This renovation of an ex oil mill was undertaken by the Milan-based Ludovica+Roberto Palomba in 2013.
The home is located in Sogliano Cavour, Italy.
Renovation of an Ex Oil Mill by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba:
“The house is located in Sogliano Cavour, a small town nearby Lecce, situated in Salento’s inland.
The building was an old oil mill of 1600, which we refurbished by maintaining and renovating some historical elements, such as walls and vaults, mixing them with contemporary furnishing.
The area is about 400 sqm (4,305 sqft), there are a series of wide rooms located on several levels characterized by high vaulted ceilings called “a stella” (that means shaping a star), a construction technique typical of Salento, dating back to 1600. It’ a very bright space, which is built around a small courtyard access.
The link with the Salento territory is very strong: the terraces open onto the sky and the surrounding landscape, while the chosen materials, such as the stone typically from Lecce, refer unmistakably to the genius loci.
Making a ‘production’ space into a home was an amazing journey. Through the choice of natural materials, the shining white of the lime of the walls, the shapes and lines of the furniture you can understand our vision of interior design. We chose few furniture pieces, alternating pieces made by us to other ones that belonged to our families by generations.
As architects, as well as designers, we have a global point of view, a continuum in which architecture and design meet and merge.
This home is our “buen ritiro” in the heart of Salento, a land that we love. It’s a place of decompression, and at the same time friendly and convivial.”
Photos courtesy of Ludovica+Roberto Palomba
