A private client purchased an unfinished building in Tuscany which was originally intended to be a spa. The vernacular form of the house is based on the traditional buildings which were built to house citrus plants in the winter. A continuous wall of arched openings with glass doors opens up the house to the large park-like garden and reflecting pool, with picturesque views of the rolling hills of the base of the Appuan Alps in the distance.

Taylor Smyth worked closely with the client to create a dramatic yet inviting interior to accommodate the client’s love of entertaining. Inside the ground floor features a spectacular view through the full 128 foot length of the house, extending from the open kitchen at one end to the entertainment room at the other, interrupted only by sliding transparent glass walls.
The heart of the ground floor is occupied by the spacious kitchen/dining/living room, defined by an eighteen-foot long island at one end, a dining table that seats sixteen and several comfortable seating areas.

Within the entertainment room, a media viewing area with multiple couches terraces down within what was originally designed to be the sunken indoor pool of the spa. A wood clad bar is surmounted by a gridded composition of bevelled glass mirrors, and a pool table and arcade games provide multiple opportunities for socializing for the many guests.

Bisecting the two sides of the house, a dramatic stair leads up past a glass-walled wine room to the second floor, where a wood slat wall partially screens the view into an open fitness area. The second floor contains a master bedroom at both ends of the house, each with a spacious and luxurious marble-clad ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet, and two guest bedrooms with their own ensuites.

At the ground floor the material palette consists of charcoal coloured terra-cotta tile flooring with walnut millwork and off-white plaster walls, accented by veined marble slabs and a full wall of mosaic tile at the far end of the entertainment room. Light oak herringbone flooring covers the second floor, creating an intimate residential feeling and a contrast to the ground floor.