In the Italian countryside, with a breathtaking view on the lago di Bracciano, the Norwegian interior designer Hanne Poli has created her dream home.  After 14 years, we are no longer surprised to wake up to wild horses, boars or sheep in our garden. That’s what it’s like living in the countryside! There was nothing here before us, but sheep grazing.

Hanne and her family were used to big city life in Amsterdam, but after many years in an apartment in the city center, they started longing for more space and more peace and quiet for the family of four. Hanne and her husband at the time began looking at different possibilities. Both of them had flexible jobs and could live almost anywhere, as long as there was an airport nearby.

They both loved Italy, and with him being half-italian, Italy naturally came up as an option.  We made a list of criteria. We wanted a house with lots of space and a big garden, where we could have both cats and dogs. The location was important, we wanted privacy, but at the same time not to be too far away from the city or an airport.  They contacted an italian real estate agent, who soon found the perfect place; just outside the small town called Trevignano, 40 minutes from Rome. The property, with its 2 hectares, had everything they wished for.  We signed the contract on the spot, even though the house at this point consisted of six pillars and a roof. It was madness, Hanne laughs, but at the same time it was the ideal thing for me, as it meant I could take part in every step of the process.

As an interior designer, her job is to create homes. I want to create warm, beautiful homes, with a personality. They have to be real homes, where there is room for pets, children playing, and where you are allowed to relax on the couch with your feet up.  Hanne studied at an artschool in Amsterdam during a period of boom among young artists in Holland. – As a young student I got a lot of input which has been very important for my later work and carrier.  She is not especially concerned about trends or having “the right” furniture. – I have always used the same colours and the same style.  Let’s call it “style by Hanne”, she says. It’s not that easy to put a label on it. It’s classic and timeless, with grey and earth colours as a base, which makes it easy to complement with the latest trend of accessories.