THE BIG BLUE

Inspired by its sea views, this former office in Puglia has had a radical revamp, resulting in a design-led apartment swimming in marine hues

- Marzia Nicolini/Kara O'Reilly

This used to be a typical accountants’ office, full of paperwork and closed-in, narrow rooms – although, in fact, the foot print itself was relatively spacious, covering about 300 square metres,’ remembers the Italian interior designer Cosimo Cardone of his first sighting of the conversion he was about to transform from workspace to des res.

The founder of Studio Talent, a Puglian-based design company, Cosimo could see past the office cubicles to the fabulous views out of the building’s large windows. These were instrumental, as they became the inspiration for his design concept. ‘On one side is a breathtaking view towards an expanse of olive trees that slope down to the sea; on the other, the apartment overlooks the city, which is a little less pleasant. I came up with a project aimed at enhancing that sea view, while I was already imagining soft screens of vegetation on the city side that recalled the greenery of the hill once there.’