“La casa che guarda il mare” single-family home

The beautiful hinterland of Aci Castello (Catania), where majestic Mount Etna meets the deep blue of the Ionian coast, is the setting of the hillside home named “La casa che guarda il mare”, or “Seaview House”. Its architecture, which celebrates the past and reinterprets it in a contemporary key, is by architect Salvo Terranova and civil engineer Giorgia Testa of lineaT studio.

In this project, a constant dialog between indoors and outdoors is expressed in the choice of forms and materials. The minimalist interior areas are designed to be functional for daily living without sacrificing their clean lines. On the outside, the project evokes the forms of the area’s little single-story cottages, but reinterprets them in a modern detached home. The house consists of two separate blocks in bare reinforced concrete that resembles traditional masonry. The gable roofs harmonize with those of the surrounding buildings. The two blocks are completed and linked by a transparent element.

In this functional-chic home design style, Laminam ceramic surfaces play a fundamental role in defining spaces and impressions. All the chosen materials evoke the landscape and the house’s traditional context, such as the oak roof that extends inside from the exterior to form the cladding of the vaulted ceiling. The architects’ intention is to reinterpret the as-built environment with the performance and sustainability of today’s technologies, an approach perfectly embodied by Laminam stone-effect ceramic slabs.

Location Catania, Italy
Year 2021
Architect Arch. Salvo Terranova | Ingegnere Giorgia Testa
Applications Cladding & Flooring, Flooring, Furnishing & Design, Kitchen worktops
Project Type Private House

Harmonies of material in a home inspired by the landscape

The versatility of application offered by Laminam surfaces is crucial in achieving the aim pursued by lineaT studio in the design phase: to not forget the past, but above all to focus on the all-important relationship linking the new architectural forms to the context, such as the dialog between the Laminam collections and the natural stone traditionally used in this area of eastern Sicily.

The material chosen for the walls of the master bathroom, the outdoor swimming pool and the solarium was the IN-SIDE collection in Porfido Marrone Flamed color. With its realistic texture that emulates natural stone throughout its depth, this finish offers particularly striking visual and tactile continuity, reinforcing the oneness of matter, natural ceramic surfaces, and the landscape in which these locations are set.

The IN_SIDE collection features prominently again – in the sophisticated Pietra di Cardoso Nero version – in the kitchen, the heart of the home: this exquisite dark gray color, inspired by the Tuscan stone of the same name, is used on the vertical backsplash, the kitchen cabinet doors, and the island countertop with the same visual and tactile effect as the natural stone, with sharply superior technical performance and versatility in use. The ability to withstand daily wear and tear combines with an elegant, understated aesthetic, making Laminam also the ideal choice for high-performance countertops and furnishings.

Last but not least, the I Naturali collection, in the Pietra Grey Bush-Hammered version, defines the wellbeing areas: the shower walls and pan, with the integrated washbasin and vanity top, forming an space of visual and sensory purity. Laminam’s Italian-made ceramics are a key architectural feature for creating continuity of material and chromatic harmony, while giving character to horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Laminam Effect

In the context of “La casa che guarda il mare”, the multidimensional application of Laminam ceramics, or in other words the Laminam Effect, from walls and floors through to furnishing elements such as kitchen cabinet doors, countertops, and integrated washbasins, bears witness to Laminam surfaces’ outstanding versatility, in an indissoluble blend of aesthetic refinement and superior technical performance. Their resistance to wear, scratches, high temperatures, and thermal shock makes these surfaces ideal for demanding locations like bathrooms, swimming pools, and kitchens, guaranteeing durability and maintenance of all characteristics over time. What’s more, the non-porous nature of Laminam ceramic slabs ensures easy care and impeccable hygiene, crucial factors in any residential context.