Tour a Dated Sicily Apartment Turned Seaside Retreat

This Historic Seaside Apartment in Sicily Was Designed Around the View

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About this tour

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Home Type

Apartment

Location

Ortigia, Sicily, Italy

Style

Coastal

Minimal

Bedrooms

3

Square feet

1615

Sq ft

1615

The sea was always going to be the star of Kat and Tim Moore’s 1615-square-foot apartment in the heart of Ortigia, the island center of Siracusa, Sicily. It was the closeness to the water and the way light moves through the rooms that drew them into the space and made them want to purchase it before renovating it last year.

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Credit: Kat of @wavehappy

The apartment is surrounded by so much natural beauty that the couple was committed to framing their home’s views, not trying to compete with them, when it came to the interior design.

Credit: Kat of @wavehappy

“While the apartment had been renovated in parts over the years, it lacked cohesion, so we saw an opportunity to reimagine it with a clearer sense of intention,” writes Kat, who’s a creative director, photographer, and the founder of Wavehappy Studio and L11 Collective.

Credit: Kat of @wavehappy

Something guests always ask about? "The view of the sea. It is the first thing people notice and the thing they keep coming back to," Kat says.

“From the beginning, our goal was simple,” she continues. “We wanted the sea to be the feature. Every design decision was made to support that, not compete with it. We stripped everything back and focused on simplicity, texture, and light, using a restrained palette of warm whites, soft neutrals, and subtle coastal tones. The result is a space that feels calm and open, where the views, the light, and the rhythm of the sea take center stage.”

Credit: Kat of @wavehappy

Kat describes the apartment as a "space that sits between past and present. A historic Sicilian home interpreted through a modern, minimal lens, designed to highlight the sea while still honoring the layers of history within the walls."

Before moving in, Kat described the apartment as “fragmented, dated,” and lacking in any cohesion. The renovated result is undoubtably minimal and flooded with light, with thoughtful, intentional touches of coastal and “modern Mediterranean” style. It’s like a breath of fresh air.

Credit: Kat of @wavehappy

Their old home has lots of layers. "We found old stone behind trim, cane plaster behind the walls, and even hints of older ceilings. Being in Ortigia, you get the sense that everything is much older than you realize," Kat writes.

The couple have named their home “Lula Mare,” in tribute to Kat’s mom who passed away and was nicknamed Lula. “[S]he was someone who always encouraged me to dream big and follow what felt meaningful,” Kat writes. “This home, and the journey to create it, feels deeply connected to that spirit.”