Paola Navone turned a roughly 200-year-old factory in Umbria, Italy, into a two-storey white apartment with a living and dining room lit by 52 windows. The building once dried tobacco, and the design trick is simple: almost everything is white so the volume reads as endless.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designer | Paola Navone |
| Location | Umbria, Italy, about 90 miles north of Rome |
| Building | Former factory, about 200 years old, once used to dry tobacco |
| Apartment | Second and third floors; business offices on the first |
| Living room | 52 windows |
| Photography | Wichmann+Bendtsen |
What did Paola Navone do with the old warehouse?
The owners wanted a home inside the tall industrial shell and asked Italian designer Navone to make it work. She kept the height, painted the interior white, and let the windows do the lighting. Reports of the space put it at over 5,300 square feet with a ceiling around 30 feet high, though we could not confirm those two figures against a second source.
How is the apartment laid out?
- Living area: a large sofa and a low wooden coffee table on wheels, under 52 windows.
- Catwalk: staggered floor planks and wardrobes of different heights give the linear plan some rhythm. A patch of patterned black and white tile sits under one side.
- Family room: upstairs, with a sculptural fireplace as the one contrast to the white scheme.
- Bedroom: white again, warmed by wooden floors, and separated from the bathroom by a standing wardrobe. Indian cotton curtains form a soft wall toward the bath.
- Kitchen and bath: hexagonal tiles, splashes of colour and geometric patterns, plus a black soaker tub.
What can you copy at home?
Three ideas travel well. Paint everything one colour and let texture carry the interest. Repeat one pattern (here, geometric tile) in two or three rooms. Put a single warm material, like wood, against the white. You do not need a 30-foot ceiling for any of it.
FAQ
Who designed the Umbria warehouse renovation?
Italian designer Paola Navone converted the former factory into a two-storey apartment.
Where is the converted warehouse?
It is in Umbria, Italy, roughly 90 miles north of Rome.
What was the building before?
A roughly 200-year-old factory that once dried tobacco.
How many windows does the living room have?
The living and dining room has 52 windows.
Who took the photographs?
The photography is by Wichmann+Bendtsen.
Last updated: October 2026.
