There’s no better advantage when looking for a home in your favourite building than having a family member who already lives there. Margherita Massalin and Filippo Ravano grew up in the hillside neighbourhood of Albaro in Genoa, and knew this early-20th-century house well; when Margherita’s family saw an apartment for sale across the landing, there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation.
Reimagining the property’s historic features has been a joint effort between Margherita – an architecture graduate from the University of Genoa, now a sports journalist because of her passion for football – and her aunt, architect Francesca Fossa.
Due to the building’s protected status, regulations prevented alterations to the structure, so they had to find a way to give the apartment a contemporary edge while respectfully preserving its ornate stucco ceilings and antique oak floors with their decorative borders.
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The answer was beautiful in its simplicity: colour, and lots of it. Rich in vivid, contrasting tones that vary from room to room, the palette Margherita and Francesca have developed reflects their shared belief that one should not fear bold colours, nor regret them.
From the deep blue of the entrance hall to brick red in the living and dining areas, the malachite-green study and the sumptuously decorated bedrooms, featuring Pierre Frey wallpaper and curtains, this home is a vibrant tapestry of hues and textures.
The furniture choices combine design icons such as Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s ‘Catilina’ armchairs with 1970s pieces and antiques sourced mainly from the Far East, as well as ultra-modern additions including Oskar Zieta’s large steel ‘Rondo’ mirror. Bookcases and wardrobes were custom-designed using wood, steel and burnished brass to harmonise with the traditional grand proportions of the rooms.
When questioned about the characterful mix of colours and decorative elements in her home, Margherita admits, laughing, that she doesn’t believe in the ‘less is more’ approach. Beautiful equals full, dense and brilliant – clean, white spaces are anathema to her.
Francesca echoes this sentiment, preferring to create imperfect, layered homes bursting with ideas, references and diverse sources of inspiration from different time periods and places. Indeed, the spirit of this glamorous, warm and joyful apartment is a lesson for life as well as design: ‘more is more’.
