Mark and Sara have always had a passion for everything Italian and, during one of their yearly holidays, made the life-changing decision to move to Italy permanently. They found a barn in need of complete restoration and took the plunge.

This stunning property is in the quiet town of Alfiano Natta, in the Monferrato region of northern Italy. With sweeping rural views, it is located a ten-minute drive from Moncalvo, Italy’s smallest city. Join us as we find out more about their renovation and go behind the scenes.

Beautiful Period Barn

When Mark and Sara purchased the barn, they knew a great deal of restoration work was needed. They hired professional builders to undertake most of the work, but also got involved directly, learning new skills along the way. DIY projects soon became part of their new life in Italy.

The garden borders a small vineyard of Nebbiolo grapes and a peach farm. Sara developed the garden and created a vegetable patch for enjoying fruit and vegetables throughout the year. She has also become a dab hand at homemade chutney, which she gifts to local neighbours.

“Moving to a new country to make a home and livelihood was quite daunting, but thanks to the kindness and generosity of the local people, we are now happily embedded in Italian life.”

Period Features

The barn dates from around 1800, although nobody knows its exact history. Many original features were saved and restored during the renovation, alongside some fascinating discoveries.

Vaulted Brick Ceilings

The vaulted brick ceilings were an incredible find and, thankfully, were successfully saved and restored. The bricks first had to be sandblasted and then protected. They had been blackened by years of smoke from the open fire.

After some research, Sara discovered that the fireplace had been used to cook passata, a traditional tomato sauce for ragù.

Once the ceilings had been restored, the next nerve-racking process was installing the staircase. A section of the ceiling needed to be removed to create access, and there was a possibility that the whole ceiling could be brought down. Thankfully, this was also a huge success.

Rustic Doors

The original ledge and brace doors were another successful restoration project. They were refurbished and fitted with new latches and handles. Sara wanted to retain the rustic look as much as possible and chose Suffolk Latch Company’s traditional thumb latches and pull handles.

Hand-forged black beeswax ironmongery is ideal for antique doors and helps retain an authentic period finish.

Brick Walls and Secret Finds

To complement the rustic country style, Sara and Mark wanted to retain as many exposed internal brick walls as possible. As the original bricks were old, they needed cleaning, restoring and protecting from future deterioration.

To give the best protection, the walls were insulated externally. In Italy, this method is known as a “coat”, where insulation panels are fitted to the outside of the house to protect the original brickwork.

When restoring old properties, there are always surprising finds, whether that is a tiled floor beneath old carpet or a fireplace behind a boarded wall. For Sara and Mark, there were many architectural discoveries, but the most exciting were those that told a story about the history of the barn.

On one wall, they found children’s height markers, clearly left by a family who had once lived there. In the air bricks, Sara found lollipop sticks with secret messages on them, possibly written by those same children.

Beneath what is now the open-plan living room, the builders discovered a deep hole and were unsure of its original purpose. Further investigation was inconclusive, but Sara believes it may have been a Second World War hiding place.

Making a Home

Mark and Sara were keen to make the rooms inviting and relaxing, combining modern comforts with the history of the property. We asked which room was their favourite.

“The main bedroom suite is probably my favourite,” Sara said, “because the view from there has never been seen. There was a wall where now there are French windows.”

Mark prefers the terrace, which becomes an outdoor room during the spring and summer months, with unspoilt views towards nearby hilltop towns and the sounds of nature drifting through the air.

Renovation Tips

After being hands-on throughout the building work, Sara and Mark have gathered some useful renovation tips to share:

• Before painting internal walls, use a breathable, transparent undercoat. This can reduce the number of top coats required and help lower the overall cost.
• Invest in good-quality insulation for the floor, walls and roof. It may be invisible, but it can repay its cost many times over through reduced heating bills.
• Keep builders focused on completing your project before they take on another one. Once their attention is divided, a renovation can easily take longer.
• Carry out as much research and decision-making as possible before the builders start. Making decisions as work progresses can slow the project down.

Stay at No. 18 Holiday Home

Sara and Mark have transformed their renovation into a holiday home so they can share their new lifestyle with visitors. For more information about No. 18 Casa di Campagna and current availability, follow @stay_at_no.18 on Instagram.

We hope you enjoyed this holiday home edition of House Tours. For more renovation inspiration, new product updates and customer home projects, follow @suffolklatchcompany on Instagram.

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