The popular ideal of a Lake Como getaway invariably involves its unbearably scenic shores bristling with sprawling manses.
The 4.5-acre Villa Peduzzi, bookable through design house specialsts Welcome Beyond, stakes the literal high ground with a perch 881m above lake level and breath-catching views of corrugated green-cloaked hills and limpid blue.
With admirable restraint, Singapore-based Studio Daminato realigned the footprint of the original Liberty Style family villa – built in 1909 for the Italian engineer Rocco Peduzzi on the foundations of a medieval watchtower – into an elegant retreat whose suite of rooms and public spaces, including eight creamy-hued bedrooms and yoga studio, have been furnished in oak, hand-woven textiles of hemp, silk, wool and jute, and linen wall panels.
Diversions include a private chef who whips up Italian fare alongside a broad L-shaped infinity pool, but in the unlikely event of cabin-fever, a funicular descends to a private Axopar 28 Brabus boat for lake-side excursions.
ADDRESS
Via alla Villa 6
Pigra
Lake Como
-
'A love letter to the city': Mecca Melbourne opens in Art Deco buildingAustralian beauty brand Mecca just opened the doors to its new Melbourne store, with a stunning renovation of a historical Art Deco building by Studio McQualter
-
Will this be the world’s largest airport? Construction begins on King Salman International Airport, open by 2030Foster + Partners starts construction on its latest project, the expansion of an airport in Saudi Arabia, which could handle up to 100 million travellers a year
-
Be at one with nature at this bucolic luxury lodge in New ZealandFollowing a year-long renovation, the storied Huka Lodge in Taupō reopens its doors with a fresher, more contemporary edge, still attuned to its surroundings
-
At this elegant new aparthotel in Florence, local living is done rightThis Time Tomorrow offers bespoke itineraries and neoclassical interiors that echo the city’s layered soul
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
Il Sereno’s new Listening Suite is what phonophiles’ dreams are made ofDesigned by Patricia Urquiola and Il Sereno founder and audiophile Luis Contreras, the new Lake Como-facing suite unites Japanese listening culture with Italian design
-
Inside Belmond’s most exclusive holiday villa yet, a lavish Ligurian palazzoOnce the theatre of lavish parties, Villa Beatrice is now a palatial haven of seclusion with easy access to Portofino’s Splendido, a Belmond hotel
-
The most stylish hotel takeovers to pop up at this summerFrom Capri to Ibiza, luxury fashion brands are taking over seaside resorts with exclusive boutique pop-ups and bespoke poolside accessories
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to PugliaThe pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in CapriPatricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
