This collection features English articles focused on home design and renovation projects developed in Sicily. Topics include attic conversions, countryside pools, natural light strategies, and the architect-client relationship. These insights offer practical guidance and reflect on creating unique living spaces shaped by local context.
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Designer Lamps for the Home: Identity, Design, and Love for the Object
Choosing home designer lamps means balancing light, identity, and emotion. More than functional objects, lamps shape our spaces and stories. From entrance to terrace, each design tells a tale of creativity and belonging — transforming light into a true companion of everyday life.
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Redesigning Interior Stairs: Between Design, Regulations, and Costs
Redesigning an interior staircase means more than ensuring safe access between floors. From regulations and dimensions to materials, costs, and space-saving options, a staircase can become a true design feature. Learn how to transform stairs into an architectural statement that enriches your home both functionally and aesthetically.
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Warm or Cool Light? How Color Temperature Changes the Atmosphere of Interiors
Lighting color temperature is key to interior design. Warm, neutral, and cool light each create unique moods, influence how materials appear, and affect well-being. With the right CRI and thoughtful choices, lighting transforms both homes and commercial spaces into inviting, functional, and emotionally engaging environments.
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Sicily Tourism Grant 2025: Non-Repayable Contributions for Hotels, B&Bs, and Country Houses
The Sicily Tourism Grant 2025 offers non-repayable contributions for hotels, B&Bs, and rural houses. Covering renovations, expansions, and acquisitions, it helps businesses grow sustainably. Foreign investors are also eligible, making it a unique opportunity to start or expand in Sicily’s thriving tourism sector.
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Not Everyone Is an Architect: Differences Between Architect, Engineer, and Surveyor
Not all technical professionals are the same: architect, engineer, and surveyor have distinct training paths, exams, and legal responsibilities. Knowing these differences helps clients choose the right professional, avoid mistakes, and ensure valid projects. While engineers focus on structural and technical aspects, architects combine technical and cultural perspectives, and surveyors specialize in practical tasks. This…
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Color in interior architecture: a design, sensory, and emotional tool
Color is more than decoration—it’s a design language. This article explores its cultural roots, psychological impact, and practical use in interior architecture. From historical references to neuroscience, from minimalist trends to a nursery design case study, it shows how color shapes perception and well-being. Designing with color means designing for people, their emotions, and their…
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Authenticity vs imitation: why wood-effect porcelain tiles don’t tell your story
Wood-look porcelain tiles offer visual appeal, but fall short in delivering the sensory richness of real wood. Touch, warmth, sound, and even scent shape our experience of home—elements no imitation can truly replicate. This article explores the emotional and material differences between authenticity and illusion in interior design, guiding you toward a more conscious, coherent…
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Designing Change
This project shows how a small bedroom for two children can adapt over time. With a custom mezzanine structure, integrated storage, and multi-functional spaces, the design maximizes height and preserves free play areas. It anticipates future changes, such as transforming a bed into a study desk, combining flexibility, safety, and style. A thoughtful approach to…
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Designing Natural Light in the Renovation of a Historic Townhouse
The renovation of a top-floor home in the historic center of Termini Imerese combined architectural restoration with contemporary design. The project enhanced natural light through light shafts and transformed an internal terrace into an open-air living space. Supported by national and regional incentives, the intervention preserved historical elements while integrating modern solutions. A specialized team…
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Converting an Attic: A Guide to a Feasible Project
Converting an attic in the historic centers of Sicily, such as Palermo, can transform an unused space into a bright and charming environment. The project requires careful consideration of regulatory and landscape constraints, but it can offer new living opportunities. From zenithal light to the creation of terraces, every intervention must be carefully balanced. It…
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An attic between sky and sea
This article explores the fascination with attics, blending cultural references from art, cinema, and music with a real-life renovation project. It shows how a former loft was transformed into a welcoming nest between sky and sea, offering an intimate space for family life and personal creativity.
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The pool in the countryside home
A practical guide to building a swimming pool in a countryside home in Sicily. It covers regulations, permits, pool types, costs, and landscape integration. Offers advice for designing a harmonious, sustainable space, turning a desire into a concrete project that enhances the local environment and lifestyle.
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Renovating without builder
Discover how to completely renew your living space without any masonry work. Our interior design project transformed the living room and its connection with the rest of the house using custom-made carpentry. The result is a sophisticated system of storage and shelving that upgrades both functionality and aesthetics, all without structural changes. Perfect for anyone…
Behind Riusourbano
Every article you read here stems from real design experiences. We are architects, and with Riusourbano we share our way of living, thinking, and transforming spaces. If you have an idea in mind or a place you’d like to change, we’re ready to listen.
You can find us here or contact us at riusourbano@gmail.com