Windows and shutters made in Arad open up to the Adriatic coast

The house, facing the Alps and the Adriatic coast, was in a state of advanced decay when it was discovered by Adela and Andrew, a Romanian-English couple visiting the Pescara region of Italy. But the area was beautiful and they knew immediately that they had found their retirement home. They had been thinking about such a place for years and lo and behold, it was unfolding before them in all its splendour. They still needed skilled people who understood and respected the history of the place. They found them. Among them was Holze, who made, in addition to the doors, windows and shutters that fit the place perfectly, including the custom furniture, fireplace or the one that dresses the kitchen. The carefully crafted woodwork and attention to detail harmonised perfectly with the over 200-year-old house, which has been perfectly restored.

Vesta House

Casa Vesta - named after the Italian owners - was solidly built, with thick brick walls. Uninhabited for a very long time, it has deteriorated badly and is now a ruin. The walls have become hollowed out, some have even collapsed, and the wood of the doors and windows has rotted. There was a lot to replace and a lot of work needed to preserve, as much as possible, the original appearance of the house. Fortunately, Adela and Andrew had a big helper - Adela's mother - a very good structural engineer, knowledgeable in the techniques of rehabilitating old houses, a lady with a very clear concept of quality construction.

Both the house - ground floor and first floor - and the annex have been restored. Viewed from the hill, the house appears to have only a ground floor, with the first floor hidden by a reinforced earth bank on which a brick wall has been built. Between the wall and the house is a corridor of over 1m so that the windows get enough light. On the ground floor is the kitchen, a living room, an office and the hallway with stairs to the upstairs where there are bedrooms, bathrooms and a dresing. A full-length wooden terrace stretches out in front of the house, supported on brick columns and covered with terracotta tiles, as is the whole house.

In the living room, a brick arch supported by columns similar to those outside separates the area next to the fireplace from the rest of the room. The fireplace, a modern stove not built into the wall, sits on the site of the house's old stained-glass window and has a solid wood mantelpiece typical of British fireplaces. The 30kg piece of oak, over 100 years old, was brought over from Romania as reclaimed wood from an old shed. Antique pieces of furniture, in perfect harmony with the ornate bookshelves, complete the look of the room.

From the living room you can reach the classic kitchen whose centrepiece is the countertop table with a "slice" of walnut wood. Simple furniture, made of solid oak bluish grey colouring, it blends perfectly with the wood and pastel beige doors. The exit to the terrace is via four large folding glass doors that open fully, joining the terrace to the kitchen. The chandelier above the table, reclaimed wood clock, marine-themed painting, spice poles, antique objects and modern appliances create a magazine look.

Built-in, hallway and kitchen furniture made by the same company that made the windows, doors and shutters

Facing other projects of the Holze company we saw, here they came up with a novelty: the built-in furniture in the living room, kitchen and hallway. One of the company's specialities is refacerea and refurbishment of doors and windows in old houses, so making inlaid wooden frames for very thick brick walls is not unusual for them. Only this time, they also made functional furniture.

The two solid oak bookcases on either side of the fireplace were made specifically to fit into that space. The furniture was recessed into the wall, feeling like it had been there forever. The pleasing color, like that of the doors and window frames, the quality hardware, the carefully crafted details turned these simple shelves into quality furniture.

Simple, elegant lines have been kept in the hallway and kitchen furniture. But the colour scheme is different, with the hallway furniture retaining the yellowish beige of the woodwork, and the kitchen furniture going a bluish grey, echoing the large shutters on the folding doors. Seen from the outside, the furniture links the clear sky blue of the shutters to the sea-blue painting on the kitchen wall.

Light blue and beige for doors, windows and shutters

All windows and the folding kitchen doors have simple wooden shutters painted a light summer sky blue by the sea. The colour matches the yellowish beige of the windows perfectly, both are pastel. The same blue colour was also used for the entrance doors to the house and the annex.

The doors, windows and shutters were made by Holze company from Arad, respecting all the technical specifications from Italy. All accessories were carefully chosen to match the place and the house. The pattern chosen for the shutters, the accessories, the colours, their harmonization to suggest the proximity of the Adriatic coast. The shutters, with that perfect blue, personalize the house and legitimize its position close to the sea.

Entrance doorThe doors to the annex are made of solid wood painted blue. The one at the entrance to the house is glazed and has a hand-hammered wrought iron grille. The black colour of the door handle sits perfectly against the blue of the door, like the ironwork of the shutters.

A house that is truly a dream come true

The whole process of rebuilding the Vesta house took almost three years, from 2016 to 2018. It seems like a long time, but looking at how well everything looks and how carefully work was done to preserve as much of the original house as possible, it doesn't seem so long. Especially since everything was done carefully and painstakingly, and the result is outstanding.

I've visited Italy many times and always admired the houses with the terrace at lawn level, the simple shutters, the perfect combination of brick, wood and stone. Casa Vesta has been rebuilt in this spirit, and in my view is the picture of perfection. Everything is harmoniously combined, each combination carefully studied. A dream come true for a couple who wanted to retreat to an oasis of light, harmony and beauty.