AGRA DOLCE

april advancements

Erin Lewis — Sat, 31 May 2025 11:53:00 +0000

Continuing on in this catch-up series from the last push before we moved in, I’ll keep going month by month until we moved in late June. So now we are up to April 2022 where quite a lot was moving forward.

Not only was this the month where we’d hoped to have been in the house, but it also was the month that J closed on the sale of the old farmhouse, which meant we needed to move out - and with the new house still months from being livable, luckily a lovely friend gave us his country house to stay in the meantime. So it was a busy month of working steadily on the house, packing up the old one, finalizing the closing, moving to our temporary home, all while working quite hard back with our retreat business - hosting groups both in and out of Italy.

2006 - at the start 2022 - day of sale our temporary stay

I know it was a bit of a bittersweet ending for him during the sale of the house he started restoring in 2006 and then ran art retreats for the years since. Then it was where I was primarily based since around 2018 and exclusively based since 2020. And in the hustle and bustle of everything else going on, the move out felt rushed and disjointed, also knowing he was renting it back just a month later to run a few art courses for the season. So we boxed what we could, stored some of it, took some of it with us to our friend’s house that we were going to stay for the month of April. We felt so fortunate to have this offer to stay at such a lovely home about 15min away while our friend was in the US. It became a bit of a refuge get-away for us during those weeks and a little period I look back on with fond memories.

Back at the new house, we finally became water-tight as the last of the window panels were installed. We went to the factory to check on the delivery of the main single pane which had come from Spain, then the workers came to install the side panel before the large truck came with the final piece. We even had to have some groundwork done to clear and make a steady path for the truck around he back of the house.

It was all-hands-on-deck and even some of the drywall installers and stonemason joined in to help. If you know the show Grand Designs (which was a comfort show during this entire process - and a show I’d highly recommend!) there is always a part where the windows are getting installed on a new build and on that one large pane, the ominous music builds and the narrator is telling all of the risks and “what-ifs” in case someone slips and the pane smashes into a million pieces. This is what was playing in my head the whole time I was watching them put it in. Everyone held their breath until it was fitted and stable. And then we even opened a bottle of prosecco and some traditional Italian Easter cake “colomba” for the occasion and passed out small plastic cups for everyone to have a celebratory sip.

The interiors were moving along as well and the resin had started to go up in the bathrooms - covering all of the surfaces from floors to walls to ceilings! And the marble sinks arrived for the main bathroom as well. The various sections of drywall coverings had been installed from the half wall on my office loft and the caging to cover the AC units in the ceiling between the kitchen and living room.

Outside we were finishing up the terra cotta terrace and I finished up the dark grey grouting. The stone wall in the courtyard was going up and the corten flower bed along the flat roof edge was installed and planted.

Then the large ponteggio (scaffolding) went up so that the exterior plasterwork could be finished safely on the high sections and the sloping roofs. Luckily this was only up for a limited time and the weather stayed on our side. Meanwhile I’d chosen the Italian terrazzo slabs for the sunroom floor and was excited to see it delivered to the stoyeyard.

spring approaches

Erin Lewis — Fri, 30 May 2025 08:09:00 +0000

As I’m going back over the timeline and looking through the photos of each month to get a better handle on what was completed when, I realize that during this season of the spring of 2022 we were going full speed ahead as it was the final push before moving in.

In March that year we saw a lot of new parts of the house take shape.

The interiors were seeing some transformation - as well as some final finishes appearing. The finicky fireplace which took a while to sort out with the engineers, was coming along well. I had the hood custom made from specified sizes, the fire bricks laid (which I wanted to paint black from the beginning but figured that the soot would color them soon enough!) A little grate made for the bottom with a cover, and designed a drawer for underneath the shelf which came later. Next was covering the entire thing in plasterboard and wall finish - but I’ll outline this entire process in a future post.

Upstairs in the studio space the reclaimed vintage teak floor panels originally from India (which I initially posted about here ) were cleaned, polished, and then professionally installed. It really brought this space together and filled it with warmth, plus a little spirit from India perfect for my yoga space. Still now when people are visiting the house almost every person mentions this floor when they come upstairs.

As I was still hobbling around on crutches and a knee brace it was great to oversee the layout and installation of the private bedroom terrace. Since we weren’t using any traditional terra cotta tile in the house, I still wanted to include a little nod to this somewhere and figured that this space warranted the re-imagined traditional material. We’d reclaimed these old floor tiles from the old farmhouse and wanted to bring them into the new space. After deciding on the herringbone layout it still left space around the edges so I commissioned the grey tiles (which tied it into the only other clay tiles in the house which I’d had made for the bathroom) to be made and liked how it created the feeling of a rug.

Outside the final walnut paneling went up in the entrance nook to create a seamless flow next to the pivot door. I’d decided against a handle as well to make the door completely disappear. Actually we found that once we moved in it made it very confusing for couriers or even guests to know where the front door actually was and we’d find them wandering towards the back of the house in search of something obvious. So now with a fence and also a wreath I keep hanging on the door it’s not been mistaken in a while!

The up towards the front of the drive the pillars for the future cancello (gate) were poured and then capped with antique finials from an old palazzo in Florence that we found at an antique fair. I likes how they were just a little detail but one that gave them a history and character and also the corten of the finial base ended up coordinating with many of the other corten details on the house.

In the garden there was a lot more organization in the back terraces to flatten, reshape, and make space for the upcoming solar panels. Plus the fossa biologica (organic septic system) when in as well. The china berry specimen tree was installed in the courtyard and the fig tree at the entrance. Plus a few of the cascading rosemary bushes were planted along the entrance retaining wall.

I remember being so excited each time something was planted as it felt like a claiming of the new layout of the field - giving it a new life after a few years of it being a building site with no plants. I imagined slowly how these trees and hedges would grow and eventually be a place for birds and animals. Even now when the land has filled in quite well I’m happy to leave longer spans of time between mowing the grass or trimming the terraces - because its great to see such wild nature stake its claim again.

an eventful month

Erin Lewis — Thu, 29 May 2025 10:03:53 +0000

Looking back, February 2022 ended up being quite an eventful month. Strides were made both on the exterior as well as the garden, and the rhythm was interrupted by an unfortunate injury.

The larger glass panes arrived for the glass cube …but it would end up being a couple of more months until the largest of all arrived for the sunroom which then finally closed the house. Outside the initial plasterwork was moving right along and slowly covering the red block. And in warmer breaks of the winter weather, the courtyard and sidewalks were poured around the house. I looked back on instagram and saw this post I’d made with the progress next to the initial rendering. It was so satisfying to see it come together slowly but surely.

Meanwhile some more of the exterior work was being completed like the stonework on the top of the retaining wall, and more excitingly the specially crafted pivot front door arrived and was installed with an amazing team from Florence! This door was one of the aspects of the initial design that I knew that I’d wanted and was one of my “non-negotiables“. It was one of those special pieces that I’d set money aside for from the beginning so that when the build was continuing and all I was seeing was money flowing out, that it wouldn’t be something I’d decide to skimp on out of fear of expense. I’m so happy that I held the line and splurged on this custom-made piece. After it was installed, I was sure to make the inaugural entrance into the house and it felt like a bit of a symbolic gesture. I remember thinking that this was the first of so many entrances - not just by me, but by family, friends, and a place that would welcome so many. It was later that the matching dark walnut paneling was installed in the full entrance niche.

Inside the carpenter had started to install some of the flush closet doors and cabinetry - this photo above is of the entrance room with the push-pull doors and the roll out shoe rack. Eventually the doors were finished in the same plasterwork as the wall to look like a continuation. More custom-made tiles were delivered which I’d designed for the terrace off of the bedroom. These were done in the same “bucchero” grey clay finish as the ones I’d made for the bathroom niche.

And towards the end of the month, as I was stepping down from a small step ladder after doing some interior plaster, I snapped my ACL of my left knee and was carried to the emergency room - later in the week learning after a couple of appointments with specialists, that I would require surgery, and/or months in rehab to regain use.

This is a story for another post - as there is a quite astonishing and unexpected outcome to this tale - but needless to say, this halted my hands-on work for a while and I tended to set up on a bucket next to my crutches to call out orders instead! hah!

One of the more exciting things that happened in this month was the delivery of the new olive grove. On the very first designs for the house, the idea was to hide the house from the road with olive trees and so this meant I would need to buy grown trees from the start rather than waiting for years for smaller trees to grow. This also meant a big investment… then one of the earth-movers that we’d been using for various projects around the land mentioned that he knew a friend from across the lake who had planted a grove 30 years ago and had intentionally spaced the trees too close so that he could sell off every-other tree years later. Traditionally around here the trees are placed about 5 meters apart to allow for expansion. So I went to meet the seller, see the grove, and still was expecting a high price for these 30+ year old trees….knowing the price of similarly-sized trees at a nearby viviaio (plant nursery).

When I asked him the price and he responded I thought I’d definitely misheard but I had him repeat it and couldn’t believe it. It was about 1/8 of the going rate! He knew that it would be the majority of the cost to remove them and transport - and he also needed to have them removed from his land to help his remaining trees so we were in a way doing each other a favor!

I ended up buying 16 (as this is the number we had at the old farmhouse which gave us oil for the full year). Plus we brought one with us from the old house which was initially brought from the UK as a memorial tree for a family member who’d passed. All of these were first pruned (quote severely as to help the new growth instead go towards the roots) to on site, carefully unearthed, wrapped, and brought 2-3 at a time by truck to the site where they were placed, planted, and cared for. It took the first two years of looking after these trees for them to start to flourish, grow, and just last autumn produce their first harvest for us!

Each one is such a member of this site and now this current spring we’ve said that they’ve finally come into their own, created coverage and privacy for the house, and each one has settled in nicely and thrived.

2022 when the olive grove was planted

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2022 when the olive grove was planted 2025 now with new growth

let’s rewind…

Erin Lewis — Tue, 27 May 2025 07:50:58 +0000

while I’m on this inspiration streak

let’s rewind a bit.

I’m not sure the best way to sum up the last three years, but I will try, and for now it’s been a little adventure for me to look through the photo archives and perhaps go month by month in remembering the process after I last left off in Jan 2022.

My last main post that year was about planting the crepe myrtle in the future glass cube. So I’ve gone back to that time in my photo albums and found what else happened that month.

By the start of 2022 we were starting to install the main frame structure for the large glass sunroom. This one was a bit of an engineering challenge since it included 2 doors, a pane-less main glass panel, and a glass roof as well. It was nice to see it take shape and even without the glass in place I remember looking out from the inside at the sunset that night imagining the future view.

While we were still waiting on the larger panes of glass to arrive, the frames were complete including the glass cube area, and the outside was moving forward with the initial plasterwork little by little. It was great to see the corner glass go in for the bathtub area. From this photo in the middle I remember it was the first time to see a proper reflection and also the first time seeing from the outside something in the actual final form. Although the walls around it left much to be desired, it was the first glimpse of the future completion.

There were also a few of the smaller details getting worked on that month as well. The steel staircase for the loft office over the main bedroom were complete and installed (and I made the inaugural climb!), as well as the building flower bed for the entrance way. Inside there were several meetings regarding the open fireplace in the living room. We had to consult a few people who specialized in fireplaces to determine the viability of the exhaust flow which was a concern on a lower roof, the fact that it needed to have a few bends in it before the smoke could escape, and the idea of keeping it as an open space in the room without having smoke leak into the house. There were slow movements forward on this and I ended making the call and taking a little bit of a risk knowing that we couldn’t fully test it out until it was designed, crafted, and installed. Luckily it’s worked out just fine!

This ended January that year and I’ll aim to continue through a few seasons of progress summary in the following days…

has it really been 3 years

Erin Lewis — Mon, 26 May 2025 16:27:55 +0000

where to even begin…

I loaded this blog page to check out the last date that I posted and it was over 3 years ago now. And how much has happened in that time that it’s so hard to even begin to know where to start. First thing to mention is that we spent our very first night in the house on June 23, 2022 - after the years of process up to that point, we were in - yet still as a bit of a worksite. Then through the next year most of the house was finished and we moved on to the garden. Now in spring 2025, when people ask if the house is done I actually say “yes!” as the house does feel like it’s settled, we have no outstanding projects hanging in wait, and I’ve noted many times lately as how it feels like it’s finally part of the land now too. The garden is growing nicely and the next project will be the pool and pool house - although I’m in no rush for this as I still feel like I’m catching my breath from the past couple of years.

Post-covid years, once travel returned, so did our businesses - and they returned in the latter half 2022 with a vengeance and since then it’s been hard to get our heads above water. It was a fortunate situation to be in, as effectively we had been out of work for 2 years and I just kept watching the money flowing out as the house was getting completed. So we were eager to get back to work again, but finally this year I’ve been able to cut back a bit and take some time to regroup after the non-stop travel these past couple of years.

Looking back in a way to find a silver lining, I feel so lucky to have been able to be around for almost every single day of the process of the build. We got to be involved so much more intimately than I ever could have imagined - and also was able to learn some new skills, actually help build parts of the house with my own hands, and make more considered decisions on the design.

As I made the interior design decisions and watched the vision come to life - from the finishing wall plasters to the final vignettes of objects on the table tops - I found that I’d awakened a very fulfilling passion of mine. It was an absolute joy to be able to envision, create, search for the exact piece, sketch out an idea of the carpenter or blacksmith to make, and then to live in.

For now I’ll close this post (as I’ve just needed to start somewhere. get words out. not feel too overwhelmed so that I don't start again) I’ll end with this:

Each year I choose a word for the year which will stand as my action word.

my mantra.

my reminder.

Almost like a personal mission statement that I can refer to if I’ve come to a fork in the road and answer which road to take based on that word.

This year I chose the word ‘space’. I’ve actually had this word years ago but it was one that once again was ringing true. I felt the need for more space in my busy life, more space in my mind and spirit. But since ‘space’ isn't a verb, my action word became two words: ‘make space’, or ‘space-making’. I’ve been feeling a new pull which has me considering a few changes for my business - one that allows more space for me to consider projects, leaves more space for a few new ideas, and just gives me a little respite to gather my thoughts and emerge again reenergized.

I initially just was thinking about this in regards to space on my calendar and mental space as well. But then it recently hit me that I am also a space-maker. I made this space I’m now typing in. And I loved doing it. I’ve since helped to create another space the Julian bought in our nearest Tuscan hilltop town (which will find its way to this blog soon too), and there is another project in the works as well. So maybe my “space-making” mantra is coming true in more ways than one this year.

There is so much more to update you on. And I have hopes to write more in the space I’m trying to create this year.

In the meantime, if you don’t follow along in instagram, you can have a look there for some of the visuals these past few years.

newest member

Erin Lewis — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:20:13 +0000

To kick off the year, a new addition has joined us at the site: a specimen tree that was greatly anticipated after picking her out over a year ago at the vivaio (plant nursery). I’d been looking forward to this day for a long time and just a few days into this new year, it finally arrived.

The interior courtyard - what will soon be a cube of glass panels - sticks into the living room from the outside, and already had been prepared with a large 1m2 hole in the center of it. Above this space is the other hole which was prepared in the roof for the tree to be able to exit through the ceiling.

Just after Christmas I’d gone to check that the tree was ready for delivery and then realized that there wasn’t ever any drainage attached to the hole, so quickly scheduled the builders to come in and complete the tubing. On a very foggy morning they dug a deep trench from the courtyard through the back part of the land, installed the drainage pipes and replaced the land.

digging the drainage tree arriving opening up the roof going in

The next day the landscapers arrived with the tree and I was there bright and early to watch the installation as it was something I’d looked forward to for so long. I went to the roof and removed the temporary metal covering which had been placed there for security. After they drove the tree down the muddy slope in a small caterpillar, they prepared the hole with earth then it took about 20 minutes of maneuvering to first slide the top of the tree through the opening of the ceiling then carefully lowering her down into the hole.

getting centered in place view from the roof perfect fit

It was a perfect fit! Both the width of the part that exits the top, and the height which shows about a meter out from the roof. I really don’t think another tree would have fit better and I’m so happy with the result. They said it was a great time to plant it now during the dormancy period; and so after a good initial water, it will be okay to remain maintenance-free until the spring. Then they will check and guarantee the first flower and that the plant has taken to its new home, after which it should be good to go as a beautiful new addition to the space - and one that changes with the seasons.

view above and below sculpture through the courtyard

NOTES:
It’s a lagerstroemia indica (crepe myrtle) which has been pruned in this narrow shape. I mainly was drawn to it for the sculptural form which will be seen in the house, and yet not block the view, and the flowering foliage towards the top which will give a nice pop of color both inside as well as on top of the roof. Besides this, however, I do think it’s a nice homage to my southern roots.
It will flower in a dark pink blossom and should bloom from June through autumn.
Now I’m just deciding on her name…

2021 roundup pt.5

Erin Lewis — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 16:57:51 +0000

most popular photo of the year on @agradolce

Well, we’re finally here…to this current month (barely!) and almost caught up for the year. Whew!

It’s been a marathon of posting since yesterday but it was a nice way to focus for me and really recount the year for myself and for this written record.

DECEMBER

All of this month we’ve more or less stayed put, and there were some big steps that started to happen - but to be honest it’s been one of the more frustrating months that I’ve had so far with this project. And one that brought me to tears more than once.

Luckily as the month started, I was able to go and see the window frames being assembled at the warehouse and it made me smile to see my name written on so many pieces everywhere I looked! The next week the workers arrived to start the instillation of most of the windows and glass doors around the house. I’ve been looking forward to this step for a long time and it does really make a difference in the feeling of the house. The corner bathroom window, main glass panels in the sunroom and glass courtyard in the living room won’t go in until mid-Jan, and by then the front door should be installed as well - at that time, the house will be officially closed which means we can concentrate on finishing the interiors - a major step.

windows at the workshop windows going in glass in place windows in and plaster going up

I’m very satisfied with the windows so far - the way they look and the quality feel about the way they function. The 3 most exciting pieces are yet to come (and it looks like I’ll have to have a temporary road built around the back of the house for the delivery around the huge piece of glass for the sunroom. It’s one sold piece weighing over a ton!) and I’m sure I’ll have a lot to update on within the next month.

arranging tiles on the terrace possible tile pattern retaining wall stone new roof railing

A few other things on the exterior moved forward as well this month. After the sub floor was poured on the private terrace outside the main bedroom we laid out all of the antique terra cotta tiles which we brought from J’s old house and arranged them to decide on a pattern and see what space we may be missing. I have a plan for filling that which I’ll show more of in the coming month - but overall I like the look and this small bit of traditional flooring which will be the only place like this in the entire house. Then the retaining wall is getting covered in stone as well and we’re just using the odds and ends and pieces that didn’t quite fit in the rectangular motif that are going around the house. I didn’t mind that this wall was a bit more like the traditional countryside stone pattern as the plan is to have cascading rosemary coming over the top and caper bushes growing between the cracks anyway - so in the future a lot of it will be covered in green (I hope!). Plus it was a good way to save money and not waste the extra bits of stone.

Then the blacksmiths came again to install a railing for the flat roof terrace on one side. The other sides will have planters instead of railing but this side was bare. Yet to fit into safety codes I had to agree on some sort of railing so to be as minimal as possible I chose a horizontal cable cord design with narrow corten boundary rails. I’m happy with its simplicity and look forward to connecting it to a corten steel planter to wrap around the other side in the new year.

2022…

This whole adventure has been just that - an adventure. One where I haven’t known what - or exactly when - the outcome would be, how we’d get there, or what windy roads we’d have to take along the way. Initially when I began looking for land back in 2017, finding this property in 2018, waiting out 2 years of paperwork to finally break ground Feb 2020, the projection was that it would be complete by Easter of this year. Then covid hit and everything changed. It was moved to Aug this year, then “maybe end of the year”. Now we’re hoping for spring next year.

Some days I get to the site and I feel like it’s come a long way and other days I’m overwhelmed with the amount of tasks still to go. I’ve become the sole project manager - a job I never expected to have, and one I’ve had to learn step by step. I’ve become educated on aspects of building I never thought I’d need to know, and received countless hours of indirect Italian language lessons over the years. I know know plenty of building terms in Italian that I don't particularly know in English, and I can finally carry on a pretty good argument - even on the phone! (this is a particularly useful skill to have, haha).

Our biggest set back at this moment is waiting for the cold and wet weather to be over. This is needed for finishing the exterior plaster, as well as the pavement and sidewalks. And sadly this is just something that I can’t control or find a more creative solution for. It just means mother nature will have to do her thing, and we’ll have to be patient. In the meantime I hope to dive right in to the interiors by the end of January and get most of this complete before the retreat season (which means travel season for me) begins again in the spring. It’s day by day. Which is a good lesson to continue to learn. I’m grateful for this project, the help and support of J, the encouragement of family and friends, for the people I’ve met along the way, the vision it holds for the future, and the lessons it continues to teach me.

Buon anno.

2021 roundup pt.4

Erin Lewis — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 11:19:26 +0000

friends on the roof visiting to see the progress

As the autumn approached we continued forward and onward and hoped to get as much done as possible before the colder/wetter winter approached.

OCTOBER

At the beginning of October I returned from another retreat for work down in Ischia. And as soon as I got back things were getting checked off the list. Inside I explained the measurements for the bathtub and counters for both main bathrooms which were then constructed out of ‘pepperino’ - a volcanic stone which works well for strong shapes, but will be covered in resin later and just becoming a sculptural element in the room. It was fun making the exact measurements for the tub as it’s made specifically for my size (since more than likely I’ll be the only one using it). Plus, it comes with the most amazing corner view!

testing out the tub guest sink color swatches with floor tile steel platform over staircase

In the studio, we got on with the finishing plaster as this is the trickiest room to work in since we have to construct temporary scaffolding in the 2-story tall area over the staircase. Because of this, I wanted to get this room done first so we could move out of there with the extra building materials. I decided on a dark grey here to be a more inward-calming space and am very happy with the results. This will be the only one in something other than neutral and also the only one with floors other than resin. In here we’re using these antique reclaimed teak tiles from India which we found here. So I think it will lend itself to a very warm and welcoming space for yoga.

Then a steel platform was installed over part of the staircase which will be for extra floor and storage space…I plan on using it for a narrow storage cabinet and also a large Zen-like vase and branches.

view of the cleaned up site installing the shutter cages preparing the steel another stone wall going up

Outside the site was looking quite well kempt and the stone work continued to move forward with another wall on the courtyard side being completed. More corten galley frames were installed around these windows as well. On the backside of the house two large steel cages for sliding shutters arrived from Florence and were finally installed - something we’d been waiting on for months. But now that these were in, it meant that the final back wall could move forward with the stone facing as well…the final one to go with this material!

NOVEMBER

The first week of November both J and I headed to Venice for a retreat we were leading together. It was nice to get away, be in one of our favorite cities, and meet up with a lovely group of guests. Then we spent a couple of days on a scouting trip in Lake Como before coming back to see how things had been going on site.

finished courtyard side backside started private terrace poured garage floor poured

The stone mason had been getting on with things and was starting around the final back wall. The red blocks are slowly but surely starting to disappear and I am very happy with the work so far. There were a few more spots around that needed the final concrete pour and so these were completed in one day including the private terrace off of the main bedroom, the garage (which had also been recently primed), and a few small spaces inside as well.

new shelves in main bedroom finished plaster wall of the studio ledge in living room finished hallway plaster

The interiors were moving along contemporarily. I had the mason build a block shelving unit in the entrance to the main bedroom which will mostly be used for a minimal display case with a few objects, and will be covered in the same finishing plaster as the walls. We finally finished the dark plaster in the studio as well as one side of the hallway…slowly getting the technique of this Venetian style material. Each of the 3-4 coats gets thinner and fills in any tiny unevenness of the wall surface so that the final coat naturally shines and creates these beautiful strokes as you use the steel spatula to apply.

In the living room a ledge which will serve as a bench, the bottom of the fire place, and some storage underneath, started to go in. It will as well be covered in the finishing plaster and then we must construct the fireplace hood above it.

…to be continued…

2021 roundup pt.3

Erin Lewis — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 16:28:38 +0000

first coat of finishing plaster complete

(catch up here: pt.1 pt.2)

The month of August kicked off for us in Iceland for another work trip…our first outside of Italy since pre-covid. It was really nice to get away, and since both of us were gone, it was the first time that neither has been able to be on site. But it’s fine since it coordinated with the August holidays here in Italy where most people take the month off anyway.

installing the balcony at the lumberyard installing the planks testing it out

AUGUST

Despite ferragosto (August summer holiday), there were a few vendors still working at least some days during the month, so after we returned from Iceland there were some progress we were able to make.

Earlier while I was in the US, the fabbri (blacksmiths) installed a steel balcony which I’d ordered that will serve as a little office space in the main bedroom. J called me on a video chat and sat the phone up so I could watch the process. (If you click on the photo you’ll see the whole thing!) It was quite funny, but it gave me a nice little escape as he knows that I love to see any progress happening. Then after we returned in August we went to the lumberyard to pick out the wood planks to use, and decided on Iroko, an African equivalent of Balinese teak - with similar coloring, strength, and durability. And one that comes with much folklore and legends behind the spirits that inhabit the bark. Mostly I loved the coloring.

Then we just got on with the first coats of the plaster in all of the rooms, tried to stay away from the heatwave, and waited out the month.

SEPTEMBER

By September the workers were returning and quite a few tasks got completed this month. I was away for over 3 weeks on retreats, and J held down the fort and sent me plenty of updates. The first task at hand was completing the retaining wall by the driveway. Since the testing was complete, the wall was able to be poured and the driveway shaped. This is a rough pour for now before the final material is used at the end of the project, but it gives a nice access in the meantime and allowed us to really see what the slope will be like. The land was organized as well with terraces for the olive grove in front and a few terraces down the back. It really helped clean up the site.

preparing the retaining wall driveway, wall, and terraces side wall of stone votiva niche

The stone continued to be laid, this time on the side wall near the entrance. There was a bit of a new shoulder wall constructed on the left that will give the entrance door a “nook” feeling and that’s where I decided to place the little votiva I’d made. Now as you exit the main door it’s at eye-height and I can’t wait to place some flowers in it!

first lights installing the pebble roof base floor in studio built-in planter wall

Meanwhile, the next step on the flat roof was getting installed…a steel frame to hold the pebbles and also allow drainage into the hidden gutter system. Another design element of this project that “no one has ever seen”…so many times I’ve heard this about quite a few aspects of this build. Then an angled built-in planter was installed on the courtyard side. This has a few design reasons behind it but from this view on the photo you can see that it will allow for a widened border and with the hedges growing out of it, it will serve as a safety border rather than a railing on this side of the grass roof.

Inside, the last underfloor heating was installed in the upstairs studio and the base floor poured, while the build-in wall lights along the stairway and hall were installed. The rest are going to wait until the house is closed up, but these needed to go in sooner since the finishing plaster has to go around them. But it was nice to see them plugged in as the first ever lights in the house!

Then in the bedroom the bed frame was built (which will be covered in resin like the floors, and have wooden doors over the empty spaces), and the railing to the balcony was installed (which will be covered in drywall, but the wood and painted steel will be visible underneath). It was nice to see some of these fun details get worked on throughout some of the larger tasks still happening on site.

…to be continued.

2021 roundup pt.2

Erin Lewis — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 13:22:06 +0000

stone getting higher

(read pt.1 here)

After an eventful May with several projects and steps happening on the house, it also was a month where I was mostly away in the US and we also got the sad news about the passing of our geometra from covid. And although some of the general tasks could be continued (such as the stonework), this did end up causing about a 4-month roadblock to many of the other larger things to be done as it was a lot of bureaucracy to clear up and officially name another geometra in his stead.

Besides this, the supply chain back up hit us and months of more delay for materials also became a waiting game through most of mid-year. However, below are some of the good things that still were able to happen in early summer.

fossil in the stone stone starting to show from the road first exterior plaster plaster from the road

JUNE

As June began I was on my way back from the US and the stonework was moving steadily along. Even the first layer of plaster went up on one part of the exterior which was nice to see some of the red block disappear. A few amazing fossils were found in the stone piles and the mason started to put a few in prominent places in a line of sight. It will always be nice to find them among the walls.

It was the first time too since 2020 that the exterior started to advance from the point of view of any passerby. From the road, one could see that there was a bit of progress being made.

primed and ready starting the finishing plaster before (almost) after

One big step since the main intonaco (interior plaster) was completed, the whole house was primed and the first coat (of 3-4) of the finishing plaster went up. After about 20 colors were tested I thought that I’d decided on one, but fast forward a couple of months and I’ve now made it even more neutral for the final coat. Since there is so much natural light coming in the house all of the colors that felt warm on a swatch ended up with a violet cool undertone with only neutral outside light hitting it. So I had to warm it up even more and I know once the interior lights are installed this will make a difference as well.

A vintage chair that I’d found at the end of 2020 made its way to the upholsterer and was restored and recovered. Now it’s just been waiting in our current office (which has become a big storage room in the meantime) and it’s a perfect little seat for reading. I’m excited to curl up here with the stool one day soon while looking out at the view.

screen grab from google maps

One day as I was going to send the location to a vendor making a delivery, I noticed that google maps satellite had finally refreshed with the house on it. Before this month it was still only a field, and now it’s nice to see it from above.

JULY

The end of June began our first retreats since the travel bans had lifted, so we stayed busy with a couple of groups here in the area. As the project timeline was hitting some speed bumps, it at least gave us something else positive to focus on. I continued with my sommelier certification course which had been paused due to covid for the last year, J took a trip to the UK and I took mini vacation to the Tuscan seaside with a friend. We had a few little day trips to visit the hot springs, and at the end of the month I headed back to the US for my mom’s memorial service with family.

The main (and pretty much only) thing that happened on site was that the piece of steel that we’d been waiting for for months finally arrived and the test of the pylon strength (which is one of the main required tests of the structural part of the project needed to gain permits) could finally be conducted. A boring day, but so exciting in so many ways as it meant that more steps which were dependent on this step could now get going.

pylons prepared for test testing

So then this huge step was finally complete.

…just in time for August holidays. (to be continued)

2021 roundup pt.1

Erin Lewis — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 11:15:31 +0000

finished plaster wall in studio

After looking back at my last proper post of the year in mid-April (!! yikes !!) about la pietra, I figured that the natural progression would be to sum up the rest of the year from that point.

Luckily one of the things I’ve been quite organized about from the beginning of the project are keeping full records of photos and videos arranged by month in my Dropbox. It makes it easier for reference and also helps to categorize a timeline in my mind about what happened when. I will say that sometimes looking back it’s a nice boost of encouragement to see how far we’ve come, but other times I think “wow, that’s all that’s been done in 8 months?!” In any case, it will help me out in going through some of the highlights to remember this year by.

APRIL

April was mainly spent completing the interior plaster work (or what here is more like a type of wall construction!) It’s the building up of the wall surface over the mason blocks, which also means creating proper angles, level surfaces, and precise corners. It gives a concrete-like sturdiness to the walls and a bit more thickness as well (definitely not just a skim of material over drywall). It felt so good to come to the end of this arduous task which had taken us through the winter and early spring. The last parts to do were the hardest…plastering the tall angled ceilings in both the main bedroom and studio.

preparing ceiling for plaster completed walls finished guest room last layer on ceiling

MAY

May was quite a fruitful month on site with some fun projects happening simultaneously. It started out with the color swatches going up on the interior walls to begin the task of carefully choosing the final plaster (a finishing Venetian style plaster, different from the main plaster used to prepare the walls). This finishing plaster will be used in lieu of paint.

color swatches handmade tiles installing tiles tiles in niche

Then it was time to install the handmade tiles which I’d had made earlier in the year. They were made specifically for this little niche in the main bathroom which will be in front of a vanity counter. Designed from a pattern on an ancient Etruscan vase, I flipped the pattern upside down as it became reminiscent of the lines of cypress trees that dot the landscape here. And once they were installed I noticed a line of those cypress in perfect view from the window ledge.

stones ready at the quarry installing the corten window frames starting with the stone view through the deep window galley

Then the stones were finally prepared and ready for delivery! We visited the quarry to check out the stack they’d made for me and loved envisioning the walls going up. A huge truck arrived with sackfuls of stone (in these large industrial bags that carry over 100kg of stone), and the mason got to work. I wanted an organized, horizontal placement of the stones with a recessed grout. As soon as it started to go up, I knew how much I’d love it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the project so far…I don’t think there would have been another type of finish or stone that I would love more. This comes in handy on the days that I’m feeling discouraged as I just go outside and stare at the stone walls and it makes me feel that something went right! haha

Then the workers from the infissi (windows, etc) company arrived to install the deep window galley frames made in corten steel which will rust to a uniform brown. The stone was fitted flush to the edges for a beautiful finish!

…to be continued…

another year

Erin Lewis — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 08:40:00 +0000

I was sitting here today evening thinking how I felt like updating this blog. I knew it had been so long -

too long -

the long that makes you not want to look at how long, and so the time keeps passing.

I think that’s what has happened over these last eight (almost nine!) months. I actually couldn’t believe how long it had actually been from my last post when I looked at the date.

But I know it’s not the only thing that’s kept me away. Life in other forms started to happen again since April - and some lives were sadly taken away during this time. Life (and its passing) took precedent and I honestly had to step away for different spots of time. As much as I didn’t want to admit it or let it happen during this project, I got a bit overwhelmed. Even now I’m not always sure of the balls that I’m juggling and find it easier sometimes to disconnect. This is some of the reason for my absence.

For those following along on instagram, this is where I at least found some motivation to update and post somewhat regularly as full blog posts became too intimidating for my mental space.

In late spring some travel started to return which meant that my work started to do the same. Luckily. And it ended up being the busiest season of retreats I’ve ever had. And next year is shaping up to be the same. I’m very grateful after a year and a half with almost no work at all.

But it also made me realize how fortunate, in a way of looking for the silver lining, that our lockdown period was in regards at least to this project. I actually had time - lots of time - to devote solely to being present in every step. Watching the progress and taking time to document and breathe it all in.

Then in May I spent the month back in the U.S. to visit with family. I was a little nervous to be away from the day to day tasks at the house but in a way felt relived from what had become an all-consuming project. J stayed back and kept me updated with plenty of on-site photos and constant communication.

It was also in May when we lost our dear project manager, Stefano - who had become a good friend over the past few years of working together. Covid ended up hitting too close to home and after months of working from his hospital bed, we received the news that he was moved to ICU and heart-breakingly never was able to hear from him again. This brought an understandable halt to the project for about four months. Being without a project manager meant that we were left scrambling to find replacements, both logistically and legally as there were months of working through the bureaucracy paperwork to change everything over. Plus at this time the Covid supply-chain backups finally made their way to us with an overlapping four-month delay in getting a piece of steel to finalize a test that needed to be done on the pylons under a retaining wall which domino-affected every other next step.

(you can read more about what I like to call the “wall chronicles” starting with this instagram post)

Then, I sadly had to return to the States in late July after my mother passed away - it feels even strange to write this…and I’m not sure I’m ready to say too much about it as this doesn’t seem like the best platform to express my feelings about this. But I will say that her long battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s, watching her decline at such a young age, and knowing that at the same time the years that she was slipping away, I was aging…this overall realization I think has had some deep effects in the way that I think about life. About this project. And about not waiting to live the life you look forward to.

I truly believe that this is a part of something that has kept me steadfast in my resolve to finish this, go all in, not stress too much about the implications for the future, and just say “if not now, when.”

So with that I’ll say that in these last couple of days of 2021. I will resolve to catch up with my thoughts and a year-long summary of the project on here. It’s as much for me as it is for anyone reading this. I know that I will want to remember these months, as full and frustrating as some have been. And so if not now, when.

la pietra

Erin Lewis — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 11:01:00 +0000

Besides the interior stone and marble details that I’ve been working on, the major decision of which pietra (stone) to use on the exterior section of the house was recently made as well.

The more modern part of the layout which is towards the back of the house and has the flat roof above, will all be clad in stone. It’s a big chunk of the exterior look and thus very important to consider carefully. Over the winter I’d begun talks with a local company who own a cava of their own where they quarry stone and sell in many forms, from standard sizes to custom cuts. There were quite a few variables to consider, not just the tones, shapes, and style of cuts, but also the price as I had no idea before starting to shop around, how hugely varied the prices can be for this depending on the smoothness of the cuts, the uniform shapes, and type of rock chosen.

originally proposed stone more local stone option

The original architect renderings for the exterior finishes had a lighter stone cut in a uniform, yet rough, block and linear style. I knew that I wanted to use more of the local coloring of stone so the house would go a bit more with the typical surroundings.

I love the pairing of something modern and traditional (as I think this entire house is a marrying of the traditional farmhouses from the countryside with a new modern take on the layout and refinement of the materials). So I thought that it would be nice to use more of the stonework that you see on many of the country houses around here, but on this modern section of the house which had the more unique shape of a long and low block with a flat roof.

The more stereotypical stone throughout the countryside varies from one zone to the next depending on what rock is actually coming from the earth in that very specific location. Even within a 30-min radius around here you’ll find an area where the grey-toned pietra serena is more prevalent, or the slightly green-tinted rough volcanic tufo stone. The orange hues of the pietra di Izzalini, and plenty of other local varieties mostly involving types of travertine and limestone.

Immediately around the area the stone tends to be quite variegated in nature with greys, creams, and warm flecks of a yellowed/orange tint. I settled on a partially cut stone that will allow for more straight horizontal lines to be created during the placing of the stones on the wall (instead of the puzzle-pieced multi-size cuts that you see on the older farm houses), but using the hyper-local stone color.

cutting a piece at a time waiting for the next cut

We were able to go to the quarry ourselves and meet the stone cutter who works each individual piece by hand passing it through this heavy-duty, yet simple machine that cracks each stone into pieces. We discussed the general size and shape that I preferred, and when we should be needing it delivered. I’ve also spoken with the muratore who will be facing it for me about having the stacked almost to seem that it’s drystone work (without grout), but although there will be cement between the stones, there will be as little as possible and only used from a couple of centimeters in from the exterior as not to be too visible.

arriving to the quarry some of the chosen stones

The full load should be able to be delivered to the site within the month and I’m hoping that by mid-May the muratore can begin with starting to place them outside. It will be so nice after all this time to be able to slowly cover the rough red blockwork and begin to see the finished look!

marble & other materials

Erin Lewis — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 12:03:20 +0000

Recently I’ve been working more and more on the interior details behind the scenes as the main building steps are inching along. As you’ve probably read through the past posts, the stone details are quickly becoming a new obsession for me. The tactile materials that I’m choosing for many areas of the interiors are some of my favorite parts of the process so far. And there have been a few new materials and stone picked out in the past couple of months to update you on.

From the very beginning of the plans for the interior I knew that I wanted to have a marble island in the kitchen. (It was one of the non-negotiables that I have stuck to!) I envisioned an island that was very minimal and highlighted the material as a sculpture more than a functional piece. All of the visual appliances would be in other areas of the room, leaving this space completely free, open, and monolithic in a way.

chosen slabs beautiful veining

After looking at many options over the past year (even going up to Carrara to visit some of the many marble companies that are just below the quarries) and learning so much along the way, I’ve finally decided on a calacatta marble (which also comes from Carrara). More specifically calacatta oro (gold) which not only highlights the pure white background and striking grey veining, but also mixes in a warmer brown/tan hue of vein as well. I thought this mixture would warm up the usually cool-colored nature of this stone and would tie in the concrete and woods which will be used throughout the room.

The marmista from a town about 30-min away, has their own quarry nearer to Carrara and found this piece for me and held it in reserve for the past few months until I was able to visit in person. It didn't take me long to decide to move forward with it. I think it will be stunning piece, and so we met together with the falagname (carpenter) who is building the kitchen cabinetry to go over the details. They are both satisfied with how the process will work between the two of them and I’m looking forward to seeing this isola come together.

some of the travertine choices

Another piece that has been completed for me recently is from our local stone yard (who made the sink for the powder room). After sketching out a couple of ideas for a 2-piece coffee-table and picking out a travertine stone for this. We went over the measurements, angles, and finishing details and I left them for a month to do their magic. When they called me a couple of weeks ago to say it was ready I was even happier with the final product than I expected. There’s so much more to say about the designs for the furniture, but I’ll be definitely going over more of this as we move towards putting the interiors together on-site.

loading it up colors in the sunlight

It’s absolutely beautiful stone, and was one of the last pieces existing from a now-closed quarry near San Casciano dei Bagni. I think the warm ripples of color will tie in nicely with the burnt warmth of the leather chesterfield sofa and cremes of the seats which will be around this table in the living room.

antique reclaimed wood in the showroom

Then just a few days ago as we were visiting another company in the region who specialize in importing antiques from India and the East, I unexpectedly spotted 2 sinks that caught my eye.

We were there because we’re ordering the flooring from them for the yoga studio space. This will be the only room where I won’t be using resin floors, and instead opted for a softer wooden finish. Last year we’d spoken with the owners of this company because we’d seen that in their showroom they had beautiful antique handmade wooden tiles which are made from reclaimed teak wood from India. It seemed fitting for and Indian floor to be the foundation of the yoga space and so after a while of negotiating with them, they agreed to sell their own flooring to us (since imports currently are quite difficult for many reasons). We are planning to pick the tiles and planks up this coming week and then will need to resand, wax, and polish them. But I’m looking forward to the warmth they will add to the house. They were even quite pleased to know that I was using it in a yoga space and said that the spirit would be good in there… I agree. We talked about India for a little bit as well as they’d lived there for many years and we said how much we miss visiting.

handmade sinks soft marble colors

Anyway, back to the sinks…as we were discussing the flooring, I noticed 2 sinks which I’d never seen there before in their store. They are of a lovely subtle marble and not completely uniform. I love how you can see the handmade tactile quality of each sink. I asked for a measuring tape and they ended up being the exact sizes I was looking at for the main bathroom. It seemed serendipitous. The price was excellent (about a third of the ones I was looking at having made here), so I went ahead and decided on these as well.

The room we’re currently using for temporary storage of all of the supplies I’m collecting in the meantime is getting fuller and fuller by the week. There was even a vintage mid-century chair I ordered online last month and I kept it packaged when it arrived. It will feel so exciting to begin unwrapping each one of these treasures one by one and helping them find their new homes…

springtime progress pt.2

Erin Lewis — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 09:04:49 +0000

…continued from pt.1…

The window and door frames have now been remounted, but not all have been refinished in plaster, as we have to wait once again for the worker who did this part to return in May. However in the meantime, other steps have been completed.

The big one being the underfloor heating.

This was supposed to happen as soon as the plasterwork was done, but everyone soon realized that the initial concrete pour wasn’t at the correct level, so a more accurate measurement was taken for the levels in each room and more concrete was carefully added.

laying new subfloor finished subfloor supplies arriving tarped openings

The following week the plumbing crew arrived to lay the materassi (styrofoam “mattresses”) which create a patterned system for the tubes to click into place. Next step was choosing the right days to lay the tubing, as the mornings were still frosty and we couldn’t risk cold temps on these tubes since they could break. So the scheduling was made to pour the final massetto (screed floor) over the tubes the day after they were complete. And as an extra precaution against any unwanted frost, we covered all of the openings (of which there are many) of the house, both windows and doors, with tarps to keep the tubes safe.

laying the tubes finished tubing smoothing the massetto finished massetto floor

The tubes were then laid within a span of two days, and a couple of days later, the pavement crew arrived and laid the final smooth and level screed floor. They used a sanding and buffing machine as well to be sure that it was close to a finished floor as possible. We now have 2-3 millimeters to play with to put down the finishing resin - which will not happen for a while until the full house is watertight.

setting the gradual slope
next layers on

Another part of the house that was being worked on concurrently was the flat roof where they started to finish the gradual slopes of the sides that lead to the hidden gutters. The middle section will be raised slightly and then filled with a shallow pour of small pebbles. Then the entire overhangs will be finished with a plaster.

And now as April begins, the earth-moving has begun again at the front of the house to prepare for the retaining wall and driveway. I’ll have more on this soon.

In the meantime I’m just trying to keep all of my ducks in a row (and all of my sanity in tact).

springtime progress pt.1

Erin Lewis — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 11:43:22 +0000

I think it’s time for some progress updates, no? Besides being several months since writing a progress post, it’s also now been over a year since we officially broke ground mid Feb last year. Springtime has begun, and we here in Italy are unfortunately in a similar situation as spring 2020. Time is playing funny tricks on my mind…sometimes it feels that last year went by so quickly and others that the days just crawl by.

hole last year hole filled this year

A few weeks ago I found a photo from a year ago when the plot was just cleared and ready for the piles and foundation to begin. When I see that this space was a literal hole in the ground it does made the progress feel more real. Yet when I see how much there is still to be done I have to remind myself

patience, Erin

patienza

piano piano

be in the now

light patterns progress during plasterwork

This week is also the week where pre-Covid, had been the original completion date projection: Easter 2021.

However, now I’m hoping for a realistic date of August. But mostly, and continually, trying to enjoy this entire journey. I have a feeling that I’ll miss it a bit once things are all finished and settled.

All of this said, however I thought it overdue for a progress update here on the blog. This past month has crept by at a slower speed as the main contractor now is juggling a few projects so there isn’t a full team on site everyday. We are ticking off the last of the larger structural tasks one by one and slowly prepping the interior for more detailed work to come.

incorrect placement of window after the inset with the light patterns

Since we finished the interior plasterwork throughout Jan and Feb, at this time it was noticed that the window structural frames had all been mounted incorrectly. They were mounted flush to the interior walls (which here is pretty much standard), yet the architect noticed this on some update photos towards the end of the plasterwork and gave me a couple of options.

Either I could leave them as is, but this meant loosing space on the inside, or tearing them all out to remount correctly. There was a couple of weeks of going back and forth with pros and cons.

Architect: approaching from an aesthetic point of view

Builders and window maker: approaching from a functional point of view

The final walls will be very thick… from about 42cm (16.5in) in some parts to 59cm (23in) in the main section. So the original design was to place the windows in the center of these wall depths creating more space interiorly and at the same time allowing for a “tunnel” like effect from the exterior. Also mounting the interior frames back from (not flush to) the interior walls will help the plaster walls look sculptural and unbroken by (what would have the effect of) picture frames around each opening.

But, the window maker told me, if I wanted to be able to open these windows inwardly, mounting them deeper into the wall would only allow a 90º opening leaving some windows to stick out in to the room.

Not to mention the extra time, money, and hassle, to redo all of these and replanted them as well.

This caused

many.

sleepless.

nights.

Finally I decided to just do it. I wanted it to be like the original vision as I think I’d regret it if I kept it as-is just to be easier.

initial mounting corrected mounting

As soon as we remounted the first one, I felt such relief. It changed the aesthetic of the room immediately and was so much more how I’d imagined the house. I knew all of the work to redo it would be worth it. Now the windows are little surprises to discover, and the deep inset allows for the patterns of light and shadow entering the rooms to become like a piece of art on it’s own.

…stay tune, more progress updates to come…

non-negotiables

Erin Lewis — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 09:56:02 +0000

One of the pieces of advice that I was given and have kept in mind throughout this process was something J told me at the beginning of this adventure. He said to make a list of my “non-negotiables”, those things I really wanted to be included in the final project, even the “splurges”. Then once fully decided, go ahead and purchase/commission/pay for those early on. Because I would probably run past my budget, as most people do in situations like these, and by the end it becomes easy to make compromises - even on those things that originally were “non-negotiables”. And these are the things that one could really regret not moving forward with, and could take away that extra “wow” that you had dreamed of when the ideas were all new and sparkly.

From the very beginning of this idea, even before too many things had been put down in (figurative and literal) concrete, I knew there were a few things that I’d made my mind up on. For example:

pivot front door
marble kitchen island
“invisible” no-frame interior doors
japanese style toilets

I committed to a few of these early as was recommended. As the process has gone on, there are things that have been added to that list…and other things that have been adjusted a bit so that they could work out within a reasonable budget (for example I didn’t splurge for the Japanese style toilets with heated seats, musical selections, and scent diffusers since these are equivalent to the cost of a small car, but I did find some simpler options instead).

Even though so much of any type of project like this comes down to budget, I don’t want that to dictate the overall storyline. And it’s been interesting to notice that the more I’ve gone in financially to this, the more it makes me want to be sure to do it right.

It seems like when you’ve already spent a lot of money that this would make you want to tighten up a bit and skimp on the details that follow as to not go too far over budget. But it has the opposite effect for me - since I’ve gone so far in, the last thing I’d want to feel at the end was that even with all of that sacrifice it still didn’t end up being what I envisioned because of the compromises I felt I had to make.

Most people who know me say that if I want to do something and have made my mind up about it, I’ll find a way to make it happen. I just don’t see another way, nor do I see why I’d need to see another way. I feel like all things are do-able and that it may just be about changing perspective on how to get it done.

So now instead of taking things out of the project, I’m finding ways to save while still being able to include them. One example is doing a lot of the finishing work ourselves, helping with the plastering, or spending extra time sourcing the best possible deal for an item or getting multiple quotes for each step of the project.

But as the interior details are beginning to be planned and produced, one of these main non-negotiables is in the works…the marble slab for the kitchen island has finally been chosen and I can’t wait to write more about it. (stay tuned!)

cutting stone

Erin Lewis — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:29:33 +0000

One of my new obsessions has been visiting the stoneyards to look through the various marble slabs and chunks of other type of pietra from around the area. I would say even in years past I was quite neutral about marble in general, perhaps even considering it dated in some circumstances, gaudy in others. I didn’t think too much of other types of stone either, not that I didn’t like them but I tended to be naturally drawn to other materials instead.

However, I think living in Italy where beautiful stone has been used on some, if not most, of the most famous iconic buildings here for millennia, one’s perspective awakens. I’ve not only warmed to the use of marble and natural stone, but now am having to hold myself back from going overboard. Every trip to the marmista I get wowed by another slab that I find, another lastra (sheet) that I learn about, or somehow the way the light shone just so on that lonely piece in the corner which I’d passed so many times before. Last time I stopped by (to order yet another custom piece) I said that the more I learn about the stone here the more I love it.

I’ve seen marble make its way back into the design trends as well, but its been a fun challenge to hone down the best way to incorporate this material into the interiors of the house in a modern, and sometimes minimal way. The main piece of marble will be for the kitchen island (and I’ll post separately on this soon), but other than this larger piece I’ve decided on a few others that will indulge my growing obsession with stone and be able to display some beautiful craftsmanship as well.

There are three sinks that I am having commissioned: one small one for the little powder room and then the two for the main bathroom. Since I’m trying to use mostly Italian materials when I can, I really wanted to find Italian marbles for both rooms. Although I was mostly envisioning a black sink for the powder room, the only properly black Italian marble is portoro - and besides being pricey, it was also quite elusive trying to find a thick enough chunk of it to make a deep sink. So then I was introduced to grigio carnico which is a varied dark grey stone with black veining which has a lovely depth to the layers.

moving the block making the cuts

I told the local marmista who I was working with to let me know when they found a block, and after a few months of searching they finally called to say it was in. It was a little more grey as the black veins are so thin, but it had a really nice unexpected lighter corner with slight flecks of a blush color.

They indulged my curiosity and let me come and watch each step of the process. I’m sure they all thought it was a bit funny how I was always hanging around, but now that I’ve gotten to know them a bit more and they realized that I really am interested in how it all works, they warmed up to me!

carving the sink programming the cuts

First step was cutting the initial size from the slab which included choosing the corner, angle, and slicing it smooth. Then about a week later it was slated for its turn with the 3D cutting machine. Here the exact sizes were programmed into the computer and the hundreds of millimeter-precise cuts were planned. The machine got to work and I stood in place for over an hour watching it slowly hollow out the stone.

finished shape polishing station

It took yet another week for them to polish it and it still is waiting to be coated. This will deepen the color a bit and make it a little more glossy.

We are still in a waiting game trying to find just the right slab of calacatta oro for the main bathroom sinks and shower partition. And I just decided on a slab of travertine to use for a custom coffee table so this will be the next project that they’ll be working on from me… stay tuned as I’m sure I’ll share more updates!

click on image to watch video of the process
on Instagram highlights

a tale of tile - pt.4

Erin Lewis — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:07:00 +0000

So here we have it: the final tiles from the full process over these past few months.

And yes this has all been for just over 1 square-meter of wall space in the bathroom, but yes, it has all been worth it.

[ read about it: part 1, part 2, part 3 ]

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking of calling our contact at the forno to see how everything had been going - since we’d heard back in January they were going to contact us to let us know when we could come and watch the final tiles being made and fired. But also since we’ve been under pretty hard lockdown again, I figured that the process would be going a bit slower. However, the very next day we received a photo from him with the full stack of finished tiles completed with a note saying that we could come and pick them up whenever we wanted.

out of the oven packaged and ready

When we arrived he showed us around and went over what they’d done (since we weren’t able to come this time and help) and then invited us to come another time if we wanted to try our hand at some of it ourselves. He’d carefully packaged all of the tiles and helped us load them up in the car.

I told him that I’d be looking to commission a couple of large-scale outdoor potters as well and would let them know if I needed any more of these specific tiles as well. So he kept the original mold he’d made just in case, but said that when I knew for sure that I wouldn’t need any more then he’d give me the mold as well. It’s so beautiful on its own that it will definitely have a place hanging on the wall of the house somewhere as well.

Now it’s to mounting these up in the bathroom niche where they belong!

a tale of tile - pt.3

Erin Lewis — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 13:07:39 +0000

It’s been a while since I last wrote about the handmade tiles, but in these next installments of the ‘tales of tiles’ posts there are some exciting updates as now we have the finished products in hand.

If you’re just catching up, you can read here in part 1 about the inspiration I took from an ancient Etruscan vase from this part of Italy, made a pattern, and decided on the material to be used. Then here in part 2, how the pattern was simplified and made into a 3D form that the ceramist could work with, before dropping everything off at the forno (oven) to wait for them to be made and fired.

All of that was back in December when we were heading into the stricter lockdowns over the holidays. And, unfortunately, our area has continued to remain in lockdown ever since, so January was also a bit slower with the progress. But during that time the final wooden mold was made and a test run was complete with some samples in the oven.

The forno factory is a large warehouse just next to a natural hill of Umbrian clay. It’s been the same family working at this spot for generations and he told us that this natural mound (around 20 meters high) of deposited clay (perhaps from when the rivers and waters moved and dried up from this area…as this entire area used to be completely underwater millennia ago) began to be used around the 1200s and at that time it was over 25 kilometers long. Now there is just about 50 meters left and it is right outside the factory windows.

outside seeing the clay mound stack of custom tiles for the ferragamo family

They quarry, in a way, this raw clay, and with earth-movers bring it the short distance into the warehouse where they spread it out onto the floor to dry. These floors are heated to 40 celsius (which along with the large kiln makes for a cozy place to work in the winters) which helps to dry out the clay. Then it’s moved again just out back to where there is a grinding mill which pulverizes the clay to a fine powder and removes any impurities. This then is brought back in to be added to water to create workable batch sizes for them when they use the simple molds and create tiles. Besides the little trucks to help move the loads of clay around, as well as the kiln, everything else here is done completely by hand. It’s such a pure craft and so easy to imagine the same process going on for thousands of years here in the same place.

They’d showed us around a bit when we first came to ask about firing the votiva I’d made, and then for this process during the tile-making they explained even more to us each time as they could tell we’d really taken an interest. The main artisan that we’ve been working closely with told us that they normally don’t do such detailed, bespoke projects (which are on a super small scale) but that we “were really nice people”, seemed interested, and he liked the idea behind the project!

He even told us that we could come over if we ever wanted to try it out on our own.

…which I must say, I’m tempted to do sometime. We’ll see.

wall of molds carving my custom mold

Back in January he’d sent us photos of the wooden mold he constructed to scale, then a video of them making the first few samples. I was so excited to get these small updates and it made me look forward to when we’d see the final products…

to be continued…