Casa RoMi by Andrea Pagani
Casa RoMi transforms an apartment in Chiuduno, Italy into a calm yet expressive interior for contemporary living. Designed by Andrea Pagani, the renovation keeps the building’s original stone and timber shell visible while layering in sharp, minimal interventions. Clean cabinetry, a dark monolithic island and precise lighting sit against rough stone and warm oak, setting up a clear dialogue between past structure and present comfort in a compact open-plan home.
Daylight washes across the stone wall and catches on each edge. A pale oak floor runs the length of the room, drawing the eye toward the open kitchen and living area.
Within this modest apartment in Chiuduno, Italy, Andrea Pagani works directly with the existing envelope, keeping original stone, timber beams and metal structure visible. The project is an interior renovation, yet it treats the inherited fabric as a central character. Every new element responds to that rugged backdrop, using calm surfaces, restrained color and carefully tuned light to balance rustic matter with precise contemporary living.
The apartment centers on a generous open area where cooking, dining and living coexist without partitions. Old stone walls, a white-painted beam ceiling and a bold black steel beam define the volume, while new carpentry and furniture set a quieter rhythm. The throughline is clear: contrast becomes the organizing tool, pairing warm wood and rough masonry with dark metal, smooth lacquer and soft textiles.
Balancing Old Envelope
The exposed stone wall anchors the main room and carries much of the apartment’s visual weight. Its joints are reworked with natural lime so the texture stays tactile and warm, brimming with small shadows. Overhead, timber beams painted white lift the ceiling visually and push more light back into the room. A single black steel beam cuts across this whitened surface, a deliberate industrial line that links ceiling, stair and metal accents into one clear structural graphic.
Underfoot, light oak planks run as continuous flooring, toning down the contrast between stone and white walls. The wood reads as one quiet plane and adds warmth without clutter. Together, these elements create a shell where old material stays present, but sharpened edges and controlled color keep the room from feeling heavy.
Shaping Kitchen And Dining
At the heart of the plan stands a dark monolithic island, finished in deep anthracite. It holds the induction cooktop and reads almost like a sculpted block, compact yet visually firm. Behind it, full-height white cabinetry sits flush and handleless so it blends into the wall rather than competing with the stone. That quiet background lets the masonry retain focus while keeping daily storage organized and close at hand.
Dining chairs in ottanio velvet add a single, saturated note to the otherwise neutral palette. Their soft texture and color give the room a hint of formality without becoming decorative clutter. Around the island and table, circulation flows easily, allowing the cook to face either the living area or the stone wall during daily routines.
Living Room And Stair
The living zone centers on a modular sofa with movable backrests. With a quick adjustment, seating reorients from the television toward the kitchen, so the same arrangement works for quiet evenings and social cooking. This flexibility keeps the open room from locking into a single direction.
Along one side, a slender stair becomes both connector and object. Black metal stringers echo the ceiling beam, while cantilevered wood treads project lightly from the structure. The stair guards the view of the stone wall rather than blocking it, allowing the rough surface to remain visible from below and above.
Light, Glass And Detail
An industrial-style sliding door in black steel and fluted glass sits at a key threshold. The ribbed glass filters views while passing light, adding a subtle vintage-industrial texture without overwhelming the compact plan. Its dark frame ties back to the stair, ceiling beam and technical lighting, creating one consistent family of metal elements.
Lighting sits quietly but shapes the atmosphere with precision. Slim vertical LED strips are recessed into white walls, drawing soft lines of glow that feel architectural rather than decorative. Grazing light washes the stone surface and strengthens its three-dimensional relief, while minimal black downlights pick out working zones around the kitchen and living area.
In daily use, the apartment reads as both warm and controlled. Rough stone and knotty oak temper the cooler presence of black steel and perfect lacquer, so neither side of the palette dominates. As the day shifts and the lighting program takes over, that balance remains, giving this compact home a calm rhythm grounded in its original fabric.
Photography by Davide Rossdetti, Michele Notarangelo
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