To act as a pivot for the organization of the 65 square meters of a pied-à-terre intended for hospitality in Trastevere, a sculptural and excavated, articulated and multifunctional volume

A place dedicated to hospitality where you can feel at home and at the same time perceive the experience of the travel. An apartment that shows a creative and vibrant Rome, far from clichés, but with a - layered look - to the glorious past of the city and to forgotten crafts.

Designed by studiotamat, Casa Totem (Totem House), extended on only 65 sqm on the first floor of a period building, it is hidden among the alleys of one of the best known Capitoline districts, Trastevere. Entirely redesigned, the contemporary and dynamic apartment that can accommodate up to four people develops into an entrance hall, a living room, a kitchenette, two bedrooms and a bathroom, all rooms set up with flexible furnishings designed ad hoc by the Roman studio. Stylistic, functional and distributive figure of the project a 'totem', in fact, a sculptural and excavated volume, articulated and multifunctional, which screens and optimizes spaces and activities.

Layering, imperfections and a casual use of color

The house, originally covered with seventies wallpaper, was literally stripped, exposing a layering of original colors and glazes of the time. The architects directed the color choices of the new furniture systems so that they were in line with the pre-existing plasters, while maintaining the imperfections of time. The casual use of color distinguishes the whole pied-à-terre, which alternates warm and cold shades to enhance the additions without prevailing over the original colors.

A calibrated project

"The challenge was to create a contemporary design intervention in continuity with the past, to calibrate the historical peculiarities of the apartment and elements of contemporary architecture, in a game of contrasts that made it possible to create heterogeneous and characterful settings" explains Matteo Soddu, co-founder of studiotamat.

The simple and material entrance

Designed in the pre-existing scratched shades, the wall left rough, combined with a brick vaulted ceiling, characterizes the entrance, equipped only with a circular mirror, equipped with a support in burgundy shaped sheet metal that incorporates the Mini Globe Ball lamp by Flos, and with linear applique suspended in space.

The pivot of the distribution of spaces and activities is a ‘totem’

The pivot for the reorganization of the spaces in the center of the apartment, dictating a completely new distributive and compositional order, is an ice-colored 'totem', a multifunctional volume, sculptural and at the same time light, that rises from the ground up to the ceiling: a sort of scenographic backdrop equipped that conceals one of the bedrooms and a passageway illuminated by a full-height glass door that houses a kitchenette, made to measure, embedded a the back.

A volume that shields and packs functionality

Hollowed out and articulated in an apparently casual way, the volume of the totem not only shields the living room from the bedroom, but also encloses internally functionality on all sides, such as wardrobes, lights, a refrigerator, a wine cellar and a bookcase. An imposing horizontal top in black lacquered wood is set on it, which projects towards the walls of the room, designed as a seat for the dining table or as a chaise-longue.

The two bedrooms

If the main bedroom is hidden from view by the 'totem', the second bedroom, in a more secluded and independent position, stands out for its bold stylistic choices, such as the game of clearly colored walls, the finely decorated fabrics and the geometrically elaborated materials.

The integrated and screened bathroom

The bathroom integrated with the bedroom is separated but in spatial continuity thanks to a perforated brick wall in terracotta from the Celosia line designed by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina, which partially screens the shower and the sink under the window overlooking the internal cloister.

Tailor-made, like in a craft shop

Respecting the vocation of Trastevere, a neighborhood that has always been to celebrate the shops and artisans who have marked its history, the whole project of Casa Totem was designed tailor-made by studiotamat, from the furnishings to the accessories to the lighting, making it unique and a homage to forgotten crafts.