THDP designs Venice short-rental apartments
Interior design studio THDP has shared insight into the design of Room Mate Hotels’ newly opened short-rental apartments, which find home in the heart of Venice’s San Marco district.
Designed by THDP and operated by Room Mate Hotels, the 12 apartments have been created in a way that honours the district’s past. With sustainability in mind, the aim of the project was to involve local companies, reflecting the high quality of Italian-made produce and the knowledge of Venetian artisans. The choice of decorative accessories inside the apartments aims to celebrate Venetian craft, but with a contemporary twist.
Although more contemporary than other surrounding buildings, the building’s facade still displays striking historical features. The mullioned windows, arches and shutters have been preserved, while the property’s typically Venetian cone-shaped fireplaces have been carefully reconstructed to their original state, made possible by the discovery of an old photograph found by the interior designers.
On the ground floor, the property’s lobby waiting area features outdoor furnishings as a high tide precaution, and acts as a small shared terrace, with the room’s decor inspired by the Venetian waters.
Bringing optimum light into the palazzo was of great importance throughout the design process. Over the staircase, the skylight has been restored, and on the rooftop terrace, the decorated glass of the three-mullioned windows has been repaired. Hung in the centre of the stairwell’s vast skylight is a chandelier, printed in fabric by Fortuny. Despite undergoing repair, the marble-effect marmorino walls and stairs have been left with signs of wear, reflecting the building’s rich past.
The colours of Venice indicate the passage of time, where pigment has undergone transformation over time. The changing tides wear out, oxidize and stain the surfaces of the city, creating a spectrum of rich tones, hence all of the shades used in the building’s interior and exterior have been derived from this colour palette.
Each apartment in the property features an entrance hallway, a living room and kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. All main rooms meanwhile enjoy a view of one of Venice’s most renowned canals, the Canale De La Fava. During the 15th century, the property’s location was a hub for artisans, hence each apartment is named after an ancient worker – marangoni, the ship builder, for instance, or samiter, the silk clothes vendor.
In the living rooms, decor is contemporary yet ornate, with neutral walls and furnishings that feature mustard, gold, teal and magenta accents. With a focus on Italian design, much of the decor has been sourced from Veneto or the local area, with notable brands including the likes of Miniforms, Rubelli, Cantori, Vibieffe and Bolzan. In the main bedrooms, wardrobes feature glass panes which open onto a wallpaper-lined closet – wallpaper with a marbled paper-effect digital print, a Turkish technique brought to Venice by artist Alberto Valese.
Kitchens are more minimalistic, with dark green handle-less doors designed by Fenix and kitchen appliances courtesy of Smeg. Bathrooms see a classical Venetian style meet more modern materials, with a colour palette that recalls eighteenth-century wooden furnishings, with the use of pastel colours.
