This Florence apartment, on the main floor of a Renaissance palace, has been meticulously restored by Bunker Studio, led by Cosimo Bonciani and Niccolò Antonielli, also known for their extensive restoration of Sammezzano Castle. Completed in early 2024, the 350-square-metre project brings new life to a historic setting.
The owner, of Egyptian-Lebanese heritage, and her Florentine husband chose this apartment in a historic building with the intention of housing their art collection. What began as a future project has since become a present reality: the home now functions as a platform for contemporary Italian and Middle Eastern art, hosting cultural and artistic events that keep the space active and evolving, explains Cosimo Bonciani.
The studio’s restoration revealed and carefully preserved frescoes, stucco detailing and original fixtures, while integrating complex modern building systems throughout the apartment. Entry is via a private stairwell rising over eight metres, conceived as a narrative antechamber that sets the tone before arrival. “We worked with historic Florentine tones, drawing on the Renaissance palette, because for us the first contemporary gesture is respect for history,” says Bonciani.
The apartment’s floor plan, redesigned by Bunker Studio for a family of five, separates everyday living from more formal reception areas. The large frescoed living room, typical in medieval Florence forms the informal heart of the home and includes a custom kitchen. A bespoke parquet floor in reclaimed antique oak reinterprets the traditional Hungarian point pattern at a larger scale, creating generous rooms of over 70 square metres. “We wanted to avoid monumentality becoming distance; we were looking for a domestic measure,” says Bonciani.
Vintage furniture, Poltronova pieces and references to the 1970s Florence avant-garde sit alongside original studio-designed elements. “Our idea is to contemporise the classic without reproducing it. We are not interested in the fake or the imitation; we prefer to create spaces with multiple layers of time, capable of enduring,” says Bonciani. One example is the master bathroom, where marble was replaced with resin-coated wallpaper produced by the San Patrignano workshop, resolving the structural issue of excess weight. “I am honest,” Bonciani adds. “The real emotion came from seeing the house lived in. We achieved what was our aesthetic and conceptual goal. To see it used by a family was a wonderful satisfaction.”
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This story is featured in the February/March 2026 Issue of Architectural Digest Middle East and was originally published by Architectural Digest Italy.
