This Suburban Rome Apartment Features Brutalist-Inspired Interiors

When designing this apartment in the southern suburbs of Rome, STUDIOTAMAT took inspiration from the raw and unfinished details seen across Brutalist architecture.

The clients – a young couple originally hailing from Sicily – were looking to leave the center of Rome and head a little further out in order to be closer to nature but also to benefit from larger living spaces. “We are originally from Sicily and felt the need to reconnect with nature, which is why we moved from the center to a more marginal area, surrounded by woods and not far from the sea,” they said. “Since we moved to Rome we have always lived in small, cramped apartments with artificial materials.”

When looking for a place to call home, they settled on an apartment inside a terraced building that was constructed in the 1980s. In collaboration with the STUDIOTAMAT designers, they decided that they wanted to restore original details from the properrty – such as reinforced concrete and its pillars and beams. “We wanted to restore fluidity to the spaces, encourage the opening and the rediscovery of pre-existing materials and details, on which to set a new vision,” added Tommaso Amato, co-founder of STUDIOTAMAT.

The fact that the architects were inspired by Brutalist details is most evident through the exposed concrete walls, and the poured cement floor. A sense of warmth is brought into the space through artisan furniture, such as the dining table, which has a solid wood top that has been burned using the Japanese Shou Sugi charring technique. To ensure the apartment provided optimal functionality, clever solutions were employed to make the most of the space – from a desk that lifts up into the wall, to a pivoting wall that moves to reveal the individual living spaces.

Take a look around “Casa Rude” above, and for more design – check out the latest collection of furniture from up and coming brand JOY Objects.