Constructed in traditional Tuscan style without wood or nails, the Casali farmhouses are being created using indigenous building materials reclaimed from the property’s ruins, including ancient stone, traditional terra cotta roof tiles, Murano glass and Carrara marble. Stylish features lend a traditional Italian air, such as barrel-vaulted and exposed-beam ceilings, wood-burning outdoor fireplaces, and Italian-tiled swimming pools. Rich reds, sage greens, and warm golds: each Casale will be personalized with its own custom color scheme, utilizing warm complementary textures and local Italian fabrics, including leather chairs surrounding each fireplace. Additionally, the restored Casali will be outfitted with local antiques – such as farmhouse dining room tables and hand-painted chests – all of which were carefully purchased throughout Tuscany.
Every detail will be looked after, from the patio furniture on each Casale's private courtyard, to the bathroom sinks hand-made from local Carrara marble, to the Bisazza tiles lining the pools and bathrooms.Inside, each Casale villa has its own custom style, dressed up with an individual array of antique and contemporary Tuscan-style furnishings, fabrics and amenities. Created by the J. Banks Design Group of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and Showcase Designs of Carbondale, Colorado, Castello di Casole’s Casali might best be described as “Tuscan rustic,” highlighted by the burnished hues of the countryside and comfortable, quality furnishings.
Rich tones of red, orange, yellow, gold, azure and sage green create a warm, textured and welcoming backdrop on sofa pillows, upholstery, carpeting, hand-made cashmere throw rugs, draperies, and hand-painted refrigerators with wood paneled doors. Housewares including local pottery, ceramics, breadboards and apothecary jars cast a rural air, while each Casale has terra cotta pots outside the doorways planted with mini-gardens of herbs and local flowers.
The interior designers for all of the Casali have been combing the countryside as they seek out authentic antique furnishings, as well as arranging prescient purchases through Italian manufacturers. The Parma Antique Fair has yielded its share of the former, while a local antique dealer has supplied kitchen and dining room tables, kitchen islands, cabinets, hutches, hand-painted bed frames and armoires, and iron bed headboards.
Among Italian vendors of new and original details are L’Origine (beds and leather chairs); Patina (headboards, bed frames, painted furniture); Artitalia (handmade wood furniture in traditional styles); Rubelli (fabrics); Callatini (hand-painted beds); Gianfranco Ballerini (refrigerators); and Peitrus 5 (lamps). Frette sheets will grace all the beds, topped with Bagni Volpi duvets. Intimate touches such as cozy libraries and wood-burning fireplaces surrounded by leather chairs will be standard features in each Casale. Bathrooms are being crafted from white Carrara marble, the same quarry Michaelangelo carved from, and high-end mosaic tile from Bisazza is being used on most bathroom floors and outdoor pools.
Aside from the traditionalism of Castello di Casole’s Casali farmhouses, the property’s Mendini suites will be enthusiastically modern in design. Renowned for pushing the edge of contemporary design, the suites’ architects, brothers Alessandro and Francesco Mendini, have a tidy bedroom, sitting room and full-bath space to work with, as well as the creative license to do whatever they so desire with their design.
