Perfect coastal harmony - Casa Santa Teresa

What used to be an abandoned 1950s Corsican house has now been rebuilt and transformed into a beautiful holiday home with an enchanting view of the Mediterranean Sea. Welcome to Casa Santa Teresa. The architect, Amelia Tavella, wanted to create a space rekindling childhood memories of a 'house by the sea' while safeguarding its original character, its soul and spirit.

"When I build, I don't defeat. There is no betrayal. I proceed by inclusion", says Amelia. "Nature invades my projects. She is neither an obstacle nor a hindrance, she's my host whom I celebrate. I adapt to the trees, to the light, to the relief. It's my way of balancing a modern gesture, architecture, with the tradition of a cliff, a ravine."

Amelia is driven by nature as if it runs in the blood, passed down from generations. She feels a connection that translates into a symbolic marriage between the inside and outside. "Interior and exterior are never untied, but balanced," she says and highlights the manifestation at Casa Santa Teresa: "Pivoting doors, alcoves, no partition prevents the view. I wanted beauty to flow, to be an invitation to the horizon, to the imagination."

The welcoming and spacious open-plan living room invites guests, family, and friends, to relax, celebrate life and each other, and create long-lasting memories against the beautiful backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea. Upstairs, the soft-colored bedrooms call for slow mornings, waking up to the kiss of the sun and the salty sea breeze while enjoying the first taste of coffee on the open balcony, surrounded by blue sky.

Wherever you go, nature follows. Amelia's sound material choices – from stone and wood to copper and terracotta – are evidence of nature's triumph, beauty, and heritage. Amelia does, however, admit, "Each time, it's a gamble: inscribe the building in the original space without shocking anything, moving or mistreating it. It's an extension, not an amputation." Ethnicraft's Oak Bok dining table, chairs, Osso stools, and N701 sofa perfectly honor this philosophy, all providing a timeless, sculptural elegance for years to come – just like nature!

©️ Photography: Thibaut Dini