Piemontesisches Bauernhaus

Lake Orta is located west of Lake Maggiore in the Piemont region of northern Italy. Unlike its larger counterpart, Lake Orta is less affected by tourism. Instead, small metalworking businesses can be found in the small villages, such as Cesara with the district of Colma on the western side of the lake. The industrialisation of the region, which was accelerated in the 1930s, led to the disappearance of agriculture and, as a result, to a continuous process of shrinkage of the villages with houses standing empty.
The district of Colma, located on a hill between the main town of Cesara and Lake Orta, was also affected by this. Since the 1950s, however, there has been a shift in direction: families from the city of Milan, nearby Switzerland, France and Germany have discovered the houses integrated into the picturesque villages and Piemontese landscape and are using them as holiday homes.
The Piemontese farmhouse, Casa Maria, forms the northern end of Colma. Immediately behind it begins a vast forest area. The building faces west towards Cesara and the adjacent mountains. It is nestled on a slope with adjacent terraces at different height levels, which were originally used for small-scale agriculture. Casa Maria was built in the mid-18th century as a farmhouse. It consists of two 2½-storey plastered building sections and a barn made of dry stone masonry with exposed natural stone. The L-shaped main building encloses a small courtyard. Typical of Piemontese architecture and Casa Maria is the completely outward-facing access via an open staircase and galleries. This means that the residents can access every interior room via the exterior. The large living room on the ground floor opens onto the adjacent courtyard and incorporates it into the interior via large arched windows. The kitchen on the mezzanine floor also opens onto a spacious terrace at ground level. Here, the residents gather in summer at a large granite table under a shady pergola.

The central theme of the current renovation is a detailed restoration based on historical examples in the village of Colma and the surrounding area. Villa Panza in Varese at the southern end of Lake Maggiore served as a model for the colour scheme. The exact colours were determined on site in Varese using an NCS colour chart. The new colour scheme also had to meet exact specifications for the region around Lake Orta. The colour concept served primarily to connect the old building with the special location.
On the outside, the chosen colours complement and frame the natural materials of the building, the natural stone and the dark chestnut wood typical of the region. Inside, the pastel-coloured walls and ceilings and many details enhance the atmospheric effect of the interior.