Private Tuscany - Softcover

McBride, Simon; Minchilli, Elizabeth Helman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0952766574 ISBN 13: 9780952766575

Publisher: Scriptum Editions, 2002

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216 pages, lavishly illustrated throughout

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Review:

Tuscany's hill towns and countryside have enthralled inhabitants and visitors for centuries--the golden light in the afternoons, the grape arbours and rolling hillsides dotted with rustic farmhouses and villas.Private Tuscany invites us into these dwellings, giving us a glimpse of how life is lived in this warm, inviting place.

The homes featured in this gorgeous volume are as enchanting as the Tuscan towns and hillsides they're built on. Many embody a style we've come to associate with Tuscany: Dark-timbered kitchens with dried herbs and garlic ropes hung from the rafters, original terra cotta tile floors, large-windowed living rooms and artfully frescoed walls. There are centuries-old furnishings crafted by skilled Italian artisans and elegantly manicured gardens containing hidden grottoes and classical statuary. But the homes also reflect the special touches of the people who occupy them. For instance, a theatre lover displays his exquisite collection of miniature theatres in the salon. The daughter of a villa owner paints traditional murals on the walls and mosaic patterns on the floors.

Simon McBride's photographs skilfully capture the magic of these Tuscan homes and feature a variety of residences, from simple farmhouses to grand villas and palaces. The book's four chapters divide the homes into types: Rustic, classic, grand and modern. An index at the back serves as an introduction to Tuscany's pleasures, providing contact information for sampling the region's wine and produce, fine dining, hotels and houses, gardens and crafts.

Several of the homeowners featured in Private Tuscany have gone to painstaking lengths to restore these buildings after decades, or even centuries, of neglect. The results, from the simplest farmhouse kitchen to an elaborately frescoed dining room, are breathtaking. --Kris Law

About the Author:

Simon McBride has been photographing gardens and interiors for over two decades, working regularly for Architectural Digest, Country Living, and House & Garden, among many others. To date, he has completed commissions for more than thirty books.

Elizabeth Helman Minchilli is a seasoned arts and interiors writer, contributing to Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and House & Garden. She is the author of Private Rome.

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