Sicilian WAY OF LIFE

With their 19th-century farmhouse tucked away in a lush, green garden, offering views of the majestic Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea, Carla and Simone could not have chosen a more idyllic spot in which to bring up their family

- CHANTAL HINTZE

A 1960s Pistillo lamp hangs next to a Renaissance portrait and above a collection of contemporary ceramics, while elsewhere in the house, a 19th-century sofa sits near to a felt sculpture and below a row of old and new paintings. This farmhouse in rural Sicily, loomed over by Mount Etna and nestled amongst olive trees, is a breezy mix of unique finds, eclectic art and contemporary crafts - it's a look that many try to emulate, but one that isn't easy to pull off.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the original style that homeowners Carla and Simone were going for: 'We had furnished the house with all the quintessential pieces that were part of the traditional farmhouse look,' says Carla. Then, about three years after moving in, we were burgled.' Carla recalls coming home one evening to find their home empty. Everything had been taken. The furniture, the carpets... everything. It was a huge shock.' In the aftermath, she found much to her surprise - that despite all she had lost, she had gained a new approach to life. 'All of a sudden I understood what really matters to me. Jewellery: not important. Furniture: just stuff that could be replaced. Family: the most important thing in life,' she says.