Placed within the quaint and picturesque town of Menaggio, in northern Italy, is a 19th century villa that is in the process of rediscovering its relationship to the sweeping landscape.

Works are well underway to restore and remodel the internal spaces into graceful, contemporary domestic rooms that utilise the grand apertures facing Lake Como. The villa is set over 5 floors, with 8 bedrooms enjoying stunning views of the gardens, town rooftops and mountains beyond.

Traditional arched windows punctuating the stone campanile tower, which anchors a corner of the site, and front façade are referenced internally, with a series of barrelled ceilings and curved thresholds performing as a guiding hand throughout. Substantial alterations will augment the properties size but will be conversely discrete, with an additional floor gently stepping down into the steeply sloping garden.

A 25-meter outdoor pool will strengthen the relationship between main house and garden, with a generous veranda accommodating al fresco dining.

Locally sourced materials characterize the interior scheme, with tonally contrasting terrazzo floors making a distinct separation between the entrance hall, kitchen and pianoforte room on the ground floor. Muted Venetian plaster will provide the backdrop for other elements to take centre stage, such as rich green cabinetry in the kitchen, restored original painted ceiling rafters in the living room and marble flooring in the bathrooms.

Site photography shows the progress to date and how our renders are quickly becoming reality.