Construction Diary: 650 Square Feet Is Perfect for an Italian Couple and Their Three Cats

Growing up, Massimo Ricci cherished the time spent at his grandparents’ summer home in the historic center of Termoli, an old fishing town filled with narrow alleyways and pastel facades on Italy’s Adriatic coast. The 650-square-foot, two-story house accommodated as many as seven family members when his mother was a child, although space was always an issue, and socializing happened mostly outdoors. To this day, some of Massimo’s fondest memories are of his grandparents chatting with their friends in the street outside.

So when he and his girlfriend, Valentina Martinelli, asked Gaetano Guerrera at Rispoli Guerrera Architetti to remodel the modest summer residence, they wanted all the things found in a "normal" home—a kitchen, a table, and a sofa for cozying up and watching soccer games—but they were concerned about the lack of light and space. The result is a deeply personal renovation, packed with vivid color and space-saving solutions, that has everything the couple asked for—including ample play space for their three cats: Rafa, Marvin, and Lucio.

Massimo Ricci: My family home is just three hundred feet from the seaside in the historic center of the town—it’s the perfect Italian summer escape. Since Valentina and I work in two restaurants I own in the main square nearby, we decided to live in the house and restore it according to our taste. Gaetano had already renovated the restaurants, so we knew we could trust him.