Incorporating the Owners’ love of Tuscan architecture and their desire to entertain, suggesting an open plan, proved a challenging design problem. The forms and massing are borrowed from Tuscan villas, though not literally. Roof slopes were slightly lower and the overhangs exaggerated to address the challenges of the hot and rainy climate. Materials were selected to maintain the desired “feel” of old world architecture. Native stone married the base of the house to the landscape. Synthetic stucco walls emerged from the base and were capped with either shingle or metal roofing. Details throughout are spare, but harken back to another time and place. Under the second floor bedrooms, visitors can see across a large dining table to a true working kitchen. The Master Suite contains a well-appointed closet and luxurious bathroom. Guests are accommodated in a separate guesthouse, which is connected to the main house by a logia overlooking the courtyard.

A porte-cochere extends a welcoming arm to visitors and leads them into the Foyer. Its dark plastered walls contrast with the light filled and soaring volume of the Great Room, into which they are drawn. From there they can appreciate the prominent fireplace, the rich wood trusses, and the high punched openings that allow southern light to stream in.