Baxter’s Lake Como retreat is ‘a home for design connoisseurs’

In partnership with Baxter

Pale blue wooden shutters patinated by the sun, a crystal-clear view of mountains reflected in the water, terraced gardens full of Mediterranean fragrances, and a decadently indolent ambience – this is what greets the visitor arriving at Baxter’s Casa sul Lago, the Italian furniture brand’s 20th-century villa and showcase at Lake Como.

Inside? Nothing is typical. Signature design references, bold gestures and contemporary moods have inspired the Lombardy-based company to reimagine the Como lakeside experience as one that stimulates both the senses and the mind. Intended for ‘an educated and worldly bourgeoisie’, enamoured of architecture, aesthetics and textures, the villa is, explain Baxter’s creative directors, a home for design connoisseurs.

Colour dominates, defining and shaping spaces with contrasting and complementary palettes: rhubarb with terracotta paired with beige and plum, for example. The atmosphere is soft and sophisticated. Rooms are separated using the filter of modern glazing, while lacquered wood panelling in bright, saturated colours recalls the bold and chic style of fin de siècle Paris. Each space is punctuated and enhanced with custom-made Murano glass lights. Carpets are plush and substantial, while thick, full-height curtains soften the sun’s afternoon dazzle and frame the intense sparkle from the water.

In the dining room, what used to be a stone-colonnaded portico has now been transformed into a spectacular glazed area, its transparent veranda flooded with sunlight and furnished with a large marble ‘Kate’ dining table with Angelo Mangiarotti-esque joints and new ‘Afra’ chairs. The room’s thick, rhubarb-coloured carpet is a prelude to the muted atmosphere and vibrant colour palette that is a tonal, textural theme throughout the property.

Immersed in warm terracotta tones, the living room houses pieces from a new collection designed by Milan-based Hannes Peer, a recent addition to the Baxter design family. Low and informal, echoing the glamorous, sexy 1970s and glittering 1980s, sofas are gloss-lacquered or of aluminium construction, with voluminous, structural cushions. A smoked-glass window functions as a filter between the hall and a social space, where a custom brass-topped stone element functions as both a kitchen and a cocktail station.

Leading to the upper floor, the staircase volume is decorated in a dark, rhubarb-red, a delicate complement to the plum-carpeted floor, creating a gentle, chromatic break from the rooms on the first floor. Beige and tobacco tones are used to create a more relaxed and tranquil atmosphere for the small studio, with direct views of the lake, and in the two newly created suites, where the sleeping area features the new ‘So Soft’ bed design by Studiopepe, upholstered in a dark, intense plum colour.

Casa Sul Lago’s adjoining terrace, also with spectacular lake views, is the ideal space for a sun-dappled lunch. And afterwards? A little higher up, an annexe in shades of grape and olive is an opportunity to stretch out on the leather ‘Miami Beach’ sofa by Paola Navone.

Before the swimming pool, its decks furnished with outdoor pieces by Navone, a particular space has been conceived for pure contemplation. In the villa’s greenhouse, nature is both inside and outside. Cacti and succulents are set amid a low, lava stone table, large ‘Manila’ cane armchairs, natural-fibre carpets and, enveloping the walls, sand-coloured raffia upholstery. Lakeside style gets a new lease of life.

La Casa sul Lago, Via Torno 68, Como, is open by appointment only. Discover all the products in the new collection at baxter.it