottled mirrored glass in the living room alcove to reflect the sun’s rays.”
With its admirably subtle design, this is a home that exudes quiet luxury. There’s very little pattern, and that which does appear – the embossed linen wallpaper in the hallway, for example, or the green and pink quartzites in the bathrooms – is gentle in spirit. “We focused on small details that speak, never shout,” Celestino reflects. “Nothing is flaunted. It’s about precious little gestures.”
