After purchasing a lot that offers sweeping vistas, Carol and Jack Mitchell dreamed up a Tuscan-inspired home and landscape. A pathway leading from a loggia to the pool is a treat to the senses, thanks to a mix of lavender varieties.

InstInctsNatural

Attention to detail and authenticity—right down to groves of olive trees—produces a home that embraces the laid-back lifestyle of Tuscany.

Photography by MICHAEL gArLAnd Produced by AndrEA CAUgHEY

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Ccarol and Jack Mitchell have an enviable dilemma: “We love our house so much, it’s hard to think about going on vacation,”

Carol says. With terra-cotta tile floors and rustic ceiling beams inside and gnarled olive trees and fragrant lavender outside, the home feels more like a farmhouse in Italy than new construction in California. The couple relied on their memories of trips to Tuscany for inspiration for the home. They recalled staying in old villas, savoring dinners outdoors among olive orchards, and the overall casual, comfortable feeling. “We didn’t want a formal house at all,” Carol says. “Tuscan style is so casual that it just seemed to fit us.” As long as they were choosing Tuscan, the Mitchells decided to do it right. “Authenticity was the general driver and our whole focus,” interior designer Aubrey Smiga says. That meant when it came to surfaces, lighting, and accessories, the more battered the better. “We used terms like grungy, chunky, and cruddy to describe what we were looking for,” Smiga says. “If it had grime on it and age on it, we embraced it.” The kitchen’s green backsplash tiles, for example, were uncovered in the hot, dusty attic of an antiques store where Smiga and the Mitchells sat on milk crates while they scrounged through boxes and wiped off grime to find their gems. “It really became the perfect partnership as we put on our adventurers’ hats to find the perfect pieces,” Smiga says. And when new components, such as doors and the kitchen island, seemed a little too perfect, workers simply roughed them up. Simplicity was also a key theme. “The overall look is clean, with broad expanses of simple, organic finishes,” Smiga says. In true Tuscan style, colors throughout the house are earthy—apricots, greens, yellows,

and browns. “We wanted a palette that reflected earth and sunshine,” she says. “We wanted to blur the line between the interior and the exterior.” Tall French doors achieve that goal, drawing the eye out and nature in. “You see the outside so well when you’re inside,” Carol says. “It’s like the outdoors is part of the house.” And the garden spaces are beautiful. Landscape designer Molly Wood transformed barren spots into lush areas that appear to have grown and evolved over generations. Italian cypresses balance the twisted trunks and gray foliage of olive trees, while lavender, rockrose, and rosemary release fragrances common to Italy. “All of the materials work together to create a seemingly effortless sea of texture and fragrance,” Wood says. Stone and pea gravel sitting areas and paths further heighten the European aesthetic and beckon to the couple to meander and relax. “The whole house, indoors and out, feels authentic and unforced,” Smiga says. “It’s just natural.”

OPPOSITE: White upholstered furnishings pop against the great-room’s reclaimed wood ceiling beams, apricot lime-washed walls,

and antique terra-cotta tile floor. “It’s sort of a light, summer spin on Tuscan style,” Carol says. ABOVE: Lemon trees, irises, and agave

enliven the courtyard-inspired front entrance. “I limited the plants here so they would be a

palate cleanser—a calm resting place before moving into the home,” landscape designer Molly Wood says. The carved stone framing

the door was fabricated in Europe.

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ABOVE: Century-old tiles, used below the range hood, inspired the kitchen’s bold color. The

island’s distressed look was achieved by painting over stained wood, then removing some of the

paint and putting gouges and dings in the wood. OPPOSITE: An antique English table stands up to

the scale of the great-room’s high ceiling.

THIS PHOTO: The family room’s understated decor follows the lead of the architecture, which includes unadorned fireplaces. “The draperies act as architectural columns; the flowy white linen panels keep the room from looking too decorated,” interior designer Aubrey Smiga says. OPPOSITE: A pergola plays off the ceiling beams inside while subtly enclosing the patio. A mirrored starburst made of old timbers tops the fireplace.

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“When people stop and notice the simple beauty in life, such as the shadows on a wall, I have done my job.”

—LAndSCApE dESIgnEr MoLLY Wood

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“The decor is understated. It’s not trying to be boastful or awe-inspiring. It’s rich in subtlety.” —InTErIor dESIgnEr AUbrEY SMIgA

OPPOSITE: Chunky timbers and an antique chandelier accentuate the sloped ceiling in a guest bedroom. “The interior architecture, such as the timbers, sets the tone for the Tuscan look,” Smiga says. “We used a whole package of very organic finishes.” ABOVE LEFT: A bench turns a graveled pass-through into a casual outdoor lounging area. Sunlight filtered through a bamboo-covered eyebrow awning casts interesting patterns on the exterior wall. ABOVE RIGHT: A row of old olive trees—there are 12 throughout the landscape—helps transform the property into a Tuscan-inspired haven. LEFT: old stones border the edges of a lap pool and a graveled sitting area, bringing old-world flair to the hilltop yard.