Homeowners Linda Allen and Darin Brown relax in their primary home in Seattle, WA.
Neutrals can be a safe choice. They can be a sensible choice. But one doesn’t often consider them daring. Yet, scanning the rooms of this Lake Como home, one thinks of Milton: “Now came still Evening on, and Twilight gray/Had in her sober livery all things clad.”
Far from the sunny, ocher-hued paradise the typical Italian getaway brings to mind, the retreat of Seattle-based Linda Allen and Darin Brown goes boldly against the grain. Hewing honorably to the formal character of their home rather than challenging it with a color palette better suited to a Tuscan farmhouse, the couple have gone dark – beautifully. “This is a building with 13-foot ceilings and stone walls 30 inches thick,” notes Linda. “A darker palette was needed to make it feel warmer and cozier.”
A hand-painted fresco – refreshed from the remnants of the original – envelops the kitchen and breakfast room. The natural light illuminates the Tulip table refurbished with dark marble to match the nearby countertops partnered with AVL Shaker chairs from Moooi.
Situated within the 18th-century Villa Castelli in Menaggio, the couple’s grand apartment is graced with commodious rooms, coffered ceilings and frescoes, but thanks to their catholic taste in furniture and a knowing way of placing it, the residence reads as grand, not stuffy, impressive but not imposing. These are interiors that strike a balance between maximalist and minimalist, rooms that satisfy without overwhelming the senses.
Close to the town center – the Piazza Garibaldi – and the lovely lakefront promenade, the property allows the homeowners to easily enjoy Menaggio’s charm. And with four bedrooms, a great room for lounging and dining, a den and two large, private courtyards, the couple’s Italian retreat offers plenty of room to relax, alone or with guests.
It’s all about scale in the primary bedroom, as evidenced by the high headboard of the Arlo Bed from Living It Up.
The property came into their lives almost by accident. They had been thinking of purchasing a holiday home in France when friends urged them to make a trip to Italy. “When we got here, we changed our minds,” shares Linda. While renting an Airbnb in Menaggio, Linda and Darin learned that an apartment in the Villa Castelli – right across the street – was available. Although the unit retained much of its original details, it did require some TLC. Windows and floors needed to be installed, along with bathroom fixtures and a new kitchen. Linda brought in pros to restore the various frescoes but tackled the walls of the primary bedroom herself, giving them a mottled gold treatment.
A mix of modern pieces – including a Sigurd Ressell Falcon Chair found on eBay – are gathered beneath the refreshed coffered ceiling in the den.
Auction-house regulars and flea market veterans, Linda and Darin have delighted in outfitting their apartment with a highly individual array of furniture and decorative pieces. A campaign desk from London’s Criterion Auctioneers occupies a corner of the impressively coffered den. A metal locker acquired at Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen found a home in one of the guest bedrooms. Appreciative of good design no matter what the provenance, they had no problem including pieces from Ikea and CB2 in the mix. And Linda took a small, midcentury cabinet she bought at a market in London and refurbished it with paint and wallpaper. “I do love to mix genres up a little and add the unexpected from each,” she confides. “I love texture too. Brushstrokes, fur, velvet, chunky woven items or distressed furniture mixed with metallics.”
The bust-bedecked “Roman room” is outfitted with repurposed finds, including the large vitrine and metal locker.
Sourcing interesting or significant pieces is one thing; finding the right spot for them is the real challenge. In this home, it’s not just the individual items that catch the eye but also the unusual partnerships and purposes Linda has forged that really make an impact. Portraits on wood of Che Guevara and Jimi Hendrix over a Gatsby sideboard from Maisons du Monde. A mammoth shop vitrine reimagined as a bedroom wardrobe. And the beauty of it all is that these don’t come off as statements, but as simple logic. Brava!
Photography by Ramona Balaban.
For more like this 18th-Century Palazzo, be sure to check out this Back Bay beauty.
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