Once we bought the house, we soon set about planning the interiors but we needed builders to fit a brand new roof and pin the property to offer it extra support. We hired the civil engineer (a legal requirement for anyone having major restoration works done in Italy) that the owner recommended to us. Our engineer obtained quotes from three local building companies and gave us his opinions on all of them, which was invaluable.

Together, we chose the best priced building company to carry out the structural work. The engineer would ensure that the work was being carried out correctly and was fairly priced, and he himself would charge us a fee of 10% of the total cost of the work.

We would stay at the house while the builders did their work (always good to be on site and know exactly everything that is going on) and during that time we would work on the interiors ourselves. Once the scaffolding was erected and the builders began working on the structural repairs, we got to work. Being at the property to project manage was great for us, as we were able to liase with the builders and our engineer should we encounter any difficulties or have any questions. 

As this was what was to be phase one of our project, we had a three-month plan in which, aside from the structural repairs, we would tackle the kitchen, living room, hallway, a bedroom and a bathroom. We would make these rooms liveable and would return at a later date to complete the remaining rooms, landings and staircase during phase two. This was to be a project that would be done in stages, and we were up for the challenge!

 

READ MORE: OUR ITALIAN RENOVATION PROJECT – EXPAT Q&A

RESTORING AN ITALIAN KITCHEN

We both love country kitchens, they have so much character and are usually warm, inviting spaces. This old house needed a country kitchen. After all, it had views of rolling hills, tiny cobbled stone streets and field upon field of cattle, horses and flowers so it made sense to try to replicate the type of kitchen you would find in an old farmhouse.

CREATING A RUSTIC HALLWAY

The first time we visited the house, we were struck by the beautiful entry way with its original oak front doors and gorgeous marble tiled staircase.

Unfortunately, years of the house being closed off had taken their toll. The cement work that surrounded the doors was swollen, blown and cracked and the bottom of the doorframe was damp. The doors needed repairing, one had lost a hinge and the bottom sections of both had been eaten by woodworm.

OUR ITALIAN SITTING ROOM: BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN

The sitting room is a large space with two beautiful windows and a very loose floor. The tiles were cracked, many were loose and when we walked across the floor the whole room rattled and shook. Years of earthquakes, lack of repairs and no TLC in this room meant that it was crying out to be restored.

The walls were dirty and cracked and swollen cement surrounded the windows. We wondered how it had gotten into this state. Paint and plaster were coming off of the walls, and in damp areas the walls literally seemed to be crumbling away. Neglect and earth tremors had caused this. And with nobody around to maintain the odd earthquake crack or do any replastering work, time had taken its toll.

BEDROOM & EN-SUITE

The master bedroom at the property has an en suite bathroom that luckily was fully functioning so did not need too much attention, apart from a lot of deep cleaning. At this stage we decided to keep the suite and spruce it up, until we had the time to fit a new one. We bought a new cistern and some porcelain spray to colour the suite white, tile paint for the floor and wall tiles and got to work. This gave the room a fresh look and made it useable, and during phase two we will opt for a brand new bathroom suite and tiles when budget and time permits!

 

READ MORE: RENOVATING A HOUSE IN ITALY – PAUL’S STORY (PART ONE)

 

 

 

 

 

An adaptation of this article previously appeared in the Spring issue of ‘A Place in the Sun Magazine’.

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READ MORE: ITALIAN HOME DESIGN & RENOVATIONS