In the coastal enclave of Levanto, where the Ligurian Riviera meets the salt-sprayed edge of the Cinque Terre, Genoa-based architecture firm llabb has reimagined a 100-square-metre slice of maritime history. Set within a 1930’s villa locally known as “the Blondet house,” this renovation for a Californian family optimises compact footprints through bespoke craftsmanship

The project was driven by the vibrant personality of the client. As llabb co-founders Luca Scardulla and Federico Robbiano recall, “The real protagonist here is Erika: a force of nature with stars-and-stripes energy who solves every problem with a smile and homemade cookies.” This American zest met Italian architectural rigour to transform a constrained layout into a fluid, permanent home that honors its heritage, from the polychrome marble entrance to the original structural partitions.

“We believe that in this project the range widens: the playful is more playful than usual and the serious is more refined and elegant than usual,” says the duo. This duality is most evident in the home’s defining feature: a continuous band of custom millwork in oak and deep blue. “The leitmotif of the project is the millwork, with its deep blue and oak that runs through the entire apartment like a long wave stretching toward the Horizon,” they explain. This nautical spine functions as a singular, unifying device, housing the kitchen, bookshelves, and even hidden niches for post-beach changing.

To the north, the plan efficiently carves out three bedrooms and a study, while the south-facing living areas have been opened up with metal frames to invite the seaside light. Throughout, the materiality reflects llabb’s roots as a carpentry workshop, blending serious design—seen in Carl Hansen seating and Extendo tables—with playful, surfboard-inspired curves in the children’s quarters.

The result is a residence that feels far larger than its physical limits, harmonizing artisanal skill with the rhythm of the Riviera. Reflecting on the completed work, the architects note, “It is rare for us to inhabit, even briefly, the homes we design. The relationship with the sea is wonderful, as is the smell of wood that fills the house. Wood and salt air.”

llabb’s Studio Profile:

The architectural firm llabb was founded in Genoa, Italy in 2013 by Luca Scardulla and Federico Robbiano. Originally established in the form of a carpentry workshop, dedicated to experimenting with custom furniture elements and design objects, llabb is now professionally set up with numerous architectural projects and construction sites in Italy, England and Morocco. Over time, the scale of their projects has grown, but llabb’s focus on craftsmanship allows the firm to continue experimenting in direct contact with a variety of professionals and artisans.

Luca Scardulla and Federico Robbiano, a couple in work and life, are now at the helm of a very young and passionate team where the average age is 29 and where training, based on construction site experience, is a founding element of the practice of the firm.