A Childhood Home Reimagined with Flush to Wall Doors.
Revisiting a childhood home brings a different perspective to a renovation. For architect Paolo Gaudenzi, transforming the apartment he grew up in meant creating a home for modern life while keeping a connection to its past.
Set on the top floor of a 1960s building in Cremona, Italy, this 92 m² apartment now combines bright, open-plan living with warm timber finishes and thoughtfully concealed storage. Our ECLISSE Syntesis Flush Hinged doors and Syntesis Areo concealed access panels help bring the design together, creating clean lines without compromising everyday practicality.
Opening up the living space
Knowing the apartment so well gave Gaudenzi a clear understanding of what could change. Three previously separate rooms have been brought together to create an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, allowing natural light to reach the north-facing kitchen.
The result feels brighter and more connected, but reminders of the original layout remain.
A diagonal line across the floor marks where a wall once divided the kitchen and living room. On one side, decorative concrete defines the kitchen; on the other, parquet flooring adds warmth to the living space. It is a simple way to give each area its own identity while keeping the room open.
A bespoke American black walnut unit near the entrance picks up the same diagonal detail, linking the furniture to the layout.
A consistent palette throughout
Walnut, decorative concrete and black metal give the apartment a coordinated feel, with each material used slightly differently from room to room.
In the kitchen, soft grey walls and flooring provide a calm backdrop for the walnut cabinetry. A light-coloured worktop and continuous wall shelf keep the design simple, while full-height units opposite provide additional storage.
Parquet flooring carries warmth through to the living and dining areas, where a large timber table creates a natural gathering point. Along one wall, a bespoke TV and shelving unit combines pale cupboard fronts with dark timber shelves.
Black handles, taps, switches and light fittings add definition, bringing a consistent finishing touch to the interior.
Flush doors that become part of the design
The same attention to detail extends to the doorways. ECLISSE Syntesis Flush Hinged door systems remove the need for visible jambs and architraves, allowing the doors to sit flush with the surrounding walls.
Between the living area and hallway, the primed door has been finished with the same decorative concrete coating as the kitchen wall. When closed, it blends into the textured surface, with only a fine outline and black handle revealing the doorway.
In the hallway, white doors match the pale walls, while black handles coordinate with the switches and other details. A recessed LED strip runs along the ceiling and down the end wall, highlighting the clean lines.
Together, these choices keep the hallway feeling calm and uncluttered while providing access to the bedroom, study, storeroom and bathroom.
Keeping everyday essentials out of sight
The main bedroom introduces softer jute and hemp tones, while the bathroom continues the apartment’s simple palette with microcement walls and flooring, black shower profiles and a countertop basin on a floating timber vanity top.
Beside the shower, a small recess houses the washing machine behind an ECLISSE Syntesis Areo concealed access panel with a three-sided frame.
Finished to match the surrounding walls, the panel keeps the laundry area discreet and easy to access. It is a practical detail that allows the bathroom to serve more than one purpose while maintaining a coordinated finish.
Bring the same thinking to your renovation
This Cremona apartment shows how a considered layout, coordinated materials and carefully chosen doors can transform a familiar space.
Planning your own project? Explore our Syntesis Flush Hinged doors for clean, uninterrupted wall finishes, or discover how Syntesis Areo can help conceal storage and everyday essentials.
Project details
Location: Cremona, Italy
Project type: Apartment renovation
Floor area: 92 m²
Architect: Paolo Gaudenzi — archi-lab | laboratorio di architettura
Photography: Enrico Dal Zotto
ECLISSE products: Syntesis Flush Hinged and Syntesis Areo