A Masterclass in Preservation and Place: A Premium Tuscan Home Reimagined

Among Hills and History, a New Chapter Begins

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Nestled amidst the gentle, undulating hills of the Pisa province, the village of Palaia holds the quiet, self-assured charm that defines the Tuscan spirit. Medieval in origin, with its cobbled alleys and sun-warmed stone facades, it offers a timeless sense of place—one that feels deeply rooted and effortlessly elegant.

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It’s here, in this serene corner of Tuscany, that our second Premium home has come to life: a restored farmhouse that marries authenticity with intention, rustic bones with a refined sensibility. With six spacious bedrooms, including two with en-suite bathrooms, this is a home where heritage meets design-led modernity. A home where every choice has been made to honour the past, while quietly embracing the needs of contemporary living.

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Preservation as a Design Philosophy

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Every considered renovation begins with restraint: understanding what already holds value, what deserves to be preserved, and how new layers can enhance rather than overwrite the original character.

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The authentic terracotta flooring, weathered, warm, and beautifully imperfect, was one such story. Rather than replace it, we restored it, treating it as the unifying thread that runs through the home. It anchors each space, grounding modern twists in something older, more permanent creating a foundation of the home’s character.

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In the kitchen, the existing cooking hood, a rustic statement of farmhouse charm, was lovingly updated rather than replaced. To bring it into the present, we paired it with rich, wine-red accents inspired by nearby Chianti vineyards, and introduced luxurious new marble countertops to elevate the space resulting in a kitchen that feels both deeply Tuscan and effortlessly current.

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Design in Dialogue: Dining and Living Spaces

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At the heart of the home, the dining room offers a masterclass in statement simplicity. Suspended above the table, a pair of custom-made, sculptural pendant lights in deep red create a dramatic focal point. Trimmed with a bold fringe, they nod to classic Italian tailoring while introducing a contemporary edge that’s elegant, architectural, and undeniably memorable. Their rich hue echoes the terracotta tones underfoot as well as the Chianti-red kitchen, quietly forming a cohesive thread throughout the home. That same language of texture and tone continues into the adjacent formal living room, where a fringed sofa mirrors the detailing of the pendants, subtly stitching the two rooms together, and offering a space that feels both curated and deeply comfortable

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Marble Moments and Local Finds

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Preserving the architectural integrity of the home was only half the story, the other half was making it feel lived-in, loved, and unmistakably Italian homey feel. To do this, we looked to the past. Our interior design team made the pilgrimage to the famed Arezzo antiques market to unearth pieces rich with patina and provenance.

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Among the discoveries: vintage bar trays, a timeworn pomodoro press, an antique iron, and a well-loved focaccia paddle, each one telling its own quiet story of Tuscan domestic life. Paired with artisan glassware from nearby Lucca, these details don’t just decorate the space, they ground it, adding texture, history, and a tangible connection to the region’s craft heritage.

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Textural Bedrooms and Earthy Tones

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Upstairs, the bedrooms are framed by exposed timber beams and softened by custom headboards and handpicked fabrics. Rich ochres, mustard yellows, and deep earthy reds weave through each space, tones drawn directly from the Tuscan landscape at golden hour.

‍Landscaping for Alfresco Living

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For us at August, the Tuscan landscape is as much a part of the home as any interior room, and the garden here is no exception. We approached it with reverence and restraint, planting stately cypress trees to guide the eye and sculpt the space. Lavender, lemon trees, and Gaura bring fragrance and softness, while stone pathways and terraced stairs create a natural rhythm and gentle flow.

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At the centre of it all: terracotta tiling and custom-made umbrellas, designed for those long lunches that blur into aperitivo hour. And, of course, that view, rolling hills, cypress silhouettes, and a horizon painted with the hues of Tuscan dusk. It is, quite simply, the one thing we could never improve upon.