Lakeside Villa
“Not only did the Fervidus White team deliver what we wanted at each stage of the project, but they put their whole heart and soul into it. They got as excited as we did!”
SF – Surrey
What was the client brief?
Before contacting us, this client had spent a substantial amount of time fruitlessly searching for property in Ligure. They had a young family and were looking for a second home in Italy, with a minimum of four bedrooms, a private waterfront and easy access to international airports. We recommended Lake Como for its proximity to Milan Malpensa Airport, easy travelling distance from UK and high quality lakeside property.
What is the history of the property?
The property we found appeared unprepossessing at first glance: 1960’s build; no traditional character; poor use of land and illegal annexes. However, it also included part of Lake Como so was perfect for creating a pontoon. And it had fabulous views, the possibility of huge windows opening out onto the lake and, with a little imagination and the right skills, the grounds had great potential too.
Design elements
It was essential to blend outdoor and indoor space to give the property much needed originality and character. We also created a sleek, modern kitchen with an emphasis on clean lines and reflective glass to work with the property’s wonderful light. Large, patio-style windows with internal blinds were another important design feature. And to complement the lakeside pontoon and spectacular views we built a dramatic outdoor pool and sun deck.
What challenges did we need to overcome?
Our main challenge was to redesign the house and switch the focus from a relatively characterless construction to its stunning location and open aspect, wonderful light, airy rooms and great outdoor space, on land and water. We also had to apply for retrospective planning permission for the property’s annexes so they could be incorporated, legally, into our redesign
What were the project timescales?
The transformation from featureless 1960s’ property into a stunning lakeside family home took a total of 14 months, including landscaping the unusual terraced grounds and installing the pool and deck. However, most time was taken up waiting for planning permission and the right lake level to build a pontoon, so in reality the construction work only took four months.