Casa la Quercia

The Home

There’s a real sense of history about this quirky old stone villa in the heart of the Florentine countryside, named after the 500-year-old oak tree in its grounds. It offers a perfect blend of old and new, melding traditional Tuscan architecture with modern furnishings and fittings. The open-plan, split-level layout, linked by stairs and arches, is straight out of an interiors magazine. On the ground floor, a cavernous (and superbly equipped) kitchen flows into an equally spacious dining room. Up a short flight of stairs, a second huge lounge unfolds, leading upwards again to the top floor and a further space for relaxing. There are unique details, too, such as the beautiful hardwood dining table in the kitchen and the king-size bed in the mezzanine-floor bedroom, both of which are made from reclaimed peroba.

The villa itself isn’t the only attraction. There is a huge patio at the front, which is likely to rival the lounges...