Modena, stile borghese o metropolitano nel grande 5 stanze

Visiting this property I had a dive into the past, in the beautiful bourgeois apartment where my uncles lived in Mantua. Here, however, we are in Modena, one of the economic hearts of Europe, in a building a short distance from the historic centre, in one of the buildings typical of the “good” families of the city.

When I read Italo Calvino and imagined middle-class city homes, the image that formed in my mind was exactly that of an apartment like this, with a small room for the maid near the entrance, a beautiful eat-in kitchen where the family gathers in the evening meals, a large bright living room with an armchair in which the landlord reads the newspapers, floors in polished marble alternating with the inevitable parquet.

Even my uncles’ house had the walls covered with wallpaper, I loved getting lost in those repetitive drawings in which I saw figures of fantastic animals as I went from one bookcase to another breathing in the unmistakable scent of salted caramel.

Times have changed and while a large eat-in kitchen and a bathroom to be used as a laundry remain essential, this beautiful apartment deserves, even if habitable as it is, to be brought into the 21st century to accommodate new needs and take advantage of the most advanced technologies.

And so a single entrance to the property would be enough, thus making use of the spaces in a more rational way. One might think of using materials such as iron and glass to create interesting contrasts and practical mobile partition solutions.

The master bedroom with an en suite bathroom and the inevitable walk-in closet where bags and shoes are the masters.

With 190 m I would say that there is no shortage of space to give vent to the imagination and find a solution that satisfies every need of living in the city in this house.

Given the series of balconies available, in the kitchen one could think of a small vertical aromatic vegetable garden.

This could be a solution, but the two entrances are a reminder that in ancient times it was not a single apartment but two, and so it could become the solution suitable for two families, or obtain a practical solution in which a young couple lives in one with their children starting to grow up and in the adjacent apartment the grandparents, who maintain their independence but with the tranquility of having the family nearby.

Also this time I got carried away, who knows if he shares some childhood memories similar to mine or if one of the solutions is what you are looking for.

Even if it doesn’t, visit it, let your imagination wander and then… well you will let me know what a splendid masterpiece I inspired you.