'Returning to Villa Casa Bianca' is the title of a striking temporary project where the materials FENIX®, Arpa®, Getacore®, Homapal®, Formica® and Westag Türen®, all Broadview Group brands, offer new perspectives on surface design.

Casa Bianca is a multi-storey villa overlooking Como's lakefront, built in the mid-1920s in Art Deco style with the addition of elements designed by architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni. The villa has been chosen as a temporary residence for the 'Returning to Villa Casa Bianca' project, which, until December 2023, tells customers, architects and designers about the characteristics and creative solutions offered by the materials of the Group's various brands.

Conceived by the Dutch architects Van Beek en Dings in collaboration with Musa, the set-up of 'Returning to Villa Casa Bianca' presented an intriguing composition of different settings within the rooms of the villa, creating synergies between the Group's different materials, iconic design elements and nature.

The story behind the project

In the project 'Returning to Villa Casa Bianca', visitors identify themselves in the role of the owners who return, after many years, to the charming villa on Lake Como that has been closed for countless seasons. The signs of time are deliberately evident, the furnishings are partially covered by sheets, some objects, on the other hand, have remained motionless, as if they had just been used and reinterpreted, giving them new life.

The result is a journey through time, between contemplation and memories, between architecture and historical pieces combined with innovative and contemporary elements and materials.

The materials used

The opaque and soft-touch surfaces of FENIX have been used for both fitting and furnishing elements, showing the extreme versatility of the material and the beauty of the colour range, such as Jaipur Red, Ingo Black and Comodoro Green: self-standing bookcases, the large kitchen, but also plinths, partitions and the scenographic panel carved with geometric motifs of Moorish inspiration at the top of the staircase designed by architect Caccia Dominioni.

Tuet, Arpa's Deep Surface, which picks up on the classic quilted motif of the wooden boiserie, was chosen to make the dividing elements in the bedroom and to cover some of the furniture elements.

To complete the layout, materials from Formica, Homapal and Getacore play a key role in the creation of supports and pedestals for the large plant pots. Often proposed in combination with each other, for benches, low tables, shelves and bedside tables and small furniture, the materials confirm the possibilities of integration between the brands and the complementarity between the Broadview Group companies.

The project 'Returning to Villa Casa Bianca' can be visited until December 2023 by appointment only.

The "When Nature Blooms" installation

FENIX® and Arpa®, in collaboration with the other brands of the Broadview Group, presented, from 16 to 24 September, the installation "When Nature Blooms" within the spaces of the Villa Casa Bianca on the occasion of the Lake Como Design Festival, an annual event that aims to establish an original dialogue between history, architecture, design and art. Created by Letizia dei Fiori, florist and flower stylist, this installation was a reflection on the relationship between nature and human beings.

The theme of nature and the environment is closely linked to that of sustainability, a subject dear to the company, which has long promoted production innovations and constant research into materials to reduce its environmental impact.

In the photo, "Returning to Villa Casa Bianca" - The studio (ph. Nathalie Krag)