The San Francisco style
Located in a valley outside of Piacenza, near Milan, the River House sits in a region with a rich architecture heritage. Originally built in the 1970’s, it is an excellent example of how an ordinary, small house can be transformed. The renovation followed a tight budget. Inspired by Donald Judd sculptures, repeated, sculptural lines translate into unexpected interiors where even the shelving assumes a sculptural quality. A whisper of California style is present in this renovation—a mix of minimalist and contemporary country styles typical of lofts in San Francisco, where I worked from 1999 until 2000. In this way, the River House is an example of borrowing ideas from one style and successfully applying them in a new context.