VDS House by 02A Studio
Set in Conca D’Oro, a neighbourhood in northern Rome, VDS House‘s original 1960s layout is well-composed. Italian studio 02A Studio retains the home’s spatial arrangement with careful intervention in the kitchen and the two bathrooms.
A Quietly Elegant 1960s Structure
The home occupies a 1960s four-story building, with a brick-patterned façade and signature cruciform concrete pillars that anchor the prominent canopy of the first floor. This part of the city saw intense urban growth in the post-war decades—an era that left its mark on the architecture still standing today.
The apartment’s original layout was already well-composed and has been left largely intact. Interventions focused instead on reorganizing the kitchen and bathrooms, rethinking circulation without disrupting the architectural rhythm.
A Decorated Hallway Divided By Boiserie
The long hallway has been subtly split into two zones: the first portion connects the shared living spaces, while the second leads more discreetly to the home’s private quarters.
This transition is marked by a thoughtful use of wallpapered boiserie—bold and decorative at the entrance, more serene and measured in the sleeping area.
Sculptural Lacquer-Red Openings
The home’s axial backbone is interrupted by a crosswise gesture: two diamond-shaped openings, framed by twin glass panels in a striking lacquer-red, visually link the two exposures of the apartment and act as sculptural moments within the layout.
Preserved Terrazzo Flooring And Bardiglio Marble Baseboards
The original flooring—large terrazzo tiles—has been preserved and celebrated, along with the bardiglio marble baseboards. Their chromatic presence inspired the color palette for the living area: shades of cerulean and dusty grey create a calm, neutral shell where furnishings and details stand out without noise.
A Ceiling Of Ornamental Plasterwork
In contrast, the irregular geometry of the living room’s façade called for a ceiling treatment that could bring rhythm and density. The solution? A tight lattice of ornamental plasterwork that plays with light and depth, balancing the room’s diffuse spatiality.
Sound System Behind Concealed Panels
At the far end of the living space, a curtain conceals a wall clad in acoustic panels, designed to cradle a high-fidelity sound system—one of the owners’ passions. A moment of intimacy and analog pleasure, nestled within the home’s public heart.
The Guest Bathroom Features Autumnal Tones
The guest bathroom—preceded by a compact laundry area with sliding oak wardrobes—leans into a palette of warm, autumnal tones. The terrazzo flooring sets the mood, echoed by rust-colored ceramic tiles, peach-toned walls, and natural brass fixtures. The overall feel is cozy and romantic, a nostalgic nod to the home’s 1960s origins.
A Cooler And More Clinical Second Bathroom
The second bathroom, by contrast, embraces a sharper geometry and a cooler, more clinical chromatic code. Its clarity is functional, almost ascetic, yet precisely in that restraint lies its elegance.
What emerges is a home that feels effortlessly resolved. The design choices, though decisive, never overpower. Instead, they seem to grow out of a dialogue with the architectural object itself—one that honored its existing identity while carefully tuning its tone for the present.
Photography by Paolo Fusco
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