We started from a clear idea: preserve the spirit of the villa as much as possible. Very high ceilings, beams from the 1800s, an authentic, one-of-a-kind space that shouldn't lose its character.
This part of the barchessa, though, was furnished in an 1980s style, with carpeting, wallpaper and dark wood, plus a dated built-in kitchen. The job was to strip away everything that made it feel old, without losing the character that made it special.
High ceilings and exposed 19th-century beams: they're the heart of the project, and everything else was designed to show them off.
We removed the wallpaper from every room, the built-in kitchen and several key walls, to bring back light and rhythm to a house that had lost both.
The whole heating system was rebuilt, but with radiators rather than underfloor heating, to keep the spirit of a period villa.
We knocked down the thick wall that separated the entrance from the kitchen, creating a single, more open, light-filled space.
Built to order in the style of the original: a long lit shelf for utensils and a run of tall units to hide everything that shouldn't be on show. High-quality Samsung appliances and a hood built into the induction hob, with nothing above the units to break up the period style.
Out with the old tiles and tubs, in with flush floor showers and LED-lit niches for a warm, modern feel. Long, narrow tiles in yellow, blue and orange: a retro look with a contemporary touch, designed for maximum comfort.
