New York Times’ T Magazine recently featured a tour the Tuscan home of Roberto Baciocchi’s, architect of Prada and La Perla stores. There are a wonderful slide show and video of the luxurious mashup of antiques, art and materials — including bark painstakingly harvested from 300-year-old pine trees —in a medieval-era tower that adjoins a mid-Renaissance domicile with domed ceilings and 16th-century plaster. What might a person of modest means find there? Lots of doable ideas.

Pink velvet to start, in not upholstering furniture then simply draped over it…

We love the kitchen’s hodgepodge of baskets, antique tools, a primitive painted cupboard and mortars arrayed on a ledge. Then there’s the clever wire basket dish holder, an old pot lid rack holding bowls, trivets made of marble tiles, the cantilevered paper towel holder with cutter…

Simon Watson
Simon Watson

…Crisp white percale sheets and two pillows (NOT a mountain of overstuffed pillows as is so curiously fashionable these days), and an ancient wall with a mottled modern geometry that recalls Ellsworth Kelly…

Simon Watson
Simon Watson

In the guest kitchen carved out of an 11th century structure, we love the massive countertop and sink made from 16th century stone slabs mounted on stone bricks (a modern cooktop set in)…with an industrial steel fire extinguisher at the ready. The glass door is covered with a sheer rustic curtain. To wash dishes: a scrub brush and a block of soap…

Simon Watson
Simon Watson

We’ll happily steal all these ideas and more…

…”a huge Baroque-era table has been entirely swathed in lemon velvet, including its turned legs”

Check out the slideshow here.

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2 replies on “Doable Ideas from a Luxe Tuscan Home

  1. How fun is this! Definitely some great ideas without adding clutter (visual or otherwise) in our American households. Very organic and earthy. Just fab. Thank you, Sally!

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