In the seaside neighborhood of Castelletto, a Genoan penthouse reflects the travels, memories, and objects collected by its owners over the course of their lives. “Entering this apartment was like listening to a story and watching it slowly turn into a home,” says architect Giulia Grillo, who helmed the apartment's transformation. “The words of the clients were my starting point: every anecdote, every memory became a living element of the project." Rather than simply reworking the interiors and materials, Grillo’s task was to give physical form to a lifetime of experiences.
Finding room for travel stories
The apartment looks out over the city, its slate roofs set against the glittering sea. The constantly changing panorama follows the rhythms set by the light. Here time seems to slow, the sounds of the city recede into the distance, and every window becomes a subtle threshold: between inside and outside, between domestic intimacy and urban life.
It was a perfect spot for the owners, who were not looking for a place to put down permanent roots. Instead, they wanted a space that reflected their lives, which are constantly in motion. Having spent years dividing their time between Venice, Germany, and England, they chose Genoa as a place to rest. Here, they wanted a pied-à-terre that is as much emotional as functional—a temporary refuge that reflects their identities.
“Listen to people before you listen to the space”
“It wasn’t a matter of inventing something new, but of shaping an existing story,” explains Grillo. Her advice is as simple as it is radical. “Don’t chase trends,” she advises. “Create a home that truly reflects those who live in it.”
With this project, the merging of two separate apartments became an opportunity to design a continuous and flowing interior. Grillo restored the original Genoese marble-chip floors—technically a form of terrazzo, a composite material traditionally featuring a marble chip medley—and kept the stucco ceilings, cast-iron radiators, and period doors. These bones coexist harmoniously with vintage furnishings found by the owners aboard old yachts, inside Venetian mansions, and at London markets. Each element carries with it an origin story, a memory, and a precise reason for existing.
Color stories
Each room is autonomous, telling a story of its own. The color palette, for example, is far from arbitrary: mostly sourced from Farrow & Ball, the shades Grillo chose intentionally guides one's gaze and builds a visual rhythm. Powder pink coats the walls of one bathroom, playing off the floral wallpaper backdropping the double vanity, while pale blue brightens up another. Darker beet and royal blue hues cloak the walls of studies and reading nooks elsewhere. The sage green kitchen is a standout, color-drenched and one of the few spaces in the penthouse that feels completely modern.
Natural light is a constant presence throughout—it glides over surfaces, changes their colors, and gives depth to materials and textures. Stunning woodwork can be found on cabinets and in original flooring, which bears intricate patterns throughout the layout. Amongst other decorative elements, crown moldings, unique drapery, statement light fixtures rendered in glass, and eye-catching artwork further differentiate the rooms from one another. Looking closely, the penthouse becomes a never-ending I-Spy puzzle for the design-inclined: a Carlo Scarpa chandelier here, an Hermès fabric there.
This Genoan penthouse was originally published in AD Italy.
