Living in Venice: What's important to a true Venetian

With a thoughtful renovation, an architect brought Venice's ancient splendor back to a Gothic city palace - and also revived the lagoon city's historic love affair with the Orient.

Since her studies Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe lives in Venice, where she founded her studio Vivere Venezia. Ramona Balaban

Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe has been enjoying life in Venice to the fullest since her student days and has designed a Venetian-style home for her son.

Vivere Venezia, the name of her architectural practice that Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe opened years ago, was to prove prophetic. She had come to Venice as a student and had fallen so in love with the city that she decided to stay. For her, living here means letting the quiet rhythm, the uncomplicated sociability (you walk, you meet people all the time without having to make an appointment) and the immense cultural and aesthetic heritage of Venice become part of her everyday life. A heritage that must be preserved, nurtured and appreciated.

In the living room, an umbrella converted into a chandelier hangs above Piero Lissoni's "Extrasoft" sofa for Living Divani. Like the coffee table, the owner of the house, Marc Regnault de la Mothe, brought it back from trips to Burma. RAMONA BALABAN

In the dining area, an "Arco" lamp by Flos leans over an antique table with matching chairs.

Living in Venice means nurturing the city's cultural and aesthetic heritage.

The lengthy restoration of a Gothic city palace on the edge of the ghetto, near Sant'Alvise in Cannaregio, fits well into this philosophy. "The structure is typical of buildings of the time: one floor plus attic," says the architect. "It was probably once inhabited by only one family. However, it was in poor condition and its architectural statement blurred by dozens of later interventions that subdivided the spaces to create more living units and more rooms. Even the curved window arches had been covered up. We have tried to restore the original grace, at least as far as the apartment is concerned, where my son Marc, who works for the UN, always returns when he wants to feel 'at home'."

"We have tried to restore the original grace."

Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe

The four-poster bed in the bedroom is from China; it is held together by connectors alone. The ceiling beams were exposed by Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe.

Hidden things come to light

During the conservative restoration, the terrazzo floors were saved and the ceilings, lowered by plasterboard, regained their height and entablature. In the process, a piece of charcoal drawing came to light that was initially hoped to be by Dürer, who had lived in the neighborhood in the 16th century. A fireplace, of which only the chimney was visible, was found inside a wall and reconstructed in Venetian style on the basis of the preserved soot-blackened stones. Venetian is also the plaster on the walls - burgundy like velvet of Bevilacqua, Rubelli or Fortuny - whose shimmering surface gives the illusion of depth and texture.

True Venetians are those who choose to be Venetians.

Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe

The art nouveau desk and lamp are French.

Oriental touched

And finally, Venetian is the fascination with the Orient, which the owner of the house transferred to the apartment through a series of objects acquired during his long stays abroad: a Chinese four-poster bed, a vase in the shape of a pagoda for ritual offerings (Hsun-ok) decorated with black bamboo, traditional umbrellas converted into lamps, or a coffee table in the living room, all from Burma. Influences from all over the world come together in the apartment. "I myself was born in Tunisia," says Elisabeth Regnault de la Mothe - the tiles on the walls of the kitchen and bathroom bear witness to this. Contemporary furnishings such as an "Extrasoft" sofa by Living Divani, an "Arco" arc lamp by Flos and the minimalist kitchen also blend harmoniously into this deeply Venetian interior and become part of it. Because, "True Venetians are those who choose to be Venetians."

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