Ispra, Varese, Lombardy, Italy

A villa with a refined interior, surrounded by a park with English-style lawns and 17th-century statues reflected in the still waters of a neoclassical swimming pool. The sumptuousness of the Louis Philippe mirror, the late 18th-century gilded console and the crystal chandelier make the entrance hall the representative room par excellence. The atmosphere softens as one passes into the living room, furnished with Louis XVI armchairs and soft sofas placed around the late 18th-century fireplace. Wide carpets cover the original brick floor while embroidered curtains and antique lace make the ambience more intimate. A bow-window furnished with a 19th-century English table and Direttorio-style chairs offers a view of the charming dining area and garden. A door decorated with colourful mosaics leads into the bright kitchen paved in pink Perlino marble and gathered around a fireplace with 18th-century marble. Frescoed and stucco-decorated ceilings dominate the bedrooms on the first floor, furnished with antiques, paintings and accessorised by large fireplaces. A true work of art, the master bathroom uses shades of pink, from the red Verona marble floor to the Venetian wall basin. The life-size frescoed Birth of Venus, together with the presence of other pieces of furniture, make it a true 'salle de bains' of yesteryear. The atmosphere is maintained in the mansard attic where the rooms, furnished with 20th-century wrought-iron beds and dominated by exposed wooden beams, are romantic and charming.