Wall and floor coverings and furnishings. Advice for the perfect combination

When we are planning a renovation job, meaning any demolition required followed by reconstruction, we have to be aware that buildings consist of load-bearing structures (30/40 cm thick, varying in size depending on the age of the building but not modifiable) and partition walls (made of boarding or panelling and used to separate the various rooms within a home).

Floors consist of several different layers: the floor itself, the load-bearing structure, which is about 25 cm thick; the screed, a layer of sand and cement in which electrical wiring and plumbing pipes can be sunk, more or less 4 to 7 cm thick, and the floor covering consisting of the chosen finishing material (such as parquet, ceramic tiles or resin), which may be from 8 to 40 mm thick.

It is very important to take great care when choosing ceramic tiles and not be too reckless: remember that the finishing materials chosen for the walls, floor and ceiling are the foundation of each room’s design scheme and give it a precise identity

Bearing in mind these factors, which apply in the case of in-depth renovation projects, we need to choose a specific style for our homes, one that really reflects the way we are.

I suggest Vintage style, midway between the modern and the traditional; with the reassurance provided by a design language that is not limited to the present, rooms and the way they are conceived can be reinvented in modern style, giving new life to furniture and ornaments with their own history. Time passes, but the value of an object remains. We may decide to use an attractive stoneware with a parquet effect (such as collection "Treverkhome"), perhaps a nice warm oak, for the daytime area.

The ideal covering for the bathroom, for example, consists of elegant, functional Marazzi tiles: I would opt for a neutral colour such as “SistemN”, "Pietra di Brera (Evolutionstone)" or “Brooklyn”, which can also be used as an alternative to parquet in the living area.

The vintage market has a large number of fans: furniture and ornaments dug out of cellars or attics can be bought at auction, at out-of-the-way antique markets, or on the web. Galleries of 20th Century collectors’ items and vintage design play the same role as antique shops: amazing pieces, perhaps a bit battered, can be restored to their full beauty and reused to great effect. For example, I have rediscovered the restrained elegance of the ‘50s, when the concept of functionality was starting to come into fashion, combined with the use of warm, cosy colours for furniture.

Today, I would combine vintage style with very bright-coloured fabrics in shades of ochre, brown, petrol blue and orange.

We should not forget that it is always a good idea to complete every design scheme with well placed paintings, which can furnish a whole wall. Last but not least, it must be remembered that light is not just a functional element; it is a design feature in its own right.