Inspiration in Italy

Design is an important part of who we are and we are always on the look-out for inspiration. On a recent trip to Italy, our Creative Director, Julie Wilson Dyer Gough, explored the gardens of Villa Lante at Bagnaia, the streets of Rome, Villa Farnesina on the Tiber River and the lemon tree filled fields of Positano to find inspiration for our houses.

One building which captured Julie’s interest was the magnificent Villa Agostino Chigi in Rome. Dating back to 1510, it was designed by Sienese Baldassarre Peruzzi and decorated with frescoes by great artists as Raphael and Sebastiano del Piombo. While walking around the villa, Julie was inspired by the extraordinary ceiling murals featuring detailed garlands of flowers, fruit and foliage. The exquisite range of flowers, colours and depictions of nature in the frescos are something Julie is keen to imitate in how we design and decorate our houses - in our choice of antiques, materials and crockery.

Take a look at some of the pictures which inspired her.