Design Ripening In The Italian Sun
Photography: Krzysztof Kozanowski
In 2021, Malgorzata and Krzysztof started a new chapter, deciding to buy a house in the quiet Piedmont, leaving behind their Warsaw lives abuzz with noise. The choice of their new place was not accidental – they had long felt connected to Italy and the pandemic was only a catalyst for change. In the picturesque town of Orsara Bormida, they discovered a house they decided to call Holy Grotta. It serves as the ultimate background for their creative, culinary and personal explorations, where they cultivate a lifestyle influenced by Italian traditions entangled in everyday rituals.
In the interview, they share the history of how this place has come to its current state, the influence of the provincial culture on their lives and how they manage to balance work and pleasure in their new surroundings.
What was the process of designing your kitchen like and what was the most significant inspiration for this project?
Our house is located in a mediaeval town, surrounded by vineyards. The neighbouring buildings are old, have cracked facades and illusionistic paintings – that dynamic itself forced us to think about the project in a certain way. We didn’t want to drift into the classics, we rather focused on minimalism. For us, the kitchen is a workshop and a place to meet with loved ones. The countertop had to be long, so everyone could feel comfortable while cooking. Our space is a living organism that constantly evolves, so we didn’t want it to be limited by any kind of frame.
What made you choose the Modern model from the Terra collection as your fronts?
Lacquered MDF added contemporary minimalism to the space, allowing us to contribute something from ourselves. We complemented the kitchen space with strong red accents. Everything became pleasant and inviting. For us, the kitchen is also about functionality – we cook a lot, so the simple handles and brown colour worked perfect for us.
The design of the kitchen combines functionality with minimalism and fits into the eclectic aesthetics of the home’s overall interior.
How does the kitchen design affect the use of your space?
After renovating the house, the kitchen has clearly become its heart. It is so congenial that we spend most of our time there. When we host family or friends, we cook together, drink wine, talk and play games. This large space is beyond comfortable and anyone can get involved in cooking, either at the kitchen counter or sitting at the table.
What are your favourite local ingredients and dishes from Piedmont that you enjoy cooking?
There is a lot of meat in the traditional Piedmontese cuisine and there is no fresh fish due to the distance from the sea, which, of course, is no longer a barrier today. After all, Piedmont borders with Liguria, and the sea is a 45-minute drive away. There is little meat in our kitchen, but we mostly use seasonal vegetables and fruits, mushrooms and local cheeses. When we come to Italy after a stay in Poland, we immediately buy Rochetta or Montebore cheese (a cheese in the shape of Piedmont hills) and serve it on toast with fresh figs or fig mustard and aceto balsamico. Piedmont is also the capital of white truffles, it is worth trying them with simple pasta. They are in season from October to December.
The design of the house is an attempt to strike a balance between its history and the present needs of the owners.
How has living in the Piedmont region influenced your culinary practices and kitchen routine?
Piedmont lives on seasonality. This is where Slow Food was born in 1986; its goal is to provide access to good, natural and fair food. This is where our favourite Eataly chain of stores comes from, which brings together small food and wine companies. It is a supermarket with selected, high quality Italian products. Encountering fresh, seasonal produce has taught us not to process them too much. Taste “straight from the seedling”, like during this one dinner at our neighbour Mario’s, who ate raw artichokes.
Can you share some tips on which local markets in Piedmont are worth visiting?
Most often, on Tuesdays or Fridays, we go to the market in Acqui Terme, which is a few kilometres from our house. There we buy seasonal vegetables from farmers, cheese, fish and for dinner we get the best ravioli we have ever eaten at Pasta Fresca di Emiliana Pesce. However, what we are most looking forward to are the flea markets that take place in nearby towns on the weekends. You can check them out here. It’s hard to say whether we are more interested in good food or design and finding some authentic pieces.
Which places in Piedmont are a must-visit and which ones have become your favourite spots for inspiration and relaxation?
There are loads of them. Of course we like Turin, which is the capital of Piedmont. Our favorite city attractions are a walk through vintage shops, a visit to a bar with natural wine and a concert at the beautiful Teatro Reggio. We also have some treasured places in nature. Close to us there is a magical canyon with a river in Mollare and a little further a barbecue area with a nice Bosco Piano bar on the Valle di Borbera is set, where we love to cool off in the summer. We also delight in walks in the nearby landscape park and daily strolls through the vineyards.
What is the recipe for enjoying local wines and pairing them with food?
Piedmont is one of the largest wine regions in Italy. It is known for its iconic varieties – Barolo, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto. However, we are interested in natural wines, especially orange wines, i.e. white grapes macerated on their skins. Producers of natural wines are characterised by openness and philosophy “as close to nature as possible,” which is what we adore in Italy. We often visit our befriended vineyard Vali Unite, which is located near Tortona. This is the region where the endemic Timorasso strain has been recreated. It’s fresh, mineral, herbal with hints of honey. It’s really worth trying. We combine briefly macerated Timorasso with liguine with clams, lots of parsley and garlic. We snack on the ones macerated longer along with peaches from Volpedo.
What local traditions or festivals are you looking forward to this year?
We really like the white truffle festival “Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco di Trisobbio”, which takes place in autumn a few kilometres from us, in the town of Trisobbio. Many exhibitors are there. In addition to truffles and truffle products, you will be surprised by the huge amount of local products, scrumptious food, music and the opportunity to walk up the town with a glass of wine secured in a holder around your neck to taste different ones from the local producers. On the day of the holiday, the castle with the observation tower located on the top of the mediaeval town is also open for visitors.
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