DeCastelli Cottage N.1
The rifugio. The capanno. The garden shed. Whatever you call it, the instinct is the same: a small private world outside the main house. Roald Dahl wrote in one. Dylan Thomas had his 'word shed.' Philip Pullman drafted His Dark Materials in his. Filippo Pisan, art director at DeCastelli, decided the object deserved a design to match the structure's near-mythological status. His Cottage N.1 won the Wallpaper* Design Award for Best Backyard and received a Compasso d'Oro Mention of Honor, two of Italy's most respected design accolades. The materials pair natural spruce facades with an external corten steel frame that weathers naturally over time into a deep rust-toned patina that roots it to its surroundings. Inside, a raised slatted wood floor and perforated walls provide natural ventilation, and an automatic lighting system activates when the door opens. Scale it to a beach hut, a two-wheel garage, a quiet workshop, or simply keep it as a garden shed. Made in DeCastelli's workshop in Crocetta del Montello, northern Italy.
