Ottavia fell in love with the "very lively borough" and that she would be near the university where she studied. She would also be close to family, which was another major bonus. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"The housing is a typical 'casa di ringhiera' characterized by several flats sharing an open gallery on each floor, facing a communal central courtyard," Ottavia says of the building from the 1900s. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
When Ottavia purchased the home, she says it was in "bad condition." She needed to overhaul the bathroom, and elements, like the doors, floors, and windows, needed updating. "The vibe of the flat was quite dull and a bit gloomy," she says. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
Even though Ottavia didn't change the original layout, she wanted to divide the spaces. One such area was in the kitchen. "The glass door separates the entrance from the kitchen without blocking the light and airflow," she says. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
The glass door separating the spaces is Ottavia's favorite home feature. "Besides creating a separation between the two spaces, it gives a lot of character to the space, highlighting the height and curved shape of the ceiling," she explains. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
Ottavia updated the kitchen after moving in. "The kitchen was in a very bad state; the existing cabinets were white and in poor condition," Ottavia says. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"The only thing I liked about the kitchen was the floor tiles, but unfortunately, they were in such a bad state that I couldn’t maintain them," she continues. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
One of Ottavia's favorite details in the kitchen is that her aunt's haberdashery (likely the oldest thing in her home) found a spot in the new room. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"I love the fact that the apartment is 90% furnished using discarded furniture with a history," Ottavia says. "They give identity to the space while supporting the idea of sustainable design." Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"I love the vintage feel of it, the cozy atmosphere, and the color scheme," Ottavia says of her new kitchen. "I also love the contrast between the stained glass door and the warmth of wooden and rattan elements." Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
The bookshelf dividing the bedroom and living area was another way Ottavia "[gave] a different identity to each section of the rooms," she says. The bookcase she chose also allows natural light to flood the home. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
Ottavia describes her new home as "personal, stylish, and cozy." She credits these adjectives to the fact that most items in her apartment are secondhand, and each comes with its own story. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"The bookshelf divides the bedroom into a living and a sleeping area," Ottavia explains. "It also works as a storage unit, as the top part is an open-shelf library, and the base is a customized storage for clothes and personal belongings." Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"I am very happy that my grandmother’s favorite armchair is now sitting in my living room with a new African dressing," Ottavia explains. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
"The bed headboard was made out of a rattan crib found in the street," Ottavia shares. "By joining together the two side parts, I obtained an oval shape that was exactly the same size as the bed’s width." Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
The bedroom window faces the Mole Antonelliana, which Ottavia says is "the architectural symbol of Turin." Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
Originally, Ottavia wanted to move the bathroom closer to the bedroom but eventually decided against it to keep renovation costs down. Instead, she replaced the tiles with Marca Corona "Ossidi" tiles. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
One of the most common questions Ottavia gets when guests come over is how tall the ceilings are. Credit: Ottavia CastellinaCredit: Ottavia Castellina
After years of renting and traveling abroad for work, fine arts photographer and teacher Ottavia Castellina was ready to put down roots. She was driven by the desire to be close to her family. “I also felt the need to design a space exactly as I wanted, embarking on the adventure to donate new life to old family furniture and objects, which were sitting in dust in my parent’s garage,” she explains.
While visiting Turin, Italy (where Ottavia went to school), she came across a one-bedroom apartment in a building from the 1900s. She was enchanted by the neighborhood, as the building is situated in a “very lively borough” that is flourishing with students from the nearby university. Once she stepped inside, she fell even deeper in love.
“I was looking for a small central apartment with character, and when I saw this space I thought it was perfect for my needs,” Ottavia says. “The flat was in bad condition and needed restoration, but I could see the potential of it.”
Ottavia loved the apartment’s historical charm, including the doors, wood flooring, and old tiles. Two years ago, she bought the home and began renovating it with the contractors’ help (she didn’t live there during the structural transformation).
During the six-month renovation, Ottavia opted to keep costs down by keeping the layout the same (although she made the most of the space by adding a bookcase and an internal door to separate areas). She also needed to replace the bathroom and kitchen tiles completely. Ottavia tried her best to maintain the original elements, but had to replace some.
Even though some new elements were introduced to the home, Ottavia is proud that most of the furniture and decor came from family or secondhand stores. Her father even restored wooden pieces while she added fresh coats of paint. When Ottavia looks around her home now, she sees her grandmother’s armchair, her aunt’s haberdashery in the kitchen, and her grandparents’ dresser in the living room. But she also welcomes new friends into her space, too.
“I wanted this house to feature works by artist friends and souvenirs from my trips,” Ottavia explains. “Being a bit of a nomadic person myself, my conception of home is quite open, and I liked the idea of hosting friends and like-minded people who could enjoy taking care of the space while I am away.”
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