Enchanted by the "wild dogs and unrestored, decaying palazzos" of Lecce, a historic city in Puglia, Italy, fashion designer Liza Bruce and her husband, artist Nicholas Alvis Vega, saw the potential in a decaying bungalow and decided to set about transforming it into a vacation hideout, one they could visit regularly from their home base in London. The result, featured in this month's Elle Decor, is nothing short of spectacular, with gleaming, airy rooms punctuated with Moroccan rugs, kente cloths, Uzbekistani ikats, hand-carved Ethiopian furniture (there's "as little furniture as possible" and some clever built-ins), art and pillows of Alvis Vega's making, and many pieces from Kenya, where he grew up. Overall, the interiors are an effective lesson in introducing color and pattern to a spare, clean-lined slate—embracing modernity while pooh-poohing the crazy-stark white box. Below, take a tour.
· House Tour: An Eclectic Home on the Adriatic Coast [Elle Decor]
· All The Printed Page posts [Curbed National]