28 05 / 2013 ISSUE 43

Transcription

1 28 05/2013 ISSUE 43

2 From the From the Taking an Mdina house from the 16 th straight through to 21 st - living, after countless years of abandonment and neglect, is a daunting job. MICHAEL TRAPANI GALEA and GRETA APAP BOLOGNA did it with this family-owned house that is now completely unrecognisable and at the same time, just what it was. Photography: GEORGE SCINTILLA Brother and sister Michael Trapani Galea and Greta Apap Bologna have separate interior design practices and tend not to work on projects together, but for this particular house, they teamed up and brought together their differentiated skills. There was a good reason for that: the house is owned by their father and has been in the family for hundreds of years. They both wanted to be involved and give their input to restoring what had been something of an abandoned wreck for many decades. The place was such a mess; there were all kinds of creatures living here and none of them were human, Greta says. I admired those working here at the start, having to brave all that. The house was originally two separate small dwellings, dating back to the 16 th, back to back and opening out onto parallel streets. The intervening courtyard which separated them has been opened out to link the two, so that you can go from one to the other through the yard. They are still, effectively, separate houses but linked into one dwelling: a main house and a guest annex. Much of the heavy structural work was carried out around 15 years ago in a renovation project that was begun but later abandoned. Part of the courtyard was roofed over at that stage, to form the downstairs living-room with a terrace above, and it was at that stage that the idea of connecting the two houses emerged. The project was then left on the backburner and taken up again only recently when Michael and Greta decided to take it in hand, restoring it and making it welcoming and habitable for tenants. The current tenants, a photographer and producer, and their teenage daughter, moved in last December. Michael and I had completely separate responsibilities though of course we met regularly to dovetail our tasks, Greta says. A project in an old house like this has its particular challenges because you have to respect the structure and the integrity of the walls. All the wiring, for example, had to be The brother and sister team, Michael Trapani Galea and Greta Apap Bologna, with Michael s dog, Ugo, on the main staircase of the house. laid between the stones so that the stones themselves were not cut in any way. We had to respect the location and the history, but at the same time make this space comfortable for 21 st - life. Lots of decisions had to be taken along the way for instance, whether to go for a traditional stone fireplace with a carved mantel in the downstairs living-room, or to go entirely in the opposite direction with something really contemporary in glass and metal, though it remains traditional log-burning. They decided on the latter, and it suits the space, providing a contrast. Other contemporary comforts include double-glazing throughout and air-conditioning which is also used to heat the house in winter. continues ISSUE 43 05/

3 Perhaps the house s most striking feature is its entrance hall, a lovely space of small-scale grandeur and impact. Far from feeling cold and bleak, the all-stone interior somehow succeeds in looking lived-in, perhaps because of the well-worn nature of the stone and the traces of centuries of use. The paving is a chequer-board of two shades of natural stone which moves away from the more traditional black and white chessboard pattern. The fresh blue and white dhurry lifts the feel of the space for the warmer months a heavier rug is necessary in the winter cold. A stone cornucopia of fruit and flowers, from InsideOut Interiors, is used as a staircase finial. A panelled mirror hangs by the front door, which is in the original wood and beautifully restored. A silvered table and chair are the only pieces of furniture in the space, which does not need much at all because the age-old stone speaks for itself. The doorway on the interim landing leads to the kitchen. From the The ground floor is seen as the public/ entertainment area and is very open, though there is also a very good terrace at first floor level, which is the only openair sunny space in the house and much used for this purpose. The kitchen is up a few steps from the front door, but then opens right out onto the dining-room, so even though it is a galley-kitchen in the sense that it is fitted into an alcove space, it has no need of its own eating-area. The dining-room opens onto a small internal courtyard which is where the family rabbit now lives, and which is a source of soft natural light until late afternoon. The largest room on the first floor, which overlooks the street, has been divided into two by means of a wooden wall, forming a sizeable family livingroom and a bedroom now used by the daughter of the house, above which lies her den, reached by a steel and wood spiral staircase. The main bedroom is served by its own bathroom and also has plenty of natural light, which is essential in a room like this. We were fortunate because the old walls had no damp spots despite there being two very large wells beneath the house, Greta says. That cut down on a lot of work, because treating damp on old walls is a notoriously difficult exercise. The floors are tiled throughout. There was no area where the original flooring could be rescued, except on the stone staircase itself. We went for something neutral and innocuous throughout the house, Michael says, but wanted a bit more of a statement in the entrance hall. So we chose a chequer-board pattern based on traditional black and white chessboard tiling for entrance halls, but used two shades of natural upper coralline limestone instead. Greta, who specialises in lighting, lit the house throughout, while Michael designed the kitchen for what is an awkward space, but with good effect. He chose simple, traditional lines and had the cupboards expertly hand-built by a joiner on legs that raise them above the ground to make cleaning easier and to avoid any dampness situations that might arise. This ancient house is now an easy space to live in, and though it needs plenty of heating in winter as this sort of house tends to do because of the old stone walls and high ceilings, and Mdina is notoriously chilly in the winter it is lovely and cool in the summer, exactly the sort of space in which you want to move about barefoot from cool tiles to dappled sunny terrace /2013 ISSUE 43

4 Beyond the entrance hall is a smaller lobby that takes you through to the living-room and to the corridor leading onto the dining-room. This is where the original well is located. The walls of that well and the surmounting alcove are now used as a feature with decorative pieces an old Bakelite telephone and a graceful bronze horse (from InsideOut Interiors) among them. The red and white rugs in Tibetan wool are by The Rug Company. The 1940s portrait in oils belongs to the tenants. The dining-room 32 05/2013 ISSUE 43

5 From the The dining-room leads out onto the second of two internal courtyards. This yard is small and enclosed by tall walls, and is currently used as the territory of the household s pet rabbit, which has a free run of the space. Floor to ceiling curtains shield the tall French doors. The table and chairs are in a contemporary style in dark matt wood. The glass cabinet belongs to the tenant and was brought over from Germany. It contains a variety of porcelain and other bits and pieces, and the surface is decorated with visually interesting objects that range from silver and red porcelain to an old bottle of Hendricks gin. The stunning oriental handwoven rug with a pomegranate design is from The Rug Company. It lifts the feel of the room, which would otherwise be hard without it. The high-impact painting leaning against the wall is by the tenant of the house. A palm effect candlestick stands in a small alcove. ISSUE 43 05/

6 From the The stone staircase is enclosed by walls at the upper level, but is graced by a large window which throws a great deal of natural light into the area, creating a dappled glow. The stone ledge that runs along one side of the stairs is used to display old black and white photographs of family members, and a great carved horse s head in wood. The Ghost chair on the interim landing stands beneath a heavy wooden mirror with a circular frame that breaks up the hard angles of the space. above & below This Moroccan-inspired dhurry by The Rug Company is used to enliven the internal courtyard when the house is dressed up for guests. The stone cornucopia ornament can be used indoors and out, and is from InsideOut in Ta Xbiex. The dog, Ugo, is a Neapolitan mastiff bred by Johann Schembri /2013 ISSUE 43

7 From the The galley-kitchen is cleverly fitted into a narrow space just off the dining-room, which means that it does not need to have its own eating area. The cupboards and fridge are fitted beneath a great stone archway that forms a sort of large alcove. Freestanding cupboards that have been made to measure line the other walls. They have been kept in a traditional style. The wool rug is by The Rug Company. ISSUE 43 05/

8 From the The small but light-filled study on the first floor leads out onto the terrace, which makes it a particularly pleasant place on warm mornings when the terrace doors can be left open. It is painted sky blue and furnished with the tenants own pieces mainly 1920s eastern-colonial table and shelving cabinet. Black and white photographs decorate the walls one of the tenants is a noted photographer. The daybed doubles up as a sofa /2013 ISSUE 43

9 The ground floor living-room, though more formal than the family room upstairs, is casual all the same, which suits the tenants of the house who use it on a routine basis. The large and comfortable sofa is theirs and was brought from Germany. The crewelwork cushion is by The Rug Company, as is the Paul Smith-designed wool rug. The sofa table and console are in black lacquer. The painting is by the tenant of the house. Large doors lead out onto the larger of the internal courtyards and give a soft light, though no direct sunlight. The room has a very contemporary glassed-in fireplace (not shown) /2013 ISSUE 43

10 Left This door on the upstairs landing leads into the study. The facing wall is painted sky-blue to create a focus when the door is open. The red and white Tibetan wool rug is by The Rug Company. From the below The horned skull over one of the upstairs landing doorways gives a raw feel and works really well with the pared-down old stone of the walls. Left & above The first floor living room is a comfortable family space with a wood-and-metal staircase (not shown) that leads up to a galleryden carved out of the exceptional height of the rooms. Beneath the den (not shown) is a bedroom for the young daughter of the house. An old wooden ship s deckchair stands on a peacock design handwoven rug in Tibetan wool, by The Rug Company. The room has natural light all day from a streetside window. A small console table in white gloss contrasts with the antique wall and holds ornaments and mementos. ISSUE 43 05/

11 From the The first floor living room 42 05/2013 ISSUE 43

12 The sunny first-floor terrace has been created by building a room built in part of the courtyard during an aborted renovation attempt several years ago. The stone balusters, high walls and large French windows give it the welcoming feel of a room. The striking wrought iron furniture in an unusual design was bought from Fino. The cushions are left outside during the day and brought in at night. The dhurrie rug in blue and yellow in a Moroccan-inspired design is by The Rug Company and in a style and material perfect for outdoor summer use when you want to warm up the aesthetics of an otherwise too-stark stone environment. It can t be left out permanently, of course take it in and out as required, and think of it as dressing up your outdoor space for a party. The beautiful painting in shades of blue has been brought out with the same purpose in mind. The crewelwork cushions are by The Rug Company. The wrought-iron furniture is completely weather-proof and makes a pleasant change from the usual materials that have become prevalent in courtyards and gardens. The pattern helps break up the starkness of the stone. These beautiful hand-carved wooden finials are large and heavy and even one would look striking, working well indoors at the end of a stone staircase. They are from InsideOut in Ta Xbiex. This antique fan was brought over from China via hand luggage by the tenant of the house, who fell in love with its colonial feel and romantic look. ISSUE 43 05/