Rome-based architect Maurizio Giovannoni has completed the renovation and interior design of a compact penthouse. Completed in 2012, the modern apartment can be found in Turku, Finland.

According to Maurizio his main objective was to ensure the apartment had plenty of light flowing inside, and to create a relaxing living room where his client could work.

A few walls had to be knocked down to ensure plenty of light could enter the contemporary Finnish property. He said: “The partial demolition of walls was a natural consequence, along with switching the location of the bedroom and living room. After fixing this, we decided on the overall ‘concept’ together with my client, organising all the details that coloured the white spaces. This happened during my clients visit to Rome (due to me unable to travel in that period), and via 4oo and so e-mails between Turku and Rome.”

Maurizio’s concept  was to amalgamate the best of Finnish and Italian design by mixing them both to create something fresh and new. His concept was to use local Birch wood, Finnish vintage pieces and contemporary Italian design.

“The result is what I now consider my own personal style: a blend of cultures. There is nothing more that stimulates me than to study different cultures and make cultural themes recognisable, but never intrusive in the project,” he said.

The flooring in the contemporary Finnish property is covered with parquet of white ash, the shelves are birch including the the kitchen table but coloured with heat. Wood is an ubiquitous element in this apartment as it is in many Finnish properties, but the real attention grabber is the nature themed wall paper, carrying colours and contrasts and a typical Mediterranean ‘courage’.

The furniture itself is a mix of the two cultures and of past and present — the grandmother’s armchair and the red floor lamp are a vintage pieces from Finland in the 60s. The arc framing the wall paper is the famous Twiggy by Foscarini and the suspended lamps are Italian Olimpia by Ideal Lux. Everything blends in together to create perfect harmony.