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[Oznell]

Do you remember Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, an American who married British aristocrat Luke Montagu?  She was one of TV's "Ladies of London".

Her backstory is, that she was an American single mother with two children ( Emma and Jack) living in London, when she met Luke. They married, and had two more kids, William and Nestor.  This photo is a few years old-- I think the two oldest are in their 20's now and the youngest are teenagers--

All of a sudden, there she was, the mistress of Mapperton, their huge 'pile' in Dorset.  It's a fabulous repository of history.

But I love the little Italian house in Fivizzano, Tuscany that she bought and has renovated, top to bottom.  It's finally done!

It's right on the street, in Italian village fashion, and has wonderful rooftop views.

She had a budget, and had heard that real estate in this part of northern Tuscany was less expensive. She also wanted a base for her kids, some of whom like skiing, and some of whom like the beach.  And this town was within reach of both!

Rooftop terrace, how lucky--

The kitchen is the one room still being worked on.  Here's how it looked during reno:

And now!

Carrera marble countertops, and that lovely sage on the cupboards...  Pretty contrasting tile. 

It's so 'European'.   Love the long table, which is their dining area.  Then, there's a little bistro table over by the window, where you could gaze out and have breakfast...

She said the hood is stark white, b/c it hasn't been painted yet to match the walls.  Her husband picked up the antique plate right in Fivizzano--  perfect touch.

The comfy couch in this long, narrow room, makes the kitchen a great place to hang out.

Her hand-made plates had just arrived, with their rustic rooster motif, in different colors, so she was thrilled.

Love her glassware too, in green, blue and smoke gray, which she shows in the video as having little raised bees on the glasses... 

She did a huge amount of the reno herself, flying over from England on odd weekends to get things done--

She and her 16 year old, Nestor, painted the stairs, and put down the sisal runner for a warm look--

The smalllish living room opens right off the street, and is mostly furnished with antiques and flea market finds.

The recessed area on the left, was the subject of much discussion of what to do with it.  She knew she wanted to keep the original old chestnut beam. She also had to have a place to put the TV for the kids, so she had a substantial chestnut shelf put below, with the TV on it.

Old wrought iron candlestand--

I love this weathered antique day bed she found, and her choice of a ticking material for the main cushion, with antique fabrics on the other cushions....

I think she said the sturdy blue-ish couch was Ikea, one of the few non-antique items!

Off the living room, there's a corridor leading to the bathroom, and the combo laundry / powder room.  She had the slim console made to not crowd the narrow space. Love her found sconces, and art work....

The bathroom has a wonderfully vintage feeling with the mirror and beautiful old sconces she found--

On the second floor, the airy boys' bed room has antique beds, pretty blue and green linens, and old maps.  Soft moss green on the lower walls.  The tiny narrow pillows have fragrant herbs....

The master has a soft, old rose on the lower walls, and more great paintings and antiques--

And incredible Fivizzano right outside the window!

I love the restraint, the modesty, yet gaiety of this little house.  It's not trying to prove anything, but is filled with old things that resonate with the owners.

I imagine it is a calming respite from the all the "bigness" and all the weight of history, at Mapperton, lovely as that is!  Apparently it has been quite an effort on the part of the Montagus to keep something like that big ancestral house still going, in the 21st century.  They've had to hustle!

And now they have the little house in Tuscany, in which to unwind, and sip coffee on the roof top....

[AZfem]

I do remember Julie from "Ladies of London".  Didn't she create a gift shop & tours for Mapperton to subsidize the upkeep of the estate?

Her Italian house is very cute & cosy. I like she added green to her kitchen cabinets instead of the all white so prevalent in kitchen decor today. 

Her rooster plates are adorable & I like that they have different colored roosters on each plate.  If someone sets their plate down, they can recognize which is theirs by the color. 

[jannabelle1]

Wonderful tour of the little house in Tuscany! Thank you, @Oznell .

[We rescue cats]

What a wonderful, unpretentious house that is a comfy home. Thank you!!!

[nwbabs]

Yes @Oznell, I do remember Julie from Ladies of London. She is a very enterprising young woman. Bless her! Thank you for posting this update and all the pictures. 

[Puzzle Piece]

Beatiful house and lovely family.  

[shoptilyadropagain]

It's very charming but wouldn't be something for me, personally.  I don't remember her but LoL was not a show that I watched with any regularity.  

[DREAMON]

What a perfect get away retreat for Julie and her family. 

I love that it is the total opposite of her Grand Estate.

If I remember correctly the other girls were jealous of Julie because she was not born in England yet had acquired so much.

[spiderw]

It's a lovely spacious home in a beautiful area, stunning views.  However, for me the antiques and art work are the standouts and eye catchers in the house.  

[stevieb]

Think I'd probably prefer the 'pile' in Dorset, though an Italian pied a terre is never a bad thing, even if I'm not actually swooning over this one...