Lighting and decorative details complement the interior design, combining Art Deco influences, rich colours and views over the Arno.
Overlooking the Arno, just a short walk from the Uffizi Gallery, Hotel Balestri welcomes guests into a historic building in central Florence. Its connection to the city runs throughout the boutique hotel, from the large windows overlooking the river to the terraces opening onto Florence’s rooftops and landmarks.
In architect Andrea Solinas’s project, Bronzetto helps shape the interiors through lighting and decorative details. These elements become part of a composition rich in contrasts: dark wood panelling, mirrored surfaces, geometric floors and seating in deep colours.
Lighting as Part of the Interior Design
Hotel Balestri’s communal spaces evoke the elegance of Art Deco. The lines of the furnishings, the symmetry and the colour combinations create distinctive interiors, where lighting contributes to the architectural rhythm.
In the rooms with arched windows, wall lights punctuate the walls between the openings. Their vertical profiles and luminous diffusers complement the pale vaulted ceilings, cool-toned walls and green seating.
In the wood-panelled interiors, light meets darker, reflective surfaces. The wall lights follow the rhythm of the panelling, while mirrors multiply their presence, connecting lighting, furnishings and spatial depth.
A More Intimate Atmosphere in the Guest Rooms
In the guest rooms, the design takes on a more intimate character. Shaded table lamps complement the furnishings and introduce dedicated pools of light for moments of rest or time spent at the desk.
The slender structure and the volume of the lampshade strike a balance with the wood panels, pale surfaces and fabrics. Even when switched off, each lamp remains part of the composition, contributing to the room’s proportions and character.
Character in the Smallest Details
Bronzetto’s contribution extends to the decorative elements fitted to the doors. The lion’s-head ring knocker introduces a figurative detail into a setting defined by clean lines, turning a functional object into a distinctive feature.
It is in the relationship between these different scales—from the lighting of an entire room to the detail encountered at a guest-room door—that the value of craftsmanship emerges.
