GUEST RENOVATORS
Casa Colleverde – a stunning transformation
When I first ‘met’ Simon through a wonderful expat group I fell in love with Casa Colleverde. I loved the attention to detail, the rich colors, the consideration of the way the house would fit into the environment, and the fact that the house wasn’t at all rustic but rather ugly. The transformation surprised even me and I have seen some incredible transformations over the years. Enjoy!
“My current home ‘Casa Colleverde’ is the third restoration I have been involved in 10 years in Italy, so I should not be surprised by the problems I encountered whilst restoring it.
I had assumed and hoped it would get easier the third time around, but there is ALWAYS something you don’t anticipate.”
Going against the usual expat choice of a traditional house, Simon and his partner Carmelo were looking for something with lots of natural light which could be radically altered both internally and externally.
They found it in a ‘really ugly’ late 70′s house Casa Colleverde.
“The more traditional houses we looked at in better positions had impossible space i.e. difficult to do anything with, and probably more relevant to us impossible prices!”
“So that pushed me to do something very modern. I like the contrast of living in a modern house in a very traditional setting.
Creating a contemporary home so far out of the ugly duckling has involved many debates with the architect and also with the planners and builders. The height of the doors, the size of the windows, with large windows how to keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter, what technology to use etc etc.”
“The house was finished in 2011, four years after starting the project but due to an unforeseen bureaucratic hurdle we were unable to open as a B&B until recently.
I have in the meantime been entertaining friends and family in a lovely part of the world. In effect the longest ‘soft opening ever.”
“In fact I ended up in Italy almost by chance or by fate depending on your point of view as 2 years prior to starting the project my partner of 16 years had died.
I was single and doing garden design in London a career change I had made years earlier from an accountant which I hated. My friends in London Paolo and Phillip (one English and one Italian) were looking to do an Agriturismo in Tuscany and asked me to be their business partner.
Coincidentally my late partner and I had said if we could live anywhere else it would be Italy, so I decided to say yes to my friends not really thinking that eventually I would move lock stock and barrel to Italy a few years later.
With no previous experience in the industry our learning curve was perpendicular and we could write several books on our experiences but to avoid embarrassing ourselves we had better keep quiet. We worked on these projects together, with Philip largely responsible for doing the interior and myself the exterior and they still run them.
Villa Fontelunga opened in June 2000 as a luxury “B and B” and 12 years later is still going strong.
The renovation was undertaken at the time when the book ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ was published. This book reflected many of our experiences when buying and renovating our first property in Italy together with the fact that Cortona where the property in the book was situated was right across the valley from us.
We embarked on our next project four years after opening and with the traumas of dealing with builders, Italian bureaucracy and meeting opening deadlines . This was a restoration/rebuilding of a rudere in the valley behind us to create three independent Villas in a contemporary style.
Scannagallo (abover) is the largest of the 3 Villas within the Fattoria, and is designed as a smaller version of Villa Fontelunga.
Villa Gallo the larger “cottage” of the Fattoria Di Scannagallo, faces Villa Galletto across a walled lavender garden with a shared reflective pond swimming pool.
Having completed ‘Fontelunga Villa’s’ and suffering in varying degrees from stress, ulcers and back pain (me responsible for creating gardens from reinforced clay) we all vowed never to do it again.
Of course vows are made to be broken….
As far as advice to other would be renovators/ movers to a strange country….
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You need to have an idea what you want to get out of your move – where you want to live may be idyllic particularly in summer but what about in the winter? Is it near a village/ town for essential services if required – schools doctors hospitals transport. Or work if needed. It maybe best to visit and buy the property in winter so see it at its worst.
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Some services that you may take for granted in say London or in another city don’t exist or are patchy up a hill in Liguria, eg internet or communal water. Make sure you have the essential services before buying or alternatives – I am on a well , I drilled a new one prior to buying the property to ensure I had water.
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Make sure you have enough resources to complete the renovation or means to support yourself whilst doing it and after. Even after 3 renovations I am always surprised how much everything costs and how long it takes. Mine was at least 30% over mainly because of difficulty in accessing it on the hill and some unforeseen problems of the site. In the end it took twice as long as anticipated and we had to do a fair amount of landscaping and retaining walls which was costly.
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Some practicalities of renovating, employ individual craftsmen yourself rather than through a main contractor as it is cheaper. If you can live on site or nearby whilst doing the work you can make sure it is done properly. Employ a good geometra who is known in the commune where you are renovating as he can resolve potential problems.
Related Links:
- Simon’s Website for Casa Colleverde. Let him know you found him on Renovating Italy
- Simon’s blog Casa Colleverde, is a wonderful record of the renovations
, is a wonderful record of the renovationsWritten by Simon Carey for Renovating Italy.
Images from the private collections of Simon and his Partners
Professional images of Casa Colleverde ~ Brotherton Lock
and the gang x
Fabulous transformations. Thank you for sharing x
I fell in love with all the projectst they completed, just stunning xx
This was an AMAZING post, wonderful transformations, CONGRATULATIONS, above all for your PATIENCE!
I’ve been living in Matera (Southern Italy) since 2004 and still didn’t get used to their burocracy and messy way of solving things…I work with interiors and sometimes would like to become a “falegname”/ “fabbro”/”vetraio” myself!
Great post!
All the best,
Cristina
Cristina this was just a joy to post, the guys really know how to put together a project and Casa Colleverde is a stunning
reflection of Simon and Carmelo. I can’t wait to meet them one day soon. Matera is such a fascinating place and one I just
long to experience fully. The interiors are just wonderful and I am like you a bit obsessed with the entire process.
sending love
lisa xxx
So stunningly beautiful. 🙂 These images make me want to fly to Italy immediately and bask in the beauty and serenity you’ve created. 🙂
These guys really know how to create something inspiring and I’m sure they would be very happy to have you bask LOL.
ciao lisa x
WOW!!! So many gorgeous changes you’ve made. 🙂 Although they’re all different, each one is inviting, warm and beautiful. Well done! 🙂
they are an inspiring group of friends that have achieved so much together Krista.
sending love x
The Renovations are simply stunning, you must be very proud of the difference you are making and preserving the history of these beautiful homes
I’m sure they are Rita and they are implementing green building practices as well which is refreshing. ciao lisa x
Amazing renovations Lisa… the top images are inspirational and prove that all and everything is possible… 🙂 xv
True Vicki, I loved the vision shown with such an ugly house being transformed. That they looked at the options and found a way to
utilize what they could afford. The view isn’t bad either LOL. x
Inspiring – just wonderful – thank you Lisa – made my very ordinary Friday now a pleasure! Fxx
Certainly happy to oblige Francesca…you brighten up mine with every post!! sending love and see you soon x
lovely Francesca, can’t believe how quickly time is passing, so so looking forward to meeting up!!!
xxx
It’s amazing what has been achieved with these fabulous renovations. The idea of taking a modern approach with Casa Colleverde was very clever but I do love Scannagallo
So true Jenny, the modern look of Casa Colleverde really stands out and I love the use of environmental features.
They are all so unique, ciao lisa x
All so lovely and stunning! Love them all, wouldn’t know which to choose for a vacation ! Complimenti !!
Sally
the one that comes without kids for a week….LOL although Carina would spoil Simon’s gorgeous dog silly x
This is a fabulous post so informative and what great advice on renovating and building! The villas are great and what a view from the deck over the pool from the modern reno! Very patient and talented boys.
Carla x
thanks Carla I am in love with each one and these guys seem to have this down pat, they have another huge project underway. I think they would create a fabulous book don’t you! Simon is just lovely, so generous with his time and I can see why they would have such a successful B & B. ciao love lisa x
Amazing to see what transformation a building can go under! Incredible to think something so ugly can become so gorgeous 🙂
Yes Lisa and I also love the idea of friends taking on a project and bringing it together. Even if we could never afford to do such a project ourselves we could do it with others who have the same dreams and passions! Meeting Simon and his friends has given us new ideas and options for our own rustic home in the mountains and how we could share the experience with others. xxx
What incredible renovations–congratulations, Simon!! Love them all, but I think Scannagallo is my favorite. You must have the patience of a saint to go through the process of renovating in Italy more than once…. Thanks to you, too, Lisa.
Oh Jann I love Scannagallo as well and must say my favorites are Villa Gallo and Villa Galleto, I think I am dreaming of when the kids are grown up and I have a little house with another for a studio…that would be nice and the plunge pool in the middle would be just fine. I first noticed Simon’s renovations from the color he was using on the exterior as we were just finishing off a renovation (much smaller scale) and had used a similar tone and I loved how it looked. I am still amazed that they all managed to work together as a team to achieve so much, arguements and drama’s sure but they obviously work together beautifully and it shows. ciao lisa
Absolutely stunning what a lovely renovation.
It is amazing what can be done with a little imagination and patience Linda!!
love lisa x