Salvaged Materials Redefine This 807-Square-Foot Home in an Italian Village

Thanks to the masterful intervention of designer Petr Grigorash, the vintage decor of this 807-square-foot home in a small village near Como offers a fresh interpretation of a certain Northern Italian classicism. Perhaps the first place you’ll find this contemporary spin is in the use of recycled and green materials. Pieces of wood and metal from the existing scaffolding were salvaged to construct a staircase and a custom kitchen. A shoemaker’s workbench was transformed into a bedside table, while cardboard screens and paintings made with mushrooms reflect the same commitment. The end result is a surprising yet inviting environment that combines raw and textural Brutalist elements with vintage accents and exotic details.

A corner of the apartment with a vintage table and chair. The 3D table lamp is by Argot Studio, the Textured Stool pouf by Lyk Carpet, ceramic panels by Fangorosa, and the t25 suspension lamp by Vesoi.

In the bathroom, a Small Foret wall sconce by Mélissa Mariller, Brutus stool by 101 Copenhagen, and a cardboard decorative piece created by Petr Grigorash.

From the church to the mountains

The apartment is located in an old building in the heart of the town, about 300 feet from its soaring church. “But the rear of the house opens onto a terraced plot—and beyond it is only forest, extending to a mountain in the distance,” Grigorash shares. The exact date of the building’s construction is not known, but it has recently been renovated. The home occupies half of the property, and is divided into two floors: a living area comprises the ground floor, which also includes a kitchen and dining area, a bathroom, and a guest room as needed. Upstairs is a large and bright bedroom that also serves as an office.

A view of the bedroom, with the house’s old beams exposed. On the wall in the rear of the photo, a t25 suspension lamp by Vesoi and ceramic panels by Fangorosa. On the vintage table, 3D lamp by Argot Studio. The Textured Stool pouf is by Lyk Carpet, the Leonie armchair by P-I-B, and the artwork by Tanja Isbarn.

Vintage furniture and salvaged materials

The project, Grigorash says, was based on a clear brief: to treat the existing house with the utmost respect, preserving the few remaining authentic details and integrating them with carefully chosen contemporary elements. The space is small, but the result is impressive. “Much of the vintage furniture came from stores in nearby towns and cities. The selection process turned into a true narrative journey as antique dealers enthusiastically recounted the provenance of each piece,” the designer shares.

Hence, an old butcher’s table became a desk, and an old shoemaker’s workbench became a bedside table. Even the carpets have a story behind them. “They came from a market in Marrakech where they were hemmed by hand by a young apprentice,” says Grigorash, who also designed a few custom pieces that stand alongside the vintage furniture. With his unique style and passion for creative reuse, Grigorash has a penchant for salvaged materials. “The living room desk is made of discarded marble, and supported by a rough concrete base,” explains the designer. The custom kitchen cabinets were made with salvaged scaffolding—“both an aesthetic and a functional choice, as the material is resistant to changes in humidity and temperature”—as are the stairs.