Houzz Tour: This Filmmaker's Home is a Museum of Her Works
This introspective filmmaker has used her romantic apartment to showcase an archive of her work, life and interests
This late-19th-century apartment is located on Plebiscito Street, in the heart of the historical district of San Cristoforo in Catania, Italy. This neighbourhood is full of excitement and contrast, and is perhaps the best reflection of the soul of the city. Simple street-facing houses share the area with bourgeois buildings, small factories, workshops, garages and street food vendors serving local delicacies such as the famous horsemeat dish arrusti e mangia, meaning “roast and eat” in the Sicilian dialect.
The apartment is owned by Giovanna Brogna Sonnino, an introspective and eclectic film director who was born in this region. It is dominated by a number of curious items: Cult objects, vintage furniture, photography and beloved mementos coexist in a space where time seems to have stopped. All are arranged in curated archives that reflect and illustrate aspects of Sonnino’s life, her experiences and her passions, displayed throughout the space like in a museum.
The apartment is owned by Giovanna Brogna Sonnino, an introspective and eclectic film director who was born in this region. It is dominated by a number of curious items: Cult objects, vintage furniture, photography and beloved mementos coexist in a space where time seems to have stopped. All are arranged in curated archives that reflect and illustrate aspects of Sonnino’s life, her experiences and her passions, displayed throughout the space like in a museum.
The large courtyard of this neoclassical building is embellished by the smell of hanging laundry and the geometry of balconies against a blue Mediterranean sky.
“I decided to buy this apartment because it reminded me of my grandmother’s house, where I spent my childhood,” Sonnino says. “I tried to recreate that atmosphere by bringing in furniture and other items that had belonged to her. Furthermore, this district – so turbulent and colourful – has been a great inspiration for me. As soon as I got back to Catania in 2003, I immediately filmed a new movie called Riprendimi [‘heartache’]. It is about comparing differences and the value of marginality.”
Check out these courtyards that mesmerise
“I decided to buy this apartment because it reminded me of my grandmother’s house, where I spent my childhood,” Sonnino says. “I tried to recreate that atmosphere by bringing in furniture and other items that had belonged to her. Furthermore, this district – so turbulent and colourful – has been a great inspiration for me. As soon as I got back to Catania in 2003, I immediately filmed a new movie called Riprendimi [‘heartache’]. It is about comparing differences and the value of marginality.”
Check out these courtyards that mesmerise
Those who enter Sonnino’s third-story apartment are immediately immersed in the sophisticated atmosphere created by two big sun-drenched windows, a birdcage stand dating back to the ’40s – Sonnino had found it in her grandmother’s house – a small table and, at the centre of the room, the base of a bed that is currently being used as a table.
At eighteen, Sonnino left Catania to study film in Florence. She then moved to Rome, where she made documentaries and reports for RAI, Italy’s primary public broadcaster. In Rome, she also produced films and documentaries for which she gained widespread recognition both in Italy and abroad, including at the Turin and Brooklyn Film Festivals.
After almost thirty years away from her home city, she decided to come back to reconnect with her roots. “I felt that I needed to come back home, to leave television and have some time for myself and my artistic projects. That’s why I bought a house in my home city.”
At eighteen, Sonnino left Catania to study film in Florence. She then moved to Rome, where she made documentaries and reports for RAI, Italy’s primary public broadcaster. In Rome, she also produced films and documentaries for which she gained widespread recognition both in Italy and abroad, including at the Turin and Brooklyn Film Festivals.
After almost thirty years away from her home city, she decided to come back to reconnect with her roots. “I felt that I needed to come back home, to leave television and have some time for myself and my artistic projects. That’s why I bought a house in my home city.”
A long hallway leads from the entrance hall to the home’s seven rooms.
Sonnino is a prodigious collector of myriad items: Photographs, watercolour paintings, dresses, day planners, furniture and much more. She calls them “archives” and classifies them by theme, year and place. Each individual item is then cataloged based on a bespoke system. The name of each archive is displayed on the walls and on their individual tables. Each archive tells us something about Sonnino’s life and work. As a result, her home feels like an art gallery.
The archive on the hall table on the right of the photo is called Nothing Lasts Forever. It is a reflection on memories. Each box holds a story made up of black-and-white photos taken by Sonnino herself.
She bought the half bust of a woman, on the left of the photo, at an antiques shop.
Sonnino is a prodigious collector of myriad items: Photographs, watercolour paintings, dresses, day planners, furniture and much more. She calls them “archives” and classifies them by theme, year and place. Each individual item is then cataloged based on a bespoke system. The name of each archive is displayed on the walls and on their individual tables. Each archive tells us something about Sonnino’s life and work. As a result, her home feels like an art gallery.
The archive on the hall table on the right of the photo is called Nothing Lasts Forever. It is a reflection on memories. Each box holds a story made up of black-and-white photos taken by Sonnino herself.
She bought the half bust of a woman, on the left of the photo, at an antiques shop.
The height of the vaulted ceiling and the original frescoes in the large, bright living room make it feel as though time has really stopped in this place.
“The ’50s chandelier once belonged to my aunts, while the blue ’60s bouclé armchairs were already here,” Sonnino says. “I kept all the furniture that was here when I bought the house, because I liked it and felt that its soul was like mine. I immediately felt at home and didn’t want to throw anything out. I can say I bought almost nothing for my apartment.”
“The ’50s chandelier once belonged to my aunts, while the blue ’60s bouclé armchairs were already here,” Sonnino says. “I kept all the furniture that was here when I bought the house, because I liked it and felt that its soul was like mine. I immediately felt at home and didn’t want to throw anything out. I can say I bought almost nothing for my apartment.”
On the left of the photo is the daybed she found in her grandmother’s house, and the family table is against the wall. It is part of her archive In Sicily, You Don’t Throw Anything Away, which reflects the dedication of her life’s work to the preservation of memories.
This corner of the hallway just outside the living room is dominated by Mount Etna. The volcano, frightening and full of vitality, has determined the character of the city, impacting its architecture and urban planning.
Earthquakes and eruptions have buried Catania repeatedly over the centuries. U mungibeddu, as the volcano is called in the local dialect, holds the place of honor in this house. This archive is named Being Alive Is a Miracle, but We Still Take It for Granted.
These are the fundamentals of hallway design
Earthquakes and eruptions have buried Catania repeatedly over the centuries. U mungibeddu, as the volcano is called in the local dialect, holds the place of honor in this house. This archive is named Being Alive Is a Miracle, but We Still Take It for Granted.
These are the fundamentals of hallway design
Still more of Sonnino’s collections are displayed in the hallway. On both walls hang dresses that have belonged to her and the women of her family. Some others were acquired from tailors or flea markets. On the floor are art history books she has studied. This piece is entitled This Hallway Is Not About Fashion.
“The bedroom is one of the most chaotic rooms in the house,” Sonnino says. “I spend lots of time in here and love working here. That’s why I put in a writing desk; I use the space as an office.” The ’50s headboard belonged to her parents. The closet is also from her mother’s home; it is covered in a kind of hemp paper produced in the ’70s.
Take a look at these head-turning headboards
Take a look at these head-turning headboards
The two bathrooms in Sonnino’s home are gender-segregated. The one next to the bedroom is for women. “I chose to have a women’s and a men’s bathroom. In the former I hung paintings and pictures about female friendship. The mirror and cabinet, which date back to the late 19th century, belonged to my mother and grandmother,” Sonnino says.
The men’s bathroom is next to the kitchen. “In decorating the men’s bathroom I used items, photos and drawings that are somehow related to men who have been important in my life.”
A little hallway outside the bathroom leads to the kitchen. The atmosphere is just as warm and romantic as in the rest of the house. “The table and armchairs at the centre of the room were here originally, while the sideboard belonged to my mother,” Sonnino says. “The paintings are still lifes I painted when I studied under the master Elio Romano, at the age of sixteen.”
Colourful, eccentric and welcoming armchairs and sofas stand in the last room of the house. Sonnino decided to have her grandmother’s piano painted white as a tribute to John Lennon. She bought the chandelier in Argentina.
“I do not usually work in the same place,” Sonnino says, “I love to wander about my house. Each room inspires me to do different things. In the dining room, I spend time cataloging and archiving. This is where I concentrate the best.”
“I do not usually work in the same place,” Sonnino says, “I love to wander about my house. Each room inspires me to do different things. In the dining room, I spend time cataloging and archiving. This is where I concentrate the best.”
Just off this space is the terrace, from which it’s possible to see Ursino Castle, old town Catania and, in the background, the majestic Mount Etna dominating the skyline.
“During the day, it is very quiet and the light from the sunset is always beautiful and fascinating. This is the place where I really feel at home.”
Read more:
My Houzz: Mumbai Architect Couple Convert a Clubhouse Into a Cosy Flat
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
“During the day, it is very quiet and the light from the sunset is always beautiful and fascinating. This is the place where I really feel at home.”
Read more:
My Houzz: Mumbai Architect Couple Convert a Clubhouse Into a Cosy Flat
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Filmmaker Giovanna Brogna Sonnino
Location: Catania, Sicily, Italy
Size: 220 square metres (about 2,150 square feet) divided between the entrance hall, living room, bedroom, office, guest room, kitchen, two bathrooms and terrace
Year built: Late nineteenth century