Nestled among palm trees and tamarisk shrubs, overlooking the sea in the Puglia town of Bisceglie, Villa Emy - a splendid Art Deco building from the 1930s - has re-emerged with a bold new identity. Following a series of refurbishments in the 1960s and its use as an events venue and cocktail bar until 2010, in 2023, architects Paolo Lettieri - founder of UPA Italia - and Pierluigi Pindinelli were assigned the restoration project which would turn the villa into an enchanting bed and breakfast. The dialogue between heritage and modernity is balanced, with original vaults and wall partitions brought out through neutral tones and careful colour accents.

Villa Emy Boutique Bed&Breakfast
TYPE OF PROJECT
Flooring and wall tiles in communal areas and guest roomsPlace
Bisceglie, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Puglia, ItalyDesigners
UPA ITALIA, architect: Paolo LettieriYear
2024
Ceramica Fondovalle, which has always been committed to combining the development of new materials with evolving style trends, was chosen to convey the design language of this project. The expressive features of the porcelain stoneware collections formed a leitmotif running through the six rooms of Villa Emy, crafting a careful balance between tradition and individuality. While the strong contrasts of the stone-effect Planeto collection turn the floors in the communal areas into a key feature, Dream is the soul of the project. Offering a contemporary slant on Art Deco, linen-inspired textures and nature-themed decorations define the Dream slabs — particularly the Woods and Garden accents. These details evoke a sense of modern elegance, with fleeting references to woodlands and gardens, evocative of hand-painted canvases. Their subtle textures lend character to the rooms, providing an artistic, sensory dimension while maintaining the practicality of porcelain stoneware. In the bathrooms, the Dream Garden and Dream Woods accents create spaces that connect deeply with the user, creating a sense of comfort and sophistication. The refurbishment of Villa Emy was completed with the Res Art wall tiles in the Olive and Pottery tones, where the textural effects of spatula-applied resin bring a warm, richly artistic quality to the porcelain stoneware.