A striking duplex apartment in Lombardy, Italy, showcases the latest interior design trends with an all-encompassing butter yellow color scheme that transforms the living space into a sensory experience. Located near Pavia, this innovative residential project by Boro Design Studio represents a bold departure from conventional interior architecture, where color becomes a building material itself.
The apartment, situated in the heart of Siziano near the historic university town of Pavia, spans multiple levels and reveals unique perspectives throughout. Sergio Arnao, founder of the design agency, explains that "in this project, architecture is reduced to the minimum, making room for the sensory and perceptive experience of living." The approach prioritizes emotional response and spatial perception over traditional architectural elements.
The living room serves as a testament to this philosophy, with butter yellow enveloping every surface from floor to ceiling, walls to furniture. Only the kitchen distinguishes itself through wooden columns and a dark glass table from The Masie. Custom-made sofas blend seamlessly into the decor alongside chairs from Ton, while a black coffee table from Muuto provides contrast in the foreground. The fireplace and staircase continue the monochromatic theme, with only carefully selected elements like lamps, custom bookshelves, and glass tables serving as graphic punctuation marks in the space.
Arnao designed the space as "a fluid and continuous environment, where each element dialogues with the box." The butter yellow becomes dominant, creating "a calibrated balance between matter, light, and color" through "a chromatic palette focused on warm and neutral tones that envelop the rooms and suggest a muffled and uniform atmosphere." This creates the impression that a delicate yellow veil has been draped over the entire apartment, including the sleeping areas.
The staircase serves as the architectural pivot, described as "a sculptural staircase that breaks the architectural rigor of the ground floor with faceted and theatrical geometry," sealing a pact between formal rigor and lightness. This ribbon-like sculptural element connects the two levels of the duplex, painted entirely in butter yellow including steps, risers, and railings.
The ground floor maximizes brightness through its color choices and large openings that allow natural light to model volumes and sculpt depths, "drawing soft shadows that continue on the walls and become an integral part of the project." Arnao explains that the intention was to connect rather than separate, which is why all furniture appears in yellow tones, matching the resin flooring and wall paint. "Each element is calibrated to avoid any visual overload, letting proportions and the interplay between solids and voids define the atmosphere of the space."
The kitchen represents the main exception to the yellow scheme. Created by Cappellini from Sergio Arnao's design, it "consists of a fifth column in Canaletto walnut and plays the role of visual and functional pivot in the space," accentuating the depth of the living room. "The other breaking element is the table with a dark glass top and cylindrical legs, which brings a sophisticated touch to the room," the designer notes. The dining area surprises with its material choices, as the Cappellini kitchen in Canaletto walnut provides a spectacular backdrop for experimentation, while The Masie's dark glass table contrasts with the yellow resin. Matching chairs from Ton and a suspended lamp from SantaCole complete the composition.
Upstairs, the master suite introduces chromatic and material variety while following "the same logic of aesthetic continuity and material coherence, but distinguished by its intimate and warm atmosphere." Full-height Canaletto walnut cabinets, matching the kitchen columns, rhythm the walls while camouflaging access to the bedroom. The architect paid particular attention to the bed textile choice, unexpectedly presented in deep red tones, "introducing a pronounced chromatic touch that animates the environment with vibrant and unexpected elegance."
The master suite, both austere and sophisticated, communicates directly with the staircase through floor-to-ceiling glazing and intrigues with raspberry red tones that dress the bed and accessories. Despite more saturated colors, the suite maintains refinement through the full-height Canaletto walnut wardrobe by Cappellini Cucine, serving as a suggestive decorative element that also conceals access to the en-suite bathroom.
Bathrooms throughout the apartment maintain the soft tones and enveloping atmospheres that characterize the entire house. The only material accent beautifying these spaces dedicated to relaxation and wellness is the stainless steel fixtures by Quadro Design, resembling small sculptures. The guest bathroom stands apart as a complete room painted in brick red, immediately drawing attention with its saturated color choice and satin stainless steel fixtures by QuadroDesing.
The children's bedroom continues the butter yellow theme, bathed in the same warm light that defines the apartment's character. A Bellhop lamp by Flos provides illumination in the foreground, maintaining consistency with the overall design philosophy.
The project's essence lies in suggesting sensations and moods, ensuring contact with different emotions throughout the space. Even in bathroom design, the intention was "to amplify the perception of space, designing each element so that it integrates harmoniously with the whole." This comprehensive approach to color and spatial experience transforms a conventional duplex into an immersive environment where architecture serves emotional and sensory exploration rather than purely functional needs.
