Nothing is forever

‘Coming here was a childish dream I shared with my ex, but we didn’t realise how hard life in the Italian countryside could be. Ten years ago the house was a wreck.

My goal was to create an open, warm and low-maintenance home. In the end we created a kind of paradise, but along the way we grew apart, our marriage ended and he moved away. Now I live here with my sons Alexander and Sebastian and my new partner Rafaelle.’ Writes Ellie Fazan

It’s human to say that nothing is perfect. This is a big house to look after, so to make things easier I decided that my home style would be a little bit ‘falling down’. I don’t want to beat myself up over small imperfections. Space is the luxury here, not the things inside.

I have high ceilings, not expensive things. That’s the trade off I made. The house is minimal in style because we didn’t have any money when we decorated. We used to live in a small apartment in Amsterdam so being able to dry clothes outside is a luxury. We’re the sort of people who would be happy living under a bridge, but I’m glad we don’t have to.’