Three years ago I moved to Italy to follow my dream lifestyle.
We moved to a beautiful quaint mountain town in northern Italy called Borgo Val Di Taro, famous for it’s porcini mushrooms and an area where Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan cheese) is produced.
The town of Borgo Val Di Taro.
We have just started building our dream house, finally after waiting for two years!
It has been sometimes scary but it’s an exciting new adventure and chapter in my life. And as my passions are interiors and all things retro I’m so glad to finally get started!
Everyone knows that things move at a slower pace in Italy (that’s an understatement coming as I did from London) where impatience is the norm! The three year wait has been traumatic at times as we have heard the words “domani” ,“domani” (tomorrow) so many times that we hear it in our sleep.
We’ve waited for drawings, planning and most importantly the last inhabitants to move out. Our house was sold to us by the comune (the local council) and was used as a day school for young adults who have Down’s syndrome. So we agreed that we would let the school be used as it was until the new school was built, and of course that took forever, so we had to wait and wait……..
The mountains.
We first saw the house four years ago. I must say that when I drove past the new house for the first time I didn’t really notice it as it was hidden by pine trees.
The house was hidden from the road by many pine trees.
I knew that it would need a lot of work to make it the right family home, but I did see the potential and the house has charm, and the location is tranquil and beautiful. The view is fantastic.
We had to nervously bid for the house in an auction. Our bid for the house was successful, so we returned to London, sold our house and moved out here to Italy, all within eight months.
This is the view from what will become the dining room. The view was obscured by the pine trees.
The house is a single story stone house and we are adding an extra first floor, garage and portico.
I have done the design myself and have sourced all the interiors and finishes, bathrooms and kitchen. I’ve covered every detail (or so I think)!
The architect changed my design twice, which I changed back to the original.I know what I want, and what I need to work for my family, I guess he wasn’t used to that .With just a slight adjustment to our dressing room and master bathroom we reached a decision that suited everyone.
But the architect and the team of builders who are four brothers are great and as they have all worked together in the past and understand each other and are making great progress. Rick, my husband is working on the build as the fourth builder so it’s all go!!
It’s great that he’s there all the time so he’s fully involved and decisions can be made straight away.
Before we could start we had to cut all the pine trees down. This was upsetting, but the trees were too near the house and the roots would have caused a problem. We managed to keep three other trees at the front and the advantage is that the great view of the valley has been revealed. Well worth it!
The trees were cut down and the stunning view was revealed.
We have now completed the third month of the build. The original house was gutted and we have added the first floor, garage, portico (half done) and roof. We are just waiting for the roof tiles to be added. Now all the main structural work is done and as we have bought the field next door to the house we will end up with a lovely size garden, which is great for the kids!
This is part of the field that we have bought.
I can’t wait to get the trades in and start on the interior (this is the most exciting part for me)! Then I’ll be able to fill it up with beautiful things. Retro furniture, restored Italian furniture ( My latest passion), flea market finds and a bit of sparkle!
I love my home and it’s really important to me to surround myself with interesting, beautiful, unique things that I love, which reflect my individuality and personality!
Now all the main structural work is done.
We will be going from this….
The original downstairs shower room.
To something more like this!
Something similar to this for the downstairs shower room.
I will be sharing all this with you – taps, tiles, bathrooms, kitchens etc.. etc… over the next few months, so if you fancy hearing about it stick around………………..
Have you ever done work on your house? How was it for you?
