Magazine feature page 5
Instead of twin sinks, Maria chose the Nagano sink (left) from Villeroy & Boch (020 8871 4028), which is big enough for two people to use at once
Antonio’s love of classic film stars was the theme for his bedroom (below left). Maria bought the Al Pacino print above his bed as a gift to complement the sleek leather bed.
Biggest triumph?
The kitchen – taking time to plan the space has paid off. We spend most of our time as a family here and, with the table beside the island, I can keep Bruno company while he cooks without being in his way, which is a relief for both of us!
Favourite room?
I love the conservatory. I can escape there for a quiet coffee, even if the kitchen is full of people. The conservatory is always calm and comfortable, and the underfloor heating keeps it warm during the winter months. I also love the view you get over the garden as well as most of the house – having doors and windows on all sides also makes it easy to keep an eye on the whole family.
Any regrets?
The fact that we weren’t allowed to add more windows. I don’t think I will be buying another old property like this in the future. It was frustrating being dictated to by planning rules. If I started again from scratch, I’d still have this layout and relaxed style, but I might be bolder now I know how much we all love the spots of colour. There’s still time to add some more, though.
Describe your house in three words…
relaxed, sleek and airy.
If I’ve learnt one thing…
You can never have too much white. The kids kept calling us boring and unadventurous when the decorating was going on, but we all love the bright, spacious effect. our designer Claire has also taught us that, especially where teenagers are concerned, storage is a must (preferably hi-tech or hidden to encourage them to use it). We’re thrilled with the secret storage in antonio’s bathroom, which is also easy to clean. I’d never have open shelves again – they require too much dusting.
What’s next?
Bruno is already thinking about moving again, I guess you could say we’re hooked… and there’s all that furniture in the loft waiting to be aired – it would be fun to rediscover it all. However, we’ll wait until Antonio and Gabriella go to university before taking on another major project.
