PAlERMo’S SANTA FE AVENuE IS lIKE “A RIVER oF lIgHTS,
CoMINg ToWARD You,” says architect Adriana grin. Three
years ago, the Argentine street lured her to an art deco flat
along its banks. “I was fascinated by the style, the wide rooms
with views of trees and the French architecture on Coronel Díaz
Avenue,” she remembers. It was love at first sight—with a catch
or two. After some architectural tweaking and a few bold
furnishing moves, the apartment rivalled even the brightest,
liveliest street outside.
A half-floor space, endowed with the elegance typical of
good architecture, the flat houses Grin’s living quarters and a
studio for the practice she shares with architect Roxana Saban.
“Since we like all kinds of interior decoration, we develop all
kinds of styles, especially eclecticism,” grin says of the pair’s
professional designs. “In this way, we always work with the goal
of keeping the identity of the spaces, respecting the original
architecture and involving our clients in the creative process
while representing their cultural and socioeconomic identity.
For us, an eclectic interior is the best way for them to have all
of the objects and styles they love in one place, so each job is
a challenge.” In grin’s home and studio, the two applied the
same principle, immersing themselves in fervently intermingled
decor.
For the tricky home-office configuration, Grin and Saban
employed an open-minded approach to space. Through
original leaded-glass doors, the entrance hall—an area
commonly used just for passing through—became the home’s
nerve center. A white Formica Parsons-style table designed
by grin, and accompanied by white Jacobsen chairs, hosts
both client meetings and dinners with friends. The kitchen and
bathroom lost dimension to the living room-architecture studio,
but gained brightness through additional windows, critical to
