This Tuscan farmhouse in the Sienese Clays was renovated by the Italian firm Ciclostile Architettura. Historically, the three-story house served as an agricultural building with apartments upstairs, but, today, it is a unified home. The updated design makes use of traditional elements such as brick, stone, and woodwork while adding clay pavement and steel for support and variation. The blend of materials and shapes brings more texture to the already-rich architecture.

Altogether, the effect is rustic yet soothing when spread out across spacious rooms such as the ground-floor spa and upper-level bedrooms and common areas. The diverse components work within a natural palette of gray and brown, which heightens the sense of warmth and belonging. Photography by Fabio Mantovani

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Holly

Holly is a poet from Kentucky. She grew up first in a Sears house, then on a farm. She studied English and Gender Studies at Mount Holyoke College and moved to Manhattan for love. As an occasional jewelry-maker and museum patron, Holly favors wearable and functional design but is eager to see work that challenges her aesthetics. Read more and connect by visiting her blog, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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