L
ong-distance romances don’t always end
with happily-ever-afters, but fortunately for
Swedish-born Annemo Quist Picece and her
Italian husband Marco Picece, theirs is a tale
of two cities, three children and, after a long
search, a place to finally call home.
When the couple’s paths crossed over a
decade ago, the connection was instant, but
the solution for making the relationship work
across two countries wasn’t quite so obvious. “In the beginning,
we divided our time between Italy and Sweden,” says Annemo.
“I kept my apartment in Stockholm even after we had children.
I would spend a few weeks there, then a few in Milan. It was
really easy to jump on a plane with the kids and head to Sweden,
where I had all my friends and my parents close by. But we
gradually outgrew our home in Milan when we had our second
child and were expecting our third!”
Finally, the decision was made to consolidate their properties
and find a home in Milan that would accommodate the growing
family and Annemo’s business as the Italian agent for Danish
interiors company Tine K Home. An online search in 2013
quickly led them to a rundown property on the outskirts of
Milan, but while it ticked a lot of boxes, it took some time
(mostly thanks to infamous Italian bureaucracy) for all the pieces
to fall into place and the house to be theirs.
Built in the 1950s, the 450-square-metre home was being
sold by the granddaughter of the original owners and, even in
an unrenovated state, it seemed to offer everything the family
were after and more. “We wanted space and were ready to drive
a little further from Milan to get it,” says Annemo. “I also wanted
to work from home and be around when the children got home
from school. But because the house was quite a bit larger than
we expected, I decided to move my office and my showroom in.”
While Annemo had a strong idea of the look and feel she
wanted to achieve (via an obligatory pre-renovation Pinterest
moodboard), the home’s grander proportions and architectural
attributes meant she had a lot of creative freedom. “Our previoushomes had a similar style but on a smaller scale,” Annemo admits,
“so I couldn’t really put all my ideas into practice. Here, I finally
could!” In August 2014, the couple rented a small riverside
cottage close to the house and renovations got underway with
an intended Christmas move-in date (always a dangerously
optimistic deadline in the building world).
The living areas of the spacious home were divided over
three floors, and much of the building work involved opening
up rooms and bringing in as much natural light as possible.
The kitchen was overhauled and now comprises a large open-
plan dining area and family living room, while more formal
dining and living areas are located elsewhere. Annemo has loved
being able to move her office and Tine K Home showroom to
the one stunning space. “I totally fell for the high ceiling and
arched windows in the room I chose for my office, as well as
the enormous garden beyond,” she says.
When it came to the interiors, the style was largely driven
by the couple’s existing furniture, all of which came from their
previous homes. For the colour palette, Annemo didn’t stray far
from what she knows and loves: a Scandinavian-inspired mix
of white, black, grey and pops of pastel. “I’m not that into
colour and feel more at home in a pared-down space,” she says.
“All of my homes have had a similar style, although the
proportions have been very different.”
Not unexpectedly – with a scope of work that included new
windows, flooring, wiring, plumbing and painting – the initial
Christmas deadline looked unlikely. But with the family’s rented
cottage losing its charm at the beginning of winter, the couple
gave the builders no choice but to wrap things up. On December
13, 2014, the family moved into the house and even celebrated
Christmas there with 17 people and an enormous festive tree.
“Renovating the house was a huge job,” Annemo admits, “but
worth every moment. I really appreciate the layout, which serves
us so well. Had I started from scratch and designed a completely
new house with an architect on an empty plot, I would have
ended up with a house just like this one.”
Check out the full Tine K Home range at tinekhome.comFORMAL LIVING (opposite left and right)
White is the dominant colour on the surfaces,
punctuated by black accents in the
furnishings. Overall, it’s the perfect balance of
light and dark. EXTERIOR The original house
is in what’s known locally as Liberty Style,
derived from Art Nouveau. No extensions
were necessary as the home had more
space than the family needed. The basement
contains separate quarters for visiting family
and friends plus Marco’s music room.74 | INSIDE OUT