Architecture practice Deltastudio has turned a former agricultural warehouse in Italy into a house with a balcony framed with white curtains.
Called Elena after one of its owners, the home sits in a chestnut grove overlooking the town of Caprarola in central Italy.

The original warehouse had two storeys connected by an external staircase.
"The starting point is a structure designed for agriculture," said Deltastudio. "A rough volume articulated on two levels, warehouse in the basement and laboratory on the upper floor,"

Deltastudio used this existing division to create spaces for the family who live there, with more private areas for the parents.
A deep concrete portal frames the entrance, leading into a bright internal stair.
This staircase is illuminated by double-height windows cut out of the corner of the structure.
Internal areas are oriented depending on the surrounding views, with the living space looking out towards the town.

The bedrooms look towards the quieter countryside, and are divided by a central wood-panelled volume.
Elena's upper level opens onto a balcony that surrounds the majority of the building, sheltered by the overhanging flat roof.

A slim, black-steel balustrade connects to a larger steel grid that wraps around this balcony.
This sense of enclosure can be enhanced by drawing small sections of white curtain.

"Horizontal and vertical elements frame the views, define spaces, perform the functions of shading during the da...