Since its founding, Paolo and Antonella De Santis have envisioned CASABIANCA as more than just a travel destination—it’s the starting point of a new journey. They aimed to create an evolving “art living room,” a concept now reinterpreted with the opening of three new suites on the villa’s top floor.
Rooted in over 40 years of passion for contemporary art and collecting, CASABIANCA brings this historic residence back to Como, transforming it into a living space that blends art, culture, and hospitality. With the three art suites now open, the villa embarks on a new chapter, offering guests a more immersive way to experience this artistic home.
The three suites perfectly embody the De Santis family’s vision: three artist residences inviting guests to enjoy a home-like stay surrounded by contemporary artworks, custom-designed furniture, and exquisite 20th-century Italian design.
A dialogue between architecture, art, and design
The interior design pays tribute to the restraint and elegance of 1950s and 1960s Italian design while reflecting the building’s own historical heritage. Designed in 1931 by Como-born architect Piero Ponci, the villa’s renovation involved the De Santis family and architect Corrado Tagliabue, who carefully selected every detail—from spatial layout and materials to furniture—to seamlessly connect art, architecture, and daily life.
It is in these subtle details that the spirit of the project is fully realized. The three new suites are not simply added accommodations but a natural extension of CASABIANCA’s history and philosophy. The artworks, furnishings, and details carry decades of the De Santis family’s collecting story—born from encounters, exploration, discovery, and their enduring love for Italian design.
Door handles, window fittings, and faucets in the suites are classic pieces by Italian design master Gio Ponti. The floors feature elm parquet with deep walnut borders, meticulously restored by Como’s local workshop Castiglioni, preserving traditional craftsmanship while reinterpreting the decorative language of the historic spaces below.
The bedrooms are adorned with Rubelli wallpaper that extends from walls to ceiling, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere. The bathrooms extensively use natural stone, including precious Verde Alpi and Lepanto marble, paired with church glass and polished steel details, all echoing the elegant aesthetics of the 1930s.
Three cleverly concealed rooftop terraces preserve the original façade while flooding the interiors with natural light. Two face the lake, while the largest overlooks centuries-old cedars in the garden, furnished with classic chairs designed by Italian master Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, creating a private and peaceful outdoor retreat.
The project also incorporates antique furniture carefully collected by Paolo and Antonella De Santis over the years at art fairs and antique shows. Restored bookcases, chandeliers by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, fabrics from renowned Italian silk brand Ratti, and pieces from iconic Italian furniture brands together create CASABIANCA’s unique living atmosphere.
Three suites, three artists, three artistic expressions
Guests first enter the suite area through an elegant entrance space, designed as a tribute to architect Piero Portaluppi’s architectural language and setting the tone for the stay.
At the entrance, a large site-specific work by Roger Selden interacts with Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s mirrored steel piece and Max Ingrand’s classic “Farfalle” wall lamps designed in 1961 for Italian home brand FontanaArte.
Original 1930s cement tiles preserved during restoration, combined with mahogany, burl wood paneling, and brass details, establish the space’s character. A carefully painted trompe-l'œil mural cleverly echoes the villa’s iconic geometric staircase, naturally linking old and new spaces and continuing the building’s historical narrative.
This space also sets the stage for the artistic story that unfolds. Each suite has a distinct personality and is named after the artist invited to create it. Each artist made site-specific works for CASABIANCA that form the heart of their respective spaces. Around these creations, contemporary art, architecture, and design engage in dialogue, shaping a space that is both for appreciation and living.
Uberto suite
The largest of the three, the Uberto suite, features two bedrooms and is named after Milanese artist Simona Uberto. The suite’s centerpiece, Appartenenze (Belongings), consists of 15 groups of aluminum and photographic works. The artist uses these figures to trace the different people encountered in life.
Another work, Bolle di Sapone (Soap Bubbles), is a colorful spherical installation reflecting on family memories and their fragile, precious nature. These delicate, poetic pieces resonate with the natural light on the lake and complement the suite’s overall atmosphere.
Selden suite
Named after American artist Roger Selden, this suite displays 18 mixed-media artworks created in the 1990s. The artist layers acrylic, silicone, and other materials to build a world of imagined figures, self-portraits, and recurring symbols, striking a subtle balance between humor and introspection.
The suite continues the artist’s visual language, naturally linking the free spirit of American pop art with the Milanese design aesthetics that run throughout the CASABIANCA project.
Spoldi suite
This suite showcases works by Italian artist Aldo Spoldi, whose imaginative and symbolic visual storytelling invites guests into his creative world. The space centers on Pinocchio, a recurring figure throughout the artist’s career, and opens a dialogue with works by several master artists in the CASABIANCA collection.
Through layers of reference, quotation, and conceptual resonance, this suite becomes an imagined waystation where each artwork pauses briefly before embarking on a new journey, leaving the space open to ongoing artistic imagination.
A home worth living in
Like every space at CASABIANCA, these three suites invite guests to live comfortably within them. Each day begins with breakfast delivered by Cova; then guests can stroll through Como, exploring the lakeside scenery, historic town center, and classic examples of Italian rationalist architecture. Returning to the villa, guests can enjoy a light lunch or an elegant Cova afternoon tea.
For those wishing to deepen their CASABIANCA experience, the hotel can arrange private after-hours tours. Once public visiting hours end each day, the villa returns to its private, quiet state, becoming a home once again where art is the sole protagonist.
The true value of staying at CASABIANCA lies not just in spending a night among artworks but in having the time to live with them, slowly discovering details, understanding their stories, and in the process, entering the story the De Santis family has long written through art, passion, and hospitality.
This is the philosophy CASABIANCA has always upheld: no fixed tour routes, no standardized experiences—just a space to live at your own pace. Read, pause, appreciate, and enjoy the moment. In today’s fast-paced world, reclaiming your own time is a rare and precious experience.
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