Chef Cannavacciuolo: a custom designed resort

Here, in fact, the couple of entrepreneurs (made famous to the general public thanks to MasterChef) often spent the months off from the activity of Villa Crespi on Lake Orta, rediscovering a familiar tranquility that led them to think about a new hospitality project.

The structure, in addition to being the first owned by the chef in the Campania region, is also the same manor house where Antonino spent his childhood. An aspect that has influenced the design, especially of the interiors of LAQUA Countryside: the personal sphere is intercepted in various details which, if observed closely, tell something significant for the life of the chef.

The Turin studio lamatilde, born in 2017 by 5 professionals (Michele Cafarelli, Luca Macrì, Sandro Rizzo, Marco Ruffino and Silvio Tidu) and established above all for interior projects aimed at hospitality, curated the project and the architecture in partnership with the architect Valentina Autiero.

Homage to tradition

The mention of the Campania roots is explicit above all in the use of materials and processes which, both inside and outside the structure, recall the original ones: the use of cocciopesto, for example, refers to the tradition of local constructions.

For the coverings, many pre-existing tiles were kept and, to maximize the enhancement of the recovered and restored architectural elements, we worked with the combination of innovative materials, such as the burnished brass paneling.

...and to the family

In addition to the material aspect, the chef's roots are reflected in the reconstruction of an everyday life typical of family life: each of the six rooms, at LAQUA Resort, bears the name of a component of the original housing unit (the Grandmother's Room, the Handyman's Room, the Mad Uncle's Room, the Curate's Room, Annarella's Room and Marina's Room), as if to revive spaces and memory.

It is typical of the Lamatilde studio to recreate narrative fil rouge that make the guest travel through sensations and emotions. Then there is the reference to the passion for art of Antonino Cannavacciuolo's father, a well-known chef and sculptor: the main staircase, also restored, houses a collection of sculptures created by him.

The narrative code

The reconstruction of a story to live continues with the introduction of iconic objects inside the rooms: the selection of modern and ancient pieces have been carefully selected to create connections with what is proposed.

Among others, the silver Vanity set in the Grandmother's Room and the legendary Olivetti typewriter in the Annarella one deserve a special mention. Thus, the character takes shape and allows the imagination to travel during the stay.

The common areas and (of course) the restaurant

The heart of the resort, needless to say, beats strongly in the restaurant, the Cannavacciuolo Countryside , or the new creation of the chef, this time located in his homeland. For this area, lamatilde designed most of the custom-made furnishings and then commissioned the construction to the company DiSé.

An example of this is the important cabinet with burnished brass doors. Chairs and dining tables are by Pedrali , with a lava stone top designed specifically for the project. As regards lighting, the study involved the company OTY which was responsible for the design of both the technical and decorative lights, designed specifically for LAQUA Countryside.

The exteriors

The outdoor space has also been carefully designed and, like the rest of the structure, plays a fundamental role in keeping alive the perception of contrast between yesterday and today: the swimming pool, a dreamy blue slab flush with the flooring, it is surrounded by rustic wooden slats which, again, in turn, stand out against the green landscape in which the relaxation corner is immersed.

T all that is a garden was designed in collaboration with the architect Stefano Olivari. The presence of two gardens and an orchard was a starting point: they expressively integrate the external environment and produce quality local raw materials which are then used in the kitchen, guaranteeing kept very high quality for the palate.