Hidden behind the façade of this small 19th-century Roman villa is a newly renovated interior that merges history with contemporary sensibility.
WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Serena Eller/Ellerstudio
Tucked within the courtyard of a late 19th-century building on Viale di Trastevere, this Liberty-style gem has been beautifully transformed. Once a dilapidated caretaker’s house for the old train station, it has been reimagined by STUDIOTAMAT as an elegant urban retreat for two.
Spread across three compact layered floors occupying 80 square meters, the architects wanted to preserve the home’s most distinctive elements. A standout feature of the villa was its front veranda, featuring multiple panes of coloured glass. The studio stayed true to the veranda’s original colour scheme but rebuilt its frame with steel and solar-control glass. By removing the old French door that once divided it from the house, the veranda now flows into the interior, extending the living space and bathing it in natural light that subtly shifts in tone throughout the day.
Inside, the architects decided to take a more radical approach. “The first step was subtraction – to give breathing room to these compact floors. We preserved the essential structure and original terracotta floors, but played with pure volumes, reflected surfaces, and a strong material thread,” says Matteo Soddu, Co-Founder of STUDIOTAMAT.

To open up the compact interior, the architecture studio moved the kitchenette next to the veranda, which created room for a striking alternating-tread staircase in chestnut wood. Its first step, clad in marble, serves as the sculptural base of a custom bookshelf built into the understair. Nearby, a mirrored chestnut storage unit conceals the laundry and enhances the sense of openness.
The custom kitchen features a streamlined marble-topped base with gradient drawers that shift from black to terracotta, subtly echoing the original terracotta floors. A deep blue volume anchors the space, concealing the ground floor’s functional elements: a fridge and pantry on one side and a discreet powder room on the other.
This bold block of colour continues upward, passing through the mezzanine and defining the main bathroom on the top floor. To bring in light and create a sense of airiness, the mezzanine has been partially opened, introducing a double-height void. Glass floor panels offer glimpses between levels, while mirrored panels below bounce reflections upward. “The mirrored ceiling above the blue volume creates a sense of vertical infinity. It was about amplifying spatial dynamism while keeping a coherent language throughout,” explains Matteo. A custom bed with a drawer base and integrated headboard echoes the kitchen’s colour gradient, creating a visual continuity between the levels.
A second spiral staircase connects the sleeping area to the upper level, serving as a sculptural focal point for the studio space. A glass partition, echoing the veranda’s rhythm with alternating clear and ribbed panels, elegantly screens the bathroom: the door doubles as a backdrop for the shower, while a marble sink slices through the glass, becoming a shared counter surface. | studiotamat.com
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