Villa: Italian Country Style

Explores the elements of history, design, & practicality that come together in houses across the Italian countryside. Some of the houses explored are family homes converted from farmhouses & agricultural buildings; some are grander houses that have been in the owners families for decades or even centuries. Details of style vary from region to region & owner to owner, but the feeling is always distinctly Italian. Stone basins, beamed ceilings, terracotta tiles used on floors & work surfaces, carved wood, decorative paintwork, furniture grand & rustic — these are some of the details that contribute to the overall picture of Italian country style. Illus.