In Dialogue
It is the quintessential Tuscan idyll: a road lined with slender cypress trees winds its way up a hill. A park of 8000 square metres, planted with olive trees, lies on top. In the centre lies an ensemble of buildings. It is a farmhouse from the 18th century, which Gianluca Caputi from Caputistudio found in ruins. Over 70 per cent of the building had collapsed when the architect was entrusted with its reconstruction – a challenging renovation task that the owners entrusted to him as an experienced designer of luxury projects such as flats and yachts.
The structure, which was originally used for agricultural purposes, has a charming village character: it consists of a main house with former stables and the farmer’s flat and two smaller buildings. With a penchant for Italian design, the owners wanted to combine the historic character of the house with contemporary design. The aim was to enable spacious living and find a clever solution to accommodate numerous guests. For the reconstruction, Caputi and his team focused on emphasising the balance of the natural, historic materials and promoting brightness in the space.
The outdoor areas of this extraordinary setting were fully furnished with products from the Paola Lenti collections in collaboration between Caputistudio and Mobilnovo: the outdoor furniture from the long-established company sets strong colour accents and creates a homely, extremely lively ambience. The interplay with the natural colours of the surroundings creates a dialogue between the architecture and the furniture.
Woven "Ami" chairs in fresh grass green together with the "Sciara" tables create an inviting dining area on the shaded terrace. The table tops in Marella Ferrera's design are made from rectangular tiles of lava stone and melted glass, creating a shimmering effect. A second dining group becomes the perfect place for long al fresco dinners thanks to the "Portofino" chairs by Vincent van Duysen in petrol. The "Welcome" and "Frame" sofas by Francesco Rota in bright fuchsia invite you to cosy conversations. His orange-coloured "Ami" chairs are a particularly skilful take on the look of the loggia. They are arranged around the "Café" tables and refer to the floor tiles in a herringbone pattern both in terms of their colour and their oversized woven structure. Meanwhile, the "Nido" poufs by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotto and "Orbitry", designed by Victor Carrasco and presented at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2018, are perfect for a long siesta.
Bold colours, the unmistakable trademark of the Paola Lenti brand, are at the heart of the outdoor areas at Villa Cortona. The only exception are the twelve "Cove" sun loungers by the pool with covers in a soft sandy tone, which invite you to relax – their light tone harmonises perfectly with the classic travertine of the pool surround.
