CASA SOLETO: A REMOTE PARADISE
Photography by Salva López
Studio Andrew Trotter is an interior architecture and design studio based in Barcelona represented by Materia Agency
I’m driving through the heel of Italy, getting farther and farther south in the Puglia region to what seems like the end of the world, and it couldn’t feel more like paradise. The location on the map puts me in such a dreamy, far-away place that I have to take a screenshot of it. Down here there are no gaggles of tourists to distract from the beauty and the history of the surroundings, hoarding the sidewalks as they walk in line behind a flag-wielding tour guide. No, in fact, as I leave the highway and enter the small town of Soleto I am met with a calm that is felt through most of Apulia – the streets here are mainly white, narrow, and peaceful, nearly empty except for the tanned locals who walk at a slow and dawdling pace. In no rush to be anywhere, because there is nowhere to rush to. On a livelier day than today, kids play on the street, old men decorate the benches as they sit and talk, and the town revolves around the piazza. It feels like a movie.
Weaving past the church and into one of the beautiful Vias, a neighbor of Casa Soleto lets me know I have arrived. At least, that’s what I can discern as she speaks quickly in more Italian that I can comprehend. “Can I park here?” I ask in Italian, and she says “Si, si, si,” as she watches me maneuver a game of car tetris before walking up to the huge arched wooden door – the entrypoint to the oasis that Andrew Trotter and Marcelo Martínez have created through Studio Andrew Trotter in this remote part of the world.
With a distinct eye for simplicity that also focuses on comfort and design, Studio Andrew Trotter has made a name for itself by creating oases everywhere in the world, including Milan, Todos Santos, Sicily, Jamaica, Zion Utah and the Amalfi Coast, from homes to boutique hotels and stores. Their attention to detail, penchant for working with local craftspeople and materials, and the seamless integration of the past with a contemporary viewpoint, has made the studio – led by designer Andrew Trotter and studio manager Marcelo Martínez – a force in the multi-disciplinary design space. They have been creating an imprint throughout Puglia with a variety of successful projects, making Casa Soleto – which is available for vacation rentals – a perfect addition to their robust portfolio.
The first thing I notice is the instant feeling of serenity. A private world in a private town, Casa Soleto opens onto a limestone and tile courtyard that’s buttery and soothing, with a gorgeous staircase in the center that divides the house between left and right; up and down. The labyrinthine layout of the house feels exciting, and I go against my instinct to run through each room mentally screaming “wow” or “this is my favorite room – no, this is my favorite room,” and instead make an active note to slow down, to take in the delightful array of details, both overt and subtle.
The palazzotto dates back to the 17th century, and many of its history is still present today, including most of the original floors, internal doors, and the nonna’s kitchen – a vast and arched haven that serves as the weaving point between a deeply relaxing chocolate brown media room, the ample grayish living room, and back out to the courtyard, where an al fresco dining table that is always perfectly protected by shade while illuminated by light invites meals made out of the best that Southern Italy has to offer – fish, orecchiette (Puglia’s specialty), perfectly juicy tomatoes, and other fresh things found locally, just a walking distance away. Both downstairs (in the shared living spaces that include a plunge pool and a dining room with a massive round table meant to host many) and upstairs (where bedrooms range in size, easily accommodating a large party of friends or family), each room is characterized by a signature color, with stunning plaster walls matching respective floors and ceilings, creating a wonderful and playful experience.
The care and attention Andrew and Marcelo place on the house is not lost amongst the intentionality of every single thing in the house, transmitting a felt reverence to the history of the space and the joy of creating something contemporary in tandem. I imagine life in this house, whether short term or full term, and it is full of living – food and play and laughter and love. Casa Soleto is a true encapsulation of la dolce vita; a reminder to slow down and appreciate the slow moments. Below, the men behind the vision provide more depth to some of the wonderful details of Casa Soleto.
Ana Velasco: How did you find the house? What state was it in when you found it? What about it called you?
Studio Andrew Trotter: I have a hobby, some would call it an addiction, but one of my favorite pastimes is to search houses online. In September of 2020, I stumbled onto a house in a town that I had never heard of before. Often it is only grand houses that have gardens in the town, but this was a perfect size of around 220 square meters, with a front patio and a back courtyard garden.
The house was charming. The street front had all the baroque details of a small palazzo, and inside it was like time stood still. The rooms with high vaulted ceilings were full of furniture, books, clothes and old photos of the family. The house hadn’t been lived in for over 20 years but felt like all it needed was a bit of love and we could move right in. But we were wrong. Once we started to clean up the house, we realized there were more problems than we thought.
Parts of the house were over 400 years old. The house is quite a labyrinth, and you need to go into the front patio and up the outside staircase to reach the bedrooms. But this is the charm of the old houses, with not one straight wall in sight.
AV: Soleto is a beautiful town with a peaceful feeling like it’s almost at the end of the world, away from all other problems. Was choosing somewhere so remote something you were actively seeking?
SAT: No, it was by pure chance! We liked the property from the online pictures and it turned out to be in a beautiful sleepy town.
AV: What is your favorite thing about Soleto, and the region where the house is located?
SAT: The authenticity that you feel when you are there. It still is a real place where you mainly find locals and traditions are alive.
AV: Generally speaking, what was the design intention, what inspirations did you draw from and visions that you went after when designing the house?
SAT: Trying to preserve as much as possible the energy of the place but also bringing it to the XXI century. Turn it into a soothing and calming oasis. As this house was so special, we wanted to keep its charm even while bringing it into the modern times. We saved the floors wherever we could, as well as the kitchen. We showcased our design and worked with the brands that we love.
Most of the artwork was in the house when we purchased it, except for 3 beautiful paintings that were made specifically for the house by a good friend of ours, the young artist from Antwerp Eleanor Herbosh. We also collaborated with our friends at Frama to give a modern yet simple touch. We chose special pieces of antique furniture like a XVIII century walnut dining table salvaged from a monastery in Abruzzo and a late XVIII/ early XIX century red wardrobe from Lombardy, both found in Le Icone, a great shop located in Cisternino. Our beautiful workers table and two half circle consoles are from La Mercanteria. Sofa, armchair and pouf in the living room are by By Blasco. The crockery was designed for the property by our friend the chef Giorgia Eugenia Goggi and produced by Nicola Fasano.
“Most of the artwork was in the house when we purchased it, except for 3 beautiful paintings that were made specifically for the house by a good friend of ours, the young artist from Antwerp Eleanor Herbosh. We also collaborated with our friends at Frama to give a modern yet simple touch. We chose special pieces of antique furniture like a XVIII century walnut dining table salvaged from a monastery in Abruzzo and a late XVIII/ early XIX century red wardrobe from Lombardy, both found in Le Icone.”
– Studio Andrew Trotter
AV: The house is filled with so much intentional detail. Perhaps most immediately noticeable is how each room revolves around a specific color, with floors to match. How did those decisions come about and how did you choose which room would be which color?
SAT: Based on the amount of light the room had, the feeling we wanted to achieve, the existing elements that we would find in each of them… different factors came into account.
We collaborated with Domingue Finishes for the walls. They make one of the most beautiful plasters we have ever seen. Smooth to the touch yet full of texture, we chose colours together with their team to make some rooms feel lighter, others more moody.
AV: Did you face any unforeseen challenges?
SAT: We certainly had to do more work (structural and not) than the expected when purchased: working on all the outer walls of the building and ceilings, removing old plaster and replaster, brand new electrics and plumbing, new outdoor windows and doors…just to name a few.
AV: The sentiment I got in the house was of complete presentness – not only because there is an instant feeling of serenity, but because you can tell the house has so much history that has been recontextualized with very careful design decisions. How do you think Casa Soleto creates a bridge between the past and the future?
SAT: The love and attention we put into the refurbishment by trying to preserve a lot of the elements that were there and, for those that had to be made new, always add them with a main goal in mind: to speak to the old and be part of it.
“We collaborated with Domingue Finishes for the walls. They make one of the most beautiful plasters we have ever seen. Smooth to the touch yet full of texture, we chose colours together with their team to make some rooms feel lighter, others more moody.“
– Studio Andrew Trotter
AV: I was also mesmerized with the dome ceilings and the molding details. Are those original? Can you tell me more about them?
SAT: They are. The arches and molding in the dining room for example are fully original and, because of them, we were informed that that room dates from the XVI century.
AV: There is a multi-sensory aspect to the house, and it’s clear you created an oasis that envelops you into a calm mindset, whether that’s from the scents spread throughout the house to the ample kitchen meant for cooking big meals and of course the intimate pool outside. What is the ultimate experience you want people to have in Casa Soleto?
We want people to feel a truly authentic experience, a barefoot luxury.
“The love and attention we put into the refurbishment by trying to preserve a lot of the elements that were there and, for those that had to be made new, always add them with a main goal in mind: to speak to the old and be part of it.”
– Studio Andrew Trotter
AV: How does this house fit into the rest of your body of work, and how does it stand apart on its own?
SAT: Fit: as with the rest of the refurbishments we have done so far, we always try to be as true to the place where it is located as possible, and preserve as much as possible those things that give identity to the property.
Stand apart: since we were our own clients, the property fully represents our taste.
AV: If Casa Soleto were a song, which would it be?
SAT: “La voglia, la pazzia” by Ornella Vanoni, Toquinho, Vinícius de Moraes.
