In the heart of Desio, Italy, a modest 700-square-foot apartment has been transformed into a space of connection and emotion. This renovation project, named Ode to the Moon, was led by Studio Paradisiartificiali with the creative guidance of stylist Giulia Taglialatela, as a tribute to the profound bond between a mother and daughter. A home designed to reunite, nurture, and reflect the intangible ties that link two generations of women.

Room with green leaf-patterned wallpaper, terracotta flooring, large planters, and wooden shelves separating dining and living areas. Bright window view and various plants enhance the space.

The project began with a daughter’s request to craft a space for her distant mother – a gesture rooted in love and longing. Rooted in feminine duality with two lives orbiting one another, distinct yet intertwined, the concept is much like celestial bodies in a cosmic dance. The designers approached this task not as observers confined by walls but as storytellers weaving a narrative of connection, empathy, and shared dreams.

Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

Colorful room with decorative pottery on shelves, green floral wallpaper, and a red door. A dining table has chairs and a plant centerpiece.

Rather than envisioning traditional interiors, the design team imagined a metaphorical garden – a sanctuary where the boundaries between the external world and inner self blur. Here, architecture is not just functional but symbolic, offering a psychological space where the residents can reconnect.

Terracotta vases with carved faces are placed on wooden shelves against a leafy ceiling design.

Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

Two green chairs and a round side table on a patterned rug, with an open book and decorative items.

The project kicks off with a floor of earthy red clay, grounding the space in warmth and stability. Above, a geometric pergola rises, drawing life from a circular fountain at the center. This fountain, i.e. the round rug, with an astronomical map etched beneath its surface, anchors the home in a celestial narrative, reminding its inhabitants of the cosmic forces that shape their lives.

A dining room with a white table, green chairs, red cabinet, and green patterned wallpaper. A pendant light hangs above the table, and a woven rug is on the brick-tile floor.

Read another article:Revamped Small Barcelona Apartment Combines Multiple Styles and Finishes

A red cabinet with a round lock stands against green leaf-patterned wallpaper. A decorative white birdcage sits on top.

Every element within the space speaks to the subconscious. The lush greenery of topiary hedges forms the “walls” of the home, a nod to the fluid and ever-changing nature of human thought. Open birdcages scattered throughout symbolize the liberation of the mind, while keys hanging from branches invite contemplation: Will you choose to remain within familiar confines or unlock new realms of possibility?

A cozy room with green foliage wallpaper, a small desk with a chair, open shelves with books and decor, a wooden floor, and a green cushioned chair in the foreground.

A kitchen with green cabinets, a wooden countertop, a white sink, and a tiled backsplash. A shelf with decorative items is next to a wallpapered wall with a leafy pattern, leading to a cozy room.

A kitchen with green cabinets, a wooden countertop, built-in oven, and leafy wallpaper. A striped rug and various kitchen items are visible on the countertop.

Where greenery and clay do not dominate, an ethereal whiteness takes over – a representation of clouds that fill the space with lightness and serenity. The apartment, though physically compact, becomes expansive, inviting its residents to explore not just its corners but their own depths.

A kitchen with light green cabinets, a white sink, and a wooden countertop. Fresh produce is on the counter, including grapes, pineapple, and kale. A white towel hangs by the sink.

Two ceramic jars labeled

As dusk descends, the journey leads to a hidden sanctuary within the garden – the nymphaeum, a place of water and stillness. Here, time seems to pause, offering a moment of introspection and rebirth. In this quiet area, the spirit of the home reveals itself fully: a space not just for living but for transformation and self-discovery.

A bedroom with an open window, light-colored walls, a green bed with patterned pillows and blankets, a potted plant on the sill, and a chair and racks with clothes near the bed.

A cozy bedroom with a white chair holding books and decor, next to a mint green bed with blue-gray bedding. A leafy wall art piece hangs above, and a potted plant is nearby.

A bathroom with blue tiled walls, lush green plants around the bathtub, a butterfly, and decorative wall art.

At the heart of this project lies an ode to the Moon – a symbol of intuition, mystery, and the feminine essence. The Moon, with its ever-shifting phases, mirrors the fluidity of human emotions and the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship. The poetic invocation to the Moon, recited in the imagined sanctuary, captures the essence of this connection:

Oh, Moon,
I have crossed valleys and rivers to reach you.
I have slept on the bare ground and under the watchful gaze of an owl.
The more I sought the Way to find you, the more lost I became.

It was you who asked me to lose myself so that I would discover that there is no one way;
there are many.
The creatures of the night guard your secret.
Queen of intuition, Queen of dreams. You defy reason.

I abandon myself to the oblivion of your hypnotic gaze.
The more I flee from the unknown, the more I desire you.
Not a warm embrace but an evanescent caress you have for me.
Not a clear image, but an arcane vision.

A silver mirror reveals your face, but it was only an enchantment.
I drive into your opaline veil, the illusion of drinking from your fountain.
Then you silently vanish, and everything around me falls silent.

In an endless cycle I keep searching for you
In an endless cycle I find my shadow.
Like a handmaiden faithful to her Queen
I come back to you, wrapped in the mystery of your icy Light.

The Moon becomes a metaphor for the elusive yet magnetic pull of the unknown – a reminder that life’s most profound journeys are often those that lead us into uncharted territory.

Modern bathroom with a curved wooden vanity, blue tiles, and a round mirror. Wall inscription reads,

Bathroom with blue tiles, an oval mirror, a circular light, artwork, and text on the wall. A wooden vanity with white countertop holds toiletries and flowers.

Bathroom with wood vanity, oval mirror, blue tiles, and a white countertop. A small bowl with pink flowers is on the counter next to soap and a seashell.

A stone relief sculpture depicting human figures is mounted on a white wall. Above it is a round wall ornament with a face, and below is a blue-tiled surface.

To see more projects by by Studio Paradisiartificiali, click here.

Photography by Valentina Sommariva.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

Similar Posts