New Year, new houses? Inaccurately. To celebrate the beginning of 2024 with dignity, we decided to focus our thematic column property about the idea of rediscovery, renewal, rebirth, revealed five restorations and conversions worthy of notice. An old monastery, an abandoned shopping mall, a ballroom, two medieval towers and a neoclassical villa: these are the stars of the day, symbolizing the connection between memory and the future, which is also an invitation to treasure the past and enjoy the new. beginning.
16th century monastery for sale in Tuscany
16th century monastery for sale in Tuscany
16th century monastery for sale in Tuscany
for salethe historic village of Pitiglianomonastery of San Francescoeleven bedrooms
The first sign that catches our attention comes from , in Tuscany. Here, in 2006, New York designer Holly Lueders and her daughter Venetia discovered and bought the 16th-century complex, now in ruins. Their dream was to renovate and reinvent the ancient building piece by piece with their own hands. First, both found in the Uffizi a drawing by Antonio da Sangallo, the architect of the monastery, as well as renowned projects such as Palazzo Farnese and Villa Madama in Rome. From there, they set about reworking the structure, bringing it back to its essence, but also adding much of their own sensibility, with the objects, furniture and even paintings they created. From the beautiful garden full of roses and lavender to the rooms created from old monastery cells, everything here evokes a contemplative calm, enlivened by whimsical and artistic touches.
Two medieval towers for sale in Todi
Two medieval towers for sale in Todi
Two medieval towers for sale in Todi
We are staying in Italy for a visit two medieval towers built between the 10th and 11th centuries, immersed in the greenery that surrounds the town of Todi. Here, too, skilful restoration work made it possible to enhance the past and bring it into the present. Every stone and every niche has been preserved to honor the history of the buildings, but at the same time new features such as elevators and a swimming pool have been introduced to make life more comfortable for those who live there. The largest of the towers is spread over four levels with an area of 243 m2 and boasts Art Nouveau designs in addition to medieval ones; the second, smaller, has three floors, equal to 170 m2. The price to immerse yourself in this ancient world with all the advantages of the present is 1.87 million euros.
Former ballroom for sale in London
Former ballroom for sale in London
Former ballroom for sale in London
At a dancing pace we now reach London, more precisely the elegant area of South Kensington, where a very fascinating transformation awaits us. L’be Now for sale for £2 million, it was actually once a ballroom, skilfully converted by studio Stone + Partners. The house is located on the second floor of a period building and is equipped with a terrace over 330 m2 and boasts ceilings over 4 meters high, a legacy of its glorious past. Taking advantage of large and bright volumes, the architects spread the spaces over two levels with two bedrooms, mixing old and new everywhere: from reclaimed parquet floors to steel accents, from exposed beams to rare Carrara marble.
For sale, a Portuguese house converted from an old commercial space
Converted commercial space in Porto
Converted commercial space in Porto
The third property is listed at 695,000 euros for sale of the week, a disused commercial space from the 90s in the center of Porto, reborn thanks to the work of studio oitoo. It is located on the ground floor, sa 30 m2 garden, the old structure now appears as one a house with a playful, flexible and minimal character, in which there are two bedrooms and generous common areas. The decisive element in the restyling is the color: a burgundy portico that leads into the interior dialogues with the fresh pastel tones of the window frames and the powder blue kitchen, decorated with Estremoz marble.
Historic villa for sale in France
Let’s end on a high note with one a sumptuous neoclassical villa in Vésinet near Paris, which once again testifies to the perfect fusion of history and the present. Built in 1900 on the model of Le Grand Trianon in Versailles, the history that emanates from this building is that with a capital S. In fact, the poet Robert de Montesquiou lived here and de Gaulle settled in when he organized the resistance during World War II. The beautifully restored villa exhibits many period details combined with modern amenities such as a cinema and an indoor swimming pool, all for a staggering €41 million.
Elisa Zagaria is an author who turned her greatest passion into work: researching and making up stories. The ones she talks about for Elle Decor as a freelancer represent dream homes, personalities, events and symbolic places of our time. And then there are other stories in the form of novels and mainly screenplays that he writes for television, waiting for him to get rich enough to buy one of those dream houses.