6 min readJenny and Dave Marrs have gone international. Their most ambitious project yet is a centuries-old villa in the Tuscan countryside known as Campo Sasso, which means “the rocky field” in Italian. The name is fitting, considering the pair faced a series of obstacles while renovating the historic property overseas. But despite a language barrier, unfamiliar processes, flight anxiety, limited on-site trips, and a lack of sleep, the pair didn’t back down.
The property is a former sharecropping home for a monastery. It's currently owned by Rebecca Christopherson Gouttenoire and Pierre Gouttenoire, who purchased the villa for around €800,000 ($858,000). They enlisted their longtime friends, the Marrses, to transform it into a vacation rental using the rest of their savings. With an initial budget of €400,000 ($435,000) and a seven-month timeline, the husband-and-wife duo behind HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous got to work.
Since the Marrses aren’t licensed contractors in Italy, they teamed up with the Florence-based architect André Benaim and project manager Sofia Lalli of Studio Benaim to draw plans, help with permits, and keep the project on track while the Marrses were back home in Bentonville, Arkansas. Local builders were brought on to carry out major updates. The villa, which has good bones made of concrete and stone, needed an overhaul to maximize functionality and appeal. The former stables were turned into a spacious kitchen with ample storage. New terra-cotta and olive wood flooring was installed. Additional windows were created to let in more natural light and reveal countryside views. An en suite was designed for each of the three bedrooms. The Marrses even built a shed for the owners’ sheep.
Bringing the vision to life meant the Marrses had to build their networks from scratch. "In America, if I need something, I've got a subcontractor that I can call,” Dave explains. “I've got a shop that I can go build something in. I know where to get the products I need to get the job done. In Italy, I knew none of that. I was reliant on other people."
It was the same for Jenny. "I couldn't ship lights from my normal sources here in America because they wouldn't be compatible," she explains, noting that she eventually found some trustworthy vendors within the owners' tight budget through word of mouth.
To pay homage to the building’s history and surroundings, the Marrses tapped local craftspeople. “Everything we got for the house was handmade, from the windows to the doors, so nothing's mass-produced,” Dave says. “It's really cool.”
The home’s showpieces are the cheese and wine cellars. The owners specifically requested a cheese cellar, with plans to host tastings and sell it in their Florence-based cheese shop Formaggioteca Terroir. To weave in more Italian tradition, the Marrses constructed a wine storage room with a hole for keeping special bottles and a wine window just beyond it for handing out glasses with gracious pours.
Now, the three-bedroom, four-bathroom retreat is ready to welcome guests who want to embrace slow travel and immerse themselves in the local culture. “Not a lot of people can say, ‘I've taken a centuries-old villa in Italy and helped to restore it,’” Dave says. “There were so many days where we were just exhausted, but it was a really amazing experience.”
Jenny agrees, adding that she appreciated the creative challenge. “You get sort of stuck in a rut when you're doing the same thing over and over and over, which we've been doing for so long. I mean, every house is different. Every house is unique, but you just sort of are like, ‘Okay, I need a little bit of creative inspiration.’ And this project was so challenging, but in a good way. We lived outside of our comfort zone the entire time.”
Another international stint isn't out of the question. Dave says, “People always ask, ‘Would you do it again?’ Absolutely, I would. I'd go to another country and do it. I would do it again in Italy. There was bad, but there was so much more good.”
CHEESE ROOM
The unique space features a tasting room and aging cave.
Creating a cheese cellar was a first for the Marrses. "We're always trying to get rid of moisture in basements, and this was actually reintroducing moisture so you can promote mold to grow to age the cheese," Dave says. "But you have to do it where you don't affect the rest of the structure."
The resulting space can hold up to 40,000 pounds of cheese. Depending on the variety, that could be $50,000 of cheese. Along with the cellar, the Marrses also created a tasting room and cheese preparation station near it.
KITCHEN
Simple cabinetry lets materiality sing.
The 210-square-foot kitchen, which was Jenny's favorite room to transform, used to be a former stable. Part of the original stone walls in the kitchen were left bare to form built-in art that stands out against a white, plaster-covered interior.
Marble for the kitchen counters came from the same quarry in Carrara where famed Italian artist Michelangelo sourced material to sculpt the David. Matte black Smeg appliances add contrast without weighing down the room, while terra-cotta flooring and casement windows complete the luxurious yet cozy space.
LIVING ROOM
Planked ceilings and exposed beams bring rustic charm.
Handmade terra-cotta tile flooring and a pellet stove warm up the living room. A soothing color palette of neutrals and earth tones creates a calm, welcoming environment.
New windows with integrated seating ensure guests can enjoy the expansive countryside views. Built-in bookshelves hold extra blankets, books, and delightful decor.
DINING ROOM
An oversized table invites long, lingering meals.
The dining room exists right off the main entrance and includes an unexpected nook with a sink, courtesy of the room's previous function as the villa's kitchen. The welcoming atmosphere is heightened by an original fireplace, new terra-cotta flooring, and hand-painted tiles with olive tree-inspired motifs made by a local artisan.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
A vaulted ceiling creates an airy, restorative atmosphere.
A custom bed made of olive wood and built by Dave stands out in the primary bedroom. The team restored the original herringbone floors, and the vaulted ceiling overhead boasts antique wood beams.
LIVING ROOM
A terra-cotta tub nods to a common material found in the area.
The Marrs' favorite item in the home is the terra-cotta bathtub, which had to be brought into the villa through the window. "The bathtub is literally a work of art," Dave says. "[It came] from a company in Tuscany that has been making terra-cotta tiles, vases, and tubs since the 1700s. So it was the eighth generation of the same family owning it, and they really value craftsmen."
The family-owned company only makes 11 tubs per year, and Dave and Jenny ended up purchasing one for their own home as a souvenir. “I was like, ‘I have to have this,’ and designed our new bathroom around the tub,” Jenny says.
A double vanity, made from a desk the duo found at the Arezzo Antiques Fair, and a spacious shower with handmade tile complete the en suite.
BEDROOM
Vintage finds add layers of patina and nod to the home’s past life.
In this guest suite, Dave turned old doors discovered in downtown Florence into a bed for a rustic touch.
BATHROOM
A floor mosaic hints at a bygone
Part of a cow trough in the former stable was turned into a floating vanity, allowing that piece of the villa's history to live on. Green, handmade tile in the shower creates a relaxed atmosphere.
WINE CELLAR
An essential addition for any vino lover.
Located off the kitchen, the wine room is inspired by Italian wine caves. The original stone, wine bottle storage hole, and wine window give the room an ancient feel. A custom table is ideal for intimate tastings.
PATIO
Historic olive trees add to the undeniable ambiance.
New blue shutters bring out the charm in the home’s stone exterior. An expansive table can sit over ten guests for long, lingering meals in the shade of nearby olive trees.
