Cocotrullo

Rural Regeneration: A Design-Forward, Four-Room, Trulli-to-B&B Transformation

A cluster of conical shelters dismantled and reassembled with respect for rural tradition and a passion for contemporary styling, this dazzling Apulian outpost puts a vivid new twist on the timeless trulli home classic.

Vividly redesigned by an architecture and design journalist and her entrepreneur husband, this transformed trulii compound takes the cone-topped stone shelters to hip new heights. The exuberant redesign plays with lighting, both natural and decorative, including a brilliant zenith skylight filling the top of one cone, neon accents and designer lamps by Elise Fouin for Petite Friture in one room, as well as a giant picture-windowed addition with views across the olive and almond groves.

Beds in all rooms are custom designed by the owner. Textural botanical décor and bright textile prints amp up the complex’s sunny rural sensibility. And bathrooms are full of decorative inspiration, from mirrors made with scraps of designer fabric to one-of-a-kind lamps, to large showers.

The rooms share the Pensatoio, a limestone-floored lounge area with an art installation, "Butterfly," by Camilla Castaldo, and the Cocotrullo Kitchen, a multi-function open space with a stainless steel prep island, with stools and bamboo sliding doors to close off the pantry. There's also a shared reflective infinity pool and hot tub, deck and artfully updated original farmyard that reframes the enchanting agricultural storages as a contemporary estate.

Experiences

Breakfast is included. Optional add-on experiences include yoga and massage sessions with essential oils/aromatics from the garden, cooking classes on Apulian cuisine from orrechiette to favas in pignata, classic Itrian willow and olive basket-weaving instruction, and private in-home chef service.

Additional information

Services included are WiFi, central heating, washing machine, laundry service, garden maintenance, private parking, pool cleaning, daily cleaning (bedrooms and bathrooms), change of bed linen and towels every four days (daily linen change on request), and final cleaning.

Rooms

Ostuni Casedda: A soft, architectural space modulated by the zenith light that penetrates from above, atop the trullo's cone, this white, bright room is offset by contrasts and pops of designer colors. The bathroom is full of vivid decor, from mirrors made with scraps of designer fabric to lamps, to a large shower.

Cippone: A botanically themed room enhanced by Livio de Simone designer fabric as a decorative panel on the custom-designed four-poster bed, as well as vintage wicker details. The bathroom has been refurbished with new lime on its original patina, with a shower built inside a classic trullo cone. The nest-shaped chandelier was created by the artist Paola Morra.

Culumbara: An exuberant space with an oversized four-poster bed, designed by the owner. A circular neon sign in the Apulian dialect traces the property's roots, and the bathroom was created as a detached volume, a monolithic design that leads inside the classic circular architecture of the trulli. A final touch: the balloon-like Grillo lamps by Elise Fouin for Petite Friture.

Cabana: A decidedly contemporary space designed for avid stargazers, this minivan melds with the landscape, immersed in Apulian nature.

Around

A cool rural oasis, the trulli compound was discovered by its owners as they ambled the Apulian countryside. Bewitched by the rural architecture and vistas, they created their place to serve as a base for exploring the region’s many seductions, from the storybook charms of small nearby villages to the area’s dual coastlines, with beaches skimming both the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. 

Cisternino and Locortondo’s narrow streets make them two nearby favorites. The neighboring white villages of Ostuni and Alberobello also offer historical architecture, flower-filled streets and piazzi, plus lively artisanal traditions, cafes, and boutiques. Baroque-era Martino Franco presents an elegant architectural diversion from the iconic trulli-dotted hills, with its Doge’s Palace, Basilica, Collegiate Church and University Palace. Seekers of unique things artisanal will appreciate the potters’ studios of Grottaglie and the vegetable gardens and creative kitchens that put Ceglie Messapica on the map, while more noble architecture can be experienced in lesser known Francavilla Fontana, known as the “City of the Imperials” for its 15th-century Castello degli Orsini del Balzo and its Baroque-era loggia. The well-heeled port villages of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli aren’t too far away, and the beaches along the Adriatic Sea and Ionian bay between Italy’s boot heel and toe are a bit further afield, offering abundant sands for splashing and sunning.

Location

Contrada Cinera, Ostuni, Puglia, Italy. Nearest airport: Brindisi (20 miles)

Best time to visit

April to November