Set on a rocky promontory, the residence is reimagined by Pierattelli Architecture through a dialogue between architecture and nature. Local materials, redesigned terraces and nautical-inspired details strengthen the villa’s connection to its coastal setting.
On the coast of southern Tuscany, where the countryside drops straight into the Mediterranean, a residence from the 1950s has been given new life by Pierattelli Architetture. Set into a rocky promontory, the 450 sqm (4,840 sq ft) villa is one of very few along this coastline with direct access to the water and is arranged over three levels, each marked by a terrace.
The project preserves the house’s original identity, its forms, and its volumes, while enhancing its privileged relationship with the landscape and amplifying the visual connection with the Mediterranean. The architects sought to create openings that would frame the view and reorganise the interior spaces to ensure a fluid flow between the rooms.
“We wanted to convey the feeling of being aboard a yacht, in constant dialogue with the horizon,” explains Andrea Pierattelli, partner at Pierattelli Architetture. “From certain areas of the house, the view is of nothing but the sea, reinforcing the sensation of being suspended over the water.”
The facade features the original stone surfaces and bands in soft hues that extend along the terraces and the roofline, consistently evoking a nautical theme. The architects also reimagined the landscape, integrating vegetation into the terraces to reduce the villa’s impact on the coastline.
An essential interior language
The main entrance is on the upper terrace, the first one you reach from outside. This level houses the sleeping area, featuring bedrooms and a master suite enhanced by a walk-in closet and bathroom. Outside, a staircase added by the architects to the original structure leads to the lower terraces.
On the lower level lies the heart of the home: the living area, comprising the living room, kitchen, and dining room. This space features seating and furnishings with dynamic, fluid forms, shades of beige, and timeless design pieces from Flos lighting to Gervasoni’s Yaku tables. The living area extends outdoors, with seating for relaxing and areas designed for gathering.
The choice of materials helps define a minimalist aesthetic deeply rooted in the local context. Inside, wood complements travertine, a stone closely associated with Tuscan building traditions. The flooring was designed in collaboration with Fiemme 3000, while raised timber decking was chosen for the terraces. Brushed steel and Corten steel were used for the windows and doors, protected by a special C5 coating that is particularly resistant to salt spray. On the lower level, very light-coloured resin floors alternate with outdoor pathways made of natural stone.
Numerous pieces of furniture were custom-designed by the studio, ranging from the kitchen to the doorways connecting the rooms, as well as some beds and the kitchen located on the lower level. The colour palette centres on neutral tones – ranging from beige to white – allowing accents of colour to emerge in certain rooms, where elements in shades of red or blue appear.
The outdoor spaces
The landscape design, which covers approximately 1,800 sqm (19,375 sq ft), also played a fundamental role in the transformation of the property. The outdoor spaces were redesigned to increase green areas and integrate the architecture into the natural setting. The infinity pool, overlooking the sea, is set within a system of existing terraces, enhancing their original layout. The plant species were selected to grow progressively up the retaining walls—which reach heights of up to five metres (16 ft) in some places—helping to soften the building’s presence and foster an increasingly harmonious fusion between architecture and landscape.
The renovation by Pierattelli Architetture breathes new life into an iconic villa on the Tuscan coast, transforming it into a contemporary residence that celebrates the sea as its primary design element and reinterprets the concept of living through a constant dialogue between light, materials, and nature.