We are in Settignano, in the hills described and painted by the Macchiaioli, with gentle slopes, olive groves and villas that were once holiday homes for Florence's upper classes. A countryside just a few kilometres from the centre of Florence, where time has a different rhythm.

This house, built in 1923, was also a stately country house, then underwent several transformations, becoming a school and finally an office. When we first inspected it, the spaces had been restricted and cut back, and old 1970s light tracks hung from the ceiling, the decorations on the walls scarred by years of neglect. The first task was to clear out the clutter, free up the space, let light into the interior, and create a dialogue between the house and the large terrace that overlooks and admires the whole of Florence from above. During the design phase, it was essential to consider the dimensions and heights, such as in what became the living room, where the high ceiling caused a sense of disorientation.

The best solution was to create a hat that further emphasised the verticality and became a distinctive feature, with a grey colour that is mirrored in the lower part of the corridor and runs along the wardrobes and flush doors that disappear. In the large living room, the grey acts as a backdrop to the blue, which bursts in like a pop element that sets the stage for a new life and new settings. Thus, the history of this place, which s e once holiday homes for Florence's upper classes. A countryside just a few kilometres from the centre of Florence, where time has a different rhythm.

This house, built in 1923, was also a stately country house, then underwent several transformations, becoming a school and finally an office. When we first inspected it, the spaces had been restricted and cut back, and old 1970s light tracks hung from the ceiling, the decorations on the walls scarred by years of neglect. The first task was to clear out the clutter, free up the space, let light into the interior, and create a dialogue between the house and the large terrace that overlooks and admires the whole of Florence from above. During the design phase, it was essential to consider the dimensions and heights, such as in what became the living room, where the high ceiling caused a sense of disorientation.

The best solution was to create a hat that further emphasised the verticality and became a distinctive feature, with a grey colour that is mirrored in the lower part of the corridor and runs along the wardrobes and flush doors that disappear. In the large living room, the grey acts as a backdrop to the blue, which bursts in like a pop element that sets the stage for a new life and new settings. Thus, the history of this place, which s