Studio DB

A nostalgic yet fresh reimagining of a multi-generational family villa from 1813 on the shores of Lake Como, designed by Manhattan–based @studio_db . The project features a unique custom made sofa by Artemest. #Artemest #ItalianDesign #LakeComo #ComoLake #Interiors Photography @frankfrancesstudio Styling @mieketenhave

How do you turn a disjointed corner of a 200-year-old Lake Como villa into its own destination? @studio_db 's Britt and Damian Zunino walk us through the games room at this family estate featured in the April 2026 issue of ELLE Decor. Here, every material was chosen with Italy's own resources in mind. Take the full tour of the family villa at the link in our bio.

Every family home is a negotiation—with the past, with each other, with what stays and what goes. At this 1813 Lake Como villa, siblings Frida and Niccolo Polli navigated all three with @studio_db , the New York firm tasked with updating a property their grandfather bought in 1950 and their father expanded with a pool and guesthouse. The designers removed decades of mismatched updates—porcelain floors, oak paneling, an oversized modern fireplace—and rebuilt the interiors around the family's vast collection of art and antiques. The goal was never to start over—just to make the next 75 years as good as the first. At the link in our bio, writer @elizabethangell_ takes us inside this family villa, as seen in the April 2026 issue of ELLE Decor. Photos by @frankfrancesstudio ; styled by @mieketenhave

A bright guest room on the third floor of the villa, overlooking Lake Como, is my favorite place to stay. The custom headboard is upholstered in @dedar fabric and the floral quilt is from @studio_ford The sconce is from @muselliofficineluce , and the artwork above is called Untitled Space-Aid 2025, by Frank Frances. The yellow dress in the second slide is from @lisacorti_official Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Story by @elizabethangell_ Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami @nicole.neil

An heirloom tapestry, which previously lived in the family's Milanese palazzo, was moved to the villa and now hangs behind a Flavio Poli for Seguso-designed Murano chandelier from 1935. The dining table is from @artemest , and the vintage canvas Monk chairs were designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, which were sourced from our friends @spinzi . The artwork is from @thomasruff_com courtesy of @liarummagallery and Parks Art Advisory Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni - Company Project Manager @projgiu Site Manager @gianlucadellavo Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami #italy #studiodb #villa #lakecomo #lakecomovilla #interiordesign #historic restoration #architecture #italiandesign

A @SamFalls artwork, Runyon 2025, courtesy of @303gallery and Parks Art Advisory, hangs above a headboard covered in @dedar fabric and sconces from @sophieloujacobsen x @incommonwith Yellow textile from @studioford The opal and blue Murano chandelier was sourced from @Pamono . In the dressing room off the bedroom, the closet doors are covered in 18th-century hand-painted and embossed Venetian leather panels. Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg Story by @elizabethangell_ Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @victorbadami @jada.bobbi

A new custom Calacatta Rosa and Rosa Perlina marble floor and plastered walls replace contemporary porcelain tile and yellowed oak paneling, which had been added to the villa's grand hall in a past generation. The bronze-and-brass handrai is original to the house and leads to the private bedroom level. The stair artwork, Tent-Camera Image on Ground: View of Florence, is by @AbelardoMorell , courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery @houkgallery and @lizparks and the Flavia teste rosso, 2012 marble sculpture, is by @Vanessa.Beecroft , courtesy of @liarummagallery . An immense gilt mirror hangs over an elegant antique bench transferred from the family's palazzo in Milan. The deep blue family room is beyond. Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Story by @elizabethangell_ Project Team @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami

A 1960's Murano Tronchi light by Toni Zucceri for Venini, which was sourced through Capitoliumart s.r.l., hangs above a bed covered in a @studioford textile and antique lace. The custom headboard is upholstered in @metaphoresparis fabric, and the small artwork from Frank Francis is called Untitled Space-Aid 2025. The sconce is from @muselliofficieluce . The bathroom fittings on the second and third slides are from @fantini_official Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Company Project Manager @projgiu Site Manager @gianlucadellavo Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi #studiodb #lakecomo #italy #italiandesign #lakecomodesign #interiordesign #villa #lakecomovillas #roomwithaview #villapolli

The walls of a petite room off the grand hall were covered in Supernova, our collection with @calicowallpaper , and layered with family heirloom artwork and bright yellow sconces from @muselliofficineluce . The sofa was custom-made by @artemest and covered in @addatextiles velvet. The pillow is from @thesocialitefamily . Red table from @andtradition The antique ceramics are family heirlooms. Blossoms foraged on a wild trip to Como. Thank you, Elle Decor! Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Company Project Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami

Details of the newly reimagined living room at our Lake Como project. Our goal was to restore the original footprint, which involved removing modern insertions, including a plaster fireplace that divided the grand room and a heavy black stone hearth, which disrupted the rhythm of the herringbone floors. We relocated the fireplace to its original location, creating a more functional seating area. The artwork is Ettore Spaletti, courtesy of Lia Rumma Gallery and Parks Art Advisory. The vintage sofa, reupholstered in @addatextiles and draped in @libertyoflondon textiles, and the marble cocktail table were found at auction in Italy. The armchairs and vintage pink Murano lights were sourced from @1stdibs The rug is from our friends Atelier Fevrier. The colorful ceramic vase is from the artist Eglė Šimkus. The white ceramic clock resting on the stone windowsill is a family heirloom - one of my favorite pieces in the collection. Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record/Partner @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Company Project Manager @projgiu Site Manager @gianlucadellavo Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Art Advisory @lizparks Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami

Dramatic original ironwork frames the newly renovated pool terrace and twilight view of Lake Como beyond. Vintage rattan Kalrskrona lounge chairs, designed by Karl Malmvell for Ikea, dot the lawn. When we discovered the chairs at Seconda Vita Vintage in nearby Como, it was a full-circle moment. I hauled a pair home from Ikea to my NYC rooftop in the early aughts and have been pining for them ever since I had to give them up. Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record/Partner @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Company Project Manager @projgiu Site Manager @gianlucadellavo Art Advisor @lizparks Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami @nicoleneil

The villa's kitchen was completely renovated to optimize its relatively small footprint and location, a hub of circulation, with no less than four passageways leading off the room. The edges were softened with locally sourced cloud-like marble, plastered walls, and an oval island. A massive vintage alabaster pink Murano chandelier glows overhead. The antique ceramics and mirror are from the family's collection. Thank you, Elle Decor @bebehoworth @elk_elisa @stellenevolandes for sharing this story. Architecture and Interiors @studio_db Italian Architect of Record / Partner - @riccardo.sandias.architetto (RSA + Partners) General Contractor @petazzicostruzioni Company Project Manager @projgiu Site Manager @gianlucadellavo Photographed by @frankfrancesstudio @liv_demetros Styled by @mieketenhave Press @elledecor @dadagoldberg @nicolehaubner @nickboksa Story by @elizabethangell_ Project Team: @lopo58 @rywilson @jada.bobbi @victorbadami