Tuscan with a twist by architectural and interior designer Luis Ortega,

Create the look of a rustic Italian hillside, said the owner. Only if I can use materials and forms true to the original, replied the designer. Authenticity and an accent on open-air spaces delivers the desired Italian-style villa, and means it will be a joy to live in for decades.

Architectural and interior designer Luis Ortega collaborated with Jose Fernandez on this project, where the owner requested a rustic Italian idyll and capitulated when Ortega wanted to build the house with limestone walls, clay roof tiles and wood beam ceilings. The owner also wanted the new old' home to look as if it had been renovated in a contemporary language, says Ortega.

"Most of the old house was swept away before work began, with only the foundations remaining. However, one existing feature that the owner wanted replicated was an open three-vehicle carport at the front of the residence. To assimilate this essentially modern feature into a 100-year-old house style was problematic.

"We hit on the idea of introducing a Corten steel support beam that would develop a patina in keeping with the rustic architecture and also provide the touch of modernity requested. This steel accent was then used to punctuate the exterior."

In many ways the design centres on the private rear area that encompasses the classic loggia, modern pool house, deck and pool.

"The owner wanted a relaxed outdoor living area where he could virtually roll off his bed into the pool hence its proximity to the master bedroom at the rear of the house," says Ortega.

Like the Corten steel elements, the pool is a modern inclusion, but was built in the same limestone as the house, blending old and new.

The pool house design was an offshoot of the carport at the front of the house. Ortega wanted to repeat its form, but as a stand-alone sculptural architectural statement.

The cabana comprises two structures the form to the right is for pool equipment, while an opening in the stone wall at the left allows a visual connection to the pool. Behind is a bench, a refrigerator and storage for bar and kitchen utensils. A changing area completes this user-friendly, multifunctional space.

Story by: Trendsideas