Villa Amurée

Subdued Modern Italian

Contemporary geometry defines this sun-soaked villa for rent in Italy, shining from its classic Puglian landscape in a sea of twisting olive trees. The dark-bottomed swimming pool offsets the villa’s vivid white exterior walls and inside, the home is a more muted modern affair, still angular and modern, but with spare, stylized furnishings, warm wood cabinetry and a dusty natural color palette in dove greys and velvety browns.

A muted, natural villa created for indoor-outdoor living, this Puglian getaway avoids the glitz and saturated colors more typical of modern Italian vacation homes. Serene and simple, its sophistication lies in its soft neutral color palette of chocolate, sand, and greys and its light-filled picture windows with views of the home’s landscaped beds and bright, whitewashed exterior.

Sharp and angular, the villa dominates its gated lot, its geometric structure softened by the landscape dotted with flowers, fragrant shrubs and tufted grasses. An ancient olive orchard surrounds the property, creating a juxtaposition of old and new, and prickly paddle and other cacti line beds, casting shadows on the whitewashed walls. 

Inside, the mood is spare and serene, with concrete floors, minimalist furnishings, and unfussy décor. Three double bedrooms all open outdoors to private walled courtyards with alfresco showers. The contemporary eat-in kitchen and dining room open outwards to a dining pergola equipped with a barbecue and custom-built marble slab table. Further afield, the glinting midnight waters of the sundrenched swimming pool contrast with its bright marble pool deck, and glimpses of the sea in the distance are possible from the comfort of shaded sunbeds and sling chairs.

AROUND

Located only steps from the heart of the Valle d’Itria’s famed magical white village of Ostuni, the home is a great base for exploring the region. The crystalline waters of the Adriatic Sea and its rock-studded, coved beaches are only a quick five-minutes away. The nature reserve of Torre Guaceto offers another place to soak up the Italian sunshine, and nearby the lively port towns of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli are worth visiting. 

The region is famed for its dry stacked, conical trulli homes, formerly agricultural storage units that today stand mostly as fairytale getaways dotting the hilly rural landscape. The trulli are concentrated in and around Alberobello, a UNESCO-classified location that’s a quick trip away. Other picturesque villages of note nearby include Cisternino and Locorotondo.

LOCATION

Ostuni, Valle d’Itria, Puglia, Italy. Nearest airport: Brindisi (40km), Bari (100km).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October