Q: This project wasn't your typical Tuscan farmhouse. Did that shift your design approach?

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Absolutely. This villa was on a grander scale than what we’ve worked with previously. We’ve renovated farmhouses before, but this one felt distinctly like a Villa Padronale or "a traditional master’s villa", with a more symmetrical layout and an inherently formal character. From the start, we knew we wanted to preserve that elegance without over-decorating. What made it especially unique was that the previous owners left behind a house full of antiques, beautiful pieces in incredible condition. Instead of starting over, we treated those antiques as a foundation. The design restraint came in choosing not to erase what was already so rich with history, but to frame it with subtle, intentional updates that honoured the bones of the house.

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Q: Were there elements you thought you might remove but ultimately kept?

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Yes, and it was really about finding balance. The red window detailing, for example, was something we questioned at first. It wrapped around the house both inside and out, and initially felt a little loud. But we realised it was one of the home’s key personality traits. So instead of removing it, we reimagined it: used it more sparingly, carried it through into key archways, and introduced one of my favourite details - the checkered staircase. In these grander villas, staircases are typically central and ceremonial, so we leaned into that and used this pattern to draw attention to its form. The red became a quiet, playful through-line, echoed in marble selections in the bathrooms and used as an anchoring accent throughout the house.

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Q: With so many antiques already in the house, how did you approach furnishing?

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We approached it with contrast in mind. You can’t fill a Tuscan villa entirely with antiques as the architecture already brings so much texture: terracotta floors, timber beams, stone fireplaces. Too much of the same can feel heavy or dated. So we balanced it with contemporary softness with fringed sofas in refined fabrics, iron stools, layered linen curtains. We also played with traditional forms in a fresh way. For instance, the sofas have modern silhouettes, but the fringe nods to heritage design. There’s a subtle playfulness there, like reinterpreting your nonna’s house, but with polish!

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Q: And when it came to designing the kitchen, arguably the anchor of any home, how did you ensure it felt as considered and contextual as the rest despite it being new?

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The kitchen was one of the only spaces we were essentially starting from scratch, so it was really important that it didn’t feel disconnected from the rest of the house. We wanted it to feel grounded, as though it had always been there, but still refined. For us, that comes down to materials and detailing. We used a traditional cabinet profile to echo the architecture, but gave it a fresh, updated finish so it wouldn’t feel too heavy or overly rustic. The marble was a big moment. We sourced a thick 3cm slab, which gave the island real weight and a sense of place. It’s a subtle nod to Italy’s marble heritage without being too showy.

To layer in more soul, we also brought in an antique cabinet to store the glassware, not just as a functional piece, but almost as an art piece. It brings that lived-in quality the rest of the house has in spades. The only original element we kept was the existing hood, it adds the perfect sense of permanence, that feeling that the kitchen has quietly evolved over time rather than being newly inserted.

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Q: How do you choose colours in a region like Tuscany, where homes are naturally shaded and earthy?

You have to be incredibly intentional. Tuscan homes tend to have darker floors, small windows, and exposed beams, they were built to stay cool before air conditioning existed, which is wonderful in summer but can be a challenge for interior brightness. So we leaned into lightness: white ceilings, softened beams, neutral walls. Every colour was tested in situ and that was absolutely essential. Paint behaves so differently depending on the light, and two rooms painted the same colour can feel entirely different. In fact, we changed two bedroom colours on-site because they felt too dark. It’s not just about choosing the perfect shade, it’s about how that colour behaves in that room, in that light.

That said, we didn’t shy away from colour, we just used it strategically. Each bedroom tells a slightly different story: one leans warm yellow, another into a deeper green, and one carries that signature red. It keeps the house feeling layered and expressive, without tipping into chaos.

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Q: How do you tell a cohesive story while still giving each room personality?

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Although each bedroom has its own accent colour, we kept the overall mood consistent. For example, all the bedrooms have bespoke headboards and bed skirts in rich, textured fabrics, each in a different palette, but unified by silhouette and scale. Two of the headboards, for instance, share a subtle motif, reinterpreted in different colourways, drawn from the square brickwork visible just outside the windows of these rooms. It’s these quiet, repeating gestures that bring a sense of coherence and intention, without feeling repetitive.

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Q: This was one of your biggest landscaping projects. How did you approach that in Tuscany?
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Landscaping teaches you patience. With interiors, you see results quickly. But gardens take a year or more to settle and mature. We began with space planning: where will people walk, gather, eat, swim? That’s where the design really starts, by considering how time will be spent in the space. It's about anticipating daily rhythms and quiet rituals, making sure the layout supports ease, comfort, and the kind of slow, shared living that defines time spent in a place like this. Once that foundation is there, the planting and aesthetics follow naturally. Luckily, the outdoor dining area was already in the perfect place, just off the kitchen, and the pool had the best vantage to appreciate the stunning views, so we used those as anchors.

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From there, we collaborated with local experts who understand the land intimately: what thrives in the heat, what to plant on slopes, how to layer bloom cycles. We gave them the design vision, and they helped translate it into something technically sound and sustainable.

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Q: What’s most often overlooked when planning landscaping from afar?
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Lighting. It’s not just about function, it’s about mood and atmosphere. Where do you need softness? What should be silhouetted? It was one of the trickiest parts, but also the most rewarding. We kept the lighting warm and subtle, especially around dining areas, so those summer evenings transition effortlessly into night. It’s the foundation for that alfresco lifestyle we’re always aiming to create.

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