Natalia’s 2.5-room apartment is reminiscent of a stylish boutique hotel – and what’s more, the self-employed dental hygienist planned and renovated her apartment entirely by herself. In early 2023, she fulfilled her dream of owning her own home, and took control of the design of her new four walls. With her interior design training and a fine sense of aesthetics, Natalia has transformed each room into a small gem.
Natalia has a knack for design. Every detail is coordinated.
Natalia recently completed a course in interior design, from which she benefited enormously during the renovation of her home.
When you enter Natalia’s apartment, you can immediately feel the coherence of the interior. The walls and furniture are in the same shade, the designs are repeated from room to room, and everything is coordinated right down to the last detail. Natalia took inspiration from hotels such as Villa Grey in Forte dei Marmi, combining her very own style of timeless and harmonious monochrome elegance.
Natalia’s renovation
We had already visited Natalia during the renovation work. See the renovation story to find out what her 2.5-room apartment looked like, and what challenges she faced.
The kitchen is unrecognisable. The island is both practical and eye-catching.
This is how the kitchen looked a year ago. Building site flair.
Needs are paramount
Natalia designed the apartment from scratch to suit her needs. “Everything should be perfect for me. After all, I’m doing it for myself. It’s my home.” Natalia paid particular attention to her kitchen as the heart of the apartment. It was designed in a completely self-determined manner to suit Natalia’s lifestyle. “I live alone, so I don’t have a dining table. I have my conservatory and a garden for guests – that’s enough. When I eat alone I sit at the island, which I use as a table. Kitchen fitters often integrate the hob or sink into the island. For Natalia, neither was an option. Instead, a wine cooler was installed in the island, which she is particularly proud of.
Whether as a desk, dining table or shelf, Natalia’s island is the heart of the apartment.
Natalia designed her island according to her needs. As she didn’t want a hob or sink, she installed a wine cooler and uses the island as a dining table or desk.
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“My tip is to go for monochrome designs, as they create a calm atmosphere and make the room look bigger.” (Natalia Burro)
“The most important thing is that it all feels like a coherent whole.”
With Natalia’s interior design tips – harmonious materials, sophisticated electrical installations and monochrome designs – she has created an apartment that will be timelessly beautiful not only now, but also in ten years’ time.
Natalia is very proud of the sockets in the bedroom. These are located directly above the bedside tables, and have a USB port like in a hotel. The advantage is that you can charge and use your phone directly from your bed.
Natalia’s bedroom is reminiscent of a boutique hotel. Sockets with a USB port are located next to the bed, directly above the bedside tables. The advantage is that you can charge and use your phone directly from your bed.
For Natalia, her apartment is truly a home. “That’s also because it belongs to me.”
Natalia’s interior design tips
Plan the electrics according to your needs. Think about where you need sockets for your smartphone and laptop, and where the best places are for them.
Go for monochrome designs. They not only look elegant, but are also calming and make small rooms appear bigger. You can also play with different textures and materials. It’s important to use one shade only.
Invest in high-quality furnishings and don’t make savings in the wrong place. Fittings, countertops and even wall tiles last for decades. Investing more pays off in the long term.
What Natalia enjoys most about her apartment
Natalia particularly likes her recently completed conservatory. “The day the conservatory was finally finished, I took a bottle of rosé from my wine cabinet, sat down in my lounge, and looked at the old photos of the renovation and the apartment as it was. When I saw the changes in the pictures, I was really proud. It was a moment of celebration for me.”
For Natalia, her apartment is truly a home. “That’s also because it belongs to me. It’s a completely different feeling for me than renting. It feels like you’ve achieved something, and that gives me a sense of security as a woman.”
“The day the conservatory was finally finished, I took a bottle of rosé from my wine cabinet and looked back on the renovation. Now it’s all done, and I’m proud of my new home.”
Natalia’s conservatory invites you to linger and offers enough space, even when guests are there.
The lounge is one of Natalia’s favourite rooms.
Natalia took inspiration from hotels such as Villa Grey in Forte dei Marmi, combining her very own style.
As well as a knack for design, Natalia also has green fingers. This is apparent in her beautiful garden.
Natalia has transformed the garden into an oasis of green.
The home as a place of retreat
For Natalia, her home is more than just a place to live. It’s her personal retreat, her little bubble. “As I spend a lot of time at home, it was important to me to create a beautiful environment that is good for me. Especially after going through a difficult time, I needed a place that gives me strength.”
It cannot be taken for granted that Natalia is happy to show us her apartment today, after having unexpectedly lost her life partner. “I needed perspective – this apartment has been like therapy for me,” she says. She had often talked to her partner about buying a home, and it was very important that his memory had a place in her apartment. “Renovating this apartment brought me back to life. In addition to grief I felt a great deal of creativity, and that’s what saved me.”
Golden accents and attention to detail
One detail that makes Natalia’s heart beat faster is her gold taps: “I love them!” The taps are not only installed in the kitchen, but are also repeated in the bathroom. They are brushed gold and of a high quality. Their high quality means that they don’t need to be constantly cleaned, as they don’t collect water drops or limescale.
Fresh flowers provide highlights
Natalia buys fresh flowers every week. She also combines different varieties and loves to arrange them in a beautiful bouquet.
Challenges and unexpected successes
The renovation of the 2.5-room apartment has been anything but easy. “Not everything was done as quickly as I’d have liked. I had to learn to be patient.” Natalia had to live without a kitchen for over six months, which was hard. “Washing up was particularly difficult, but I solved this with a lot of creativity, making use of the garden hose, for example.” Despite the obstacles, Natalia never doubted her decisions. “I enjoyed the renovation, and I’ve even discovered a passion for building sites. Now I prefer to go to a DIY store rather than a designer label.”
The renovation was also financially challenging, especially when the costs of the tradespeople’s bills rocketed. “I initially had a maximum budget, but that was soon exceeded. I’m now doing everything step by step, saving and then going onto the next stage.” Her tip: “Keep your nerve, only do what brings joy, and if problems arise look for solutions instead of getting annoyed.”
While her own apartment is now finished, Natalia already has some new plans. “I really want to continue on to the next project.” With her interior design training and her own renovation project, Natalia has now gained valuable experience of planning and implementing furnishing concepts. She has already received some initial enquiries from acquaintances, and is planning to use her newly discovered passion to establish a second pillar in interior design in a self-determined manner.
We have already accompanied Natalia during her renovation. You can read the full story here.
About Natalia’s home
Inspired by hotels such as Villa Grey in Forte dei Marmi, Natalia has developed a style that continues throughout her interior design: timeless and harmonious monochrome elegance. In her 2.5-room apartment, Natalia has created a home that is not only beautiful, but is also entirely her own.
Do you also dream of owning your own home?
Let our experts advise you on the financing and planning.
