A Design Oasis in the City – Carlotta Berta on her extraordinary apartment and home office

Unconventional windows, a kitchen reminiscent of an aquarium, and a spectacular fountain in the outdoor area – your apartment is a paradise for design enthusiasts. What is your personal highlight?

When I visited this apartment for the first time, after years of searching for a home, I looked at my husband and said: “I want it.” I love the glass wall overlooking the garden; it makes me feel immersed in nature, despite being in the city centre.

How would you describe your interior design style?

I do not subscribe to any specific style. I try to guide my clients to discover their own personal style. I aim to design homes that reflect their view of the world, and in doing so, I try to stay in the background – like an invisible hand that gently guides without imposing itself.

You live and work in your home. How do you separate the two areas, or how do you reconcile them?

I must admit I have not been very good at physically separating the two areas in my home. However, my children naturally create that boundary; the house can only be my workspace when they are not there. The moment they walk through the door, life takes over, and work leaves the home.

As an interior designer, you also furnish other people’s homes. What special features need to be considered when designing a home office?

I would say there are three key elements to a home office:

Comfort: a comfortable working position makes a big difference. This depends on the combination of desk and chair, but also on the overall comfort of the room and its surroundings (plants, for example, can positively improve your mood).

Light: natural and artificial lighting need to complement each other to create a space that is easy on the eyes.

What you are facing: it is crucial to consider the placement of the home office. Imagine yourself working there: What do you see? What can inspire or distract you?

How do you personally perceive the change to hybrid working and working from a home office?

I think the pandemic has taught us to take better care of our personal lives, as well as our professional ones. Hybrid working is a step in that direction. Personally, more than the pandemic, it was the birth of my children that had the greatest impact on me. Today, I feel the need for time and space to dedicate to them, but also to myself and my personal life. When I was younger, I thought that work defined me, but now I feel that design is only a part of who I am. Working from a home office allows us to free up time and focus on what we love.

In your profession, colours, materials, and textiles play a major role. Do you notice any trends in home office design?

In home office design, as well as in interior design in general, I see two opposing yet distinct trends. On the one hand, there is a desire for lightness, playful interiors with fun shapes and bold contrasting colours (playfulness escapism). On the other hand, there is a search for calm, beauty, luxury, and the desire to curate and collect (quiet luxury). Alongside both, there is a growing sensitivity towards sustainability, which has become an essential element of design.

Turin is world-famous for the architectural diversity of its city centre. To what extent does the city influence you in your work?

Turin is the city I have chosen to call home; I love its colours, lights, and spaces. It is a city where many elements blend effortlessly, simple yet very complex at the same time. It is a city that does not shout but reveals itself gradually to those who take the time to notice. And it is a city that has been deliberately designed, where most streets intersect at right angles. In some way, I bring all three of these elements into my work.