#3278 Admiring a Renovated Villa in the Hills of Tuscany, Italy

Scottish restaurateurs Catherine and David Gardner took three years to furbish and restore the ten-roomed Villa Bordoni in the rolling countryside. Just three years ago, the Villa Bordoni was a roofless ruin. Built in the 16th century by nobility, it has been lovingly modernised. The real skill has been in combining the original features of the house, from terracotta floor tiles to a spooky wine cellar, with present-day luxury. The decor is a cunning blend of rich and poor, to emulate the grandeur-on-a-budget that the impoverished aristos might have favoured. If indoors at the Villa Bordoni is wonderful, outdoors is sublime. Beyond the garden wall is a saltwater swimming pool, with its view of olive groves and rolling hills.