With the Slovenian and Austrian borders within striking distance, you’d think the town of Udine would whisper Slavic and German. But aside from the bilingual street signs in Italian and Friulian, and the much-loved local schnitzel, the town is out-and-out Italian–including the Brutalist buildings that stick out like Lego blocks. It was here, in such a building, that Milanese designer Cristina Celestino got to work, taking the (re)design reins for an apartment originally built by Massimo Camillo Bodini in the late 1970s.

“The clients were a middle-aged couple who lived in the Venetian countryside. They had fallen in love with Udine and in particular, with the building,” shares Cristina.

Before its redesign, the apartment would have been that pot-bellied uncle constantly out of breath. Simply put, it was in sorry shape—and it badly needed a facelift. Thus twirled in Cristina, with her magic palette and her design wand in tow. “The client requested an elegant and functional home with a balanced use of colour and material,” says the designer, who turned the apartment’s skin inside out.

In the living room, she framed windows with bronzed aluminium, spruced up stairwells with pink plaster, and used Roman travertine to give the split-level space a sunny sense of seamlessness. “The lower part of the living room features a 40-centimetre-high plinth, and resembles a bathtub,” quips Cristina. But despite her witticism, it isn’t likely that you’d find yourself thinking of bubble baths in the living room. Not when you have such gorgeous furniture to look at. Cassina’s Antella table, Saba’s Gala sofa, a powder-coated sheet-metal table by Attico Design, and Frisée chairs custom-designed by Cristina for Billiani give the modern setup a swish 70s edge. “The interior doors are originals. I found their design very interesting,” she says, gesturing to the burgundy-lacquered door panels by Azucena, with brass handles by Caccia Dominioni.

The raised dining area is partially shielded by a custom-designed planter, while panelled curtains screen the full-height terrace doors. The pink walls are animated by Matete Martini canvases that fan the home’s whimsical side. “I decided to keep the original floor plan because it is very functional and contemporary,” says Cristina. The area’s eye appeal is balanced by functional interventions. For instance, a brick-coloured partition stands between the dining area and the entrance, while doubling as a functional pantry and storage space.

From the living room, a porthole-fitted door leads the way into the kitchen, mirroring a bull’s eye door before a banquet on a cruise ship. “The cabinets were tailor-made,” proclaims Cristina, of the two-toned floor-to-ceiling units. The dual-tone reappears in the hardware: The taps, plinth and handles are black, while the hob, sink and bottom reflect the tones of the travertine. Speaking of twos, the dining area next door is a treat for the eyes and the tummy. A Tric chair by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni amp up the glam quotient while a Marcuso table by Zanotta and a Plissè ceiling lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos brighten the area, literally and figuratively.

The travertine meanders into the other rooms like a lazy river. In the master bedroom, the wall behind the headboard is in the same brick tone as the functional block in the living room. “I came up with a very simple wall light with black metal discs, based on a design by Esperia,” says Cristina. The bed, a metal-and-brass piece designed by Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, cuts an easy-breezy figure, urging the eyes to the true star of the show—the travertine underneath.

Related:?28 Posti Restaurant Renovation in Milan by Cristina Celestino.

[Images courtesy of Cristina Celestino. Photography by Mattia Balsamini.]