The 1930s Trieste Apartment that Honors History

An early 20th-century apartment in Trieste's historic city seaport has been expertly transformed by the architectural firm Marcante-Testa at the request of a couple with a taste for fine art and luxurious textiles. 

Fixtures, lighting, and furniture, including modern classics by Eileen Grey, all allude to the era in which the flat was constructed. The space is further enhanced by a range of Konstantin Grcic's sculptural and modern designs for iconic German brand ClassiCon.

Andrea Marcante and Adalaide Testa have built up a high reputation in the field of complex architecture and interior design projects with their studio, which was formed in Turin in 2014. They are also renowned for creating exceptional furniture, kitchen, and bathroom designs. For select private clientele, Marcante-Testa creates exquisite interiors, frequently in historic buildings, that pay homage to the original architecture while incorporating modern aesthetics, functionality, and comfort. This is also true of their most recent project, a 180-square-meter apartment located near north-eastern Italy.

The property's German-Italian owners, who have links in the arts and high-end fabrics, wanted furniture that honours the contributions and creations of female artists from the original time period. Marcante-Testa worked to generate textile architectural components such as partitions, wall coverings, cabinet fronts, and curtains, drawing inspiration from the 1930s art of Trieste artist Anita Pittoni. The Textiel Museum Tilburg created these elements especially for the project in association with talented textile artist Aleksandra Gaca. 

These custom-made "Architextiles" are complimented with items and furnishings from traditional modernism, such as doorknobs by Walter Gropius and lamps and furniture by Eileen Grey. A colour palette of gentle pastels and natural tones is carried by a Day Bed and Roattino Floor Lamp by Classicon. While pleasantly referencing the home’s original characteristics, the Venus Chair, upholstered Chaos Chair, Diana B Side Table, white Pallas Table, Mars Chairs, and the Orcus Home Desk are all striking contemporary designs by that build a bridge to the present.