Casa MiraNapoli 公寓改造丨意大利那不勒斯丨Paola Sola

Located in Naples, Italy, Casa MiraNapoli is a 2023 project by Paola Sola. This apartment, set in a 1950s building, offers panoramic sea views that inspired its redesign. Sola turned its former layout of separate rooms into a spacious living area filled with light, art, and contemporary furnishings. The minimalist kitchen, centered around an iconic white Saarinen table, complements the eclectic decor, which includes family treasures, bespoke joinery, and artworks.

The home was purchased unexpectedly after a long and exhausting search. This is where the renovation adventure began, full of a lot of doubts and discoveries made along the way. The initial meeting between Sola and the owners occurred by chance and started as a partial consultation. However, it evolved into a complete project due to the rapport established between designer and client. The renovation of the apartment was total.

The previous layout typical of the 1950s, characterized by separate rooms, was transformed into a large living space for admiring the beautiful sea view. The project aimed to bring light into the home, with a clever use of mirrors allowing it to spread to rooms that don’t receive direct sunlight.

The project’s complexity lay in harmonizing a structurally fragmented space with pilasters and beams of non-generous heights and creating a suitable ambiance for numerous family furnishings. The living area, in particular, became a collection of contemporary design objects, artworks, and travel treasures acquired over time by the owners. Sola’s approach involved understanding the structures and possibilities that determined the space, studying the views, natural light, and perspectives.

The central idea was to design a large open kitchen with a central table as a focal point. The family table, the elliptical white Saarinen surrounded by black Panton chairs, became a functional and aesthetic anchor around which the home’s life revolves. The search for a pendant lamp to match the iconic set was a challenge, not only for the difficult combination but also to maintain the view from the kitchen. Ultimately, they opted for the lightweight Levante chandelier from Luceplan. The minimalist kitchen consists of a wall of functional columns and a large work surface that extends towards the sea view. It is by Arclinea.

The home’s style aimed to reflect the owners’ roots through the collected objects bought out of instinct and passion for beauty and design. The standout piece is the pony skin LC4, positioned near the designer fireplace. The seating area is completed with a comfortable Cassina sofa, a pouf from various origins, Kartell stools, and a Classicon coffee table. Upon entering the apartment, before the living area, a mirror with Carlo Scarpa’s silkscreened portrait plays with reflections of views. The walls display works by international and Italian artists, such as a portrait by Rossana Petrillo and a Jimi Hendrix painting by New York artist Steve Kaufman, purchased in Las Vegas.

For distinct room characterization, various colors were chosen, from grays to taupe to blues, creating a trait union across different spaces. Functional aspects of the home weren’t neglected and included custom-made joinery furniture. From the blue-lacquered integrated door to the large sliding slat doors of the entrance to the cantilevered sideboard under the window. An adept craftsman executed these bespoke furnishings and offered the finishing touch to this dynamic, eclectic interior.