What We’re Building Toward

It finally, finally happened.

We received approval to start interior renovations.

We knew it would take some time to get our permits approved, but no one foresaw it taking a whole year. Part of us knew it would take hundreds of documents, signatures, filings, months of daily follow up with local government offices, but I think we also hoped it wouldn’t take any of that.

Our hopes were very quickly dashed. But now it’s done and we are excited to move forward.

Moving forward means finally being able to put what we learned during our first season at Borgo Santolina into practice.

We had the unusual advantage of getting to know the property before renovating it. We spent much of the summer living there, working there and having friends and families stay with us. That gave us a chance to see how people actually used the Borgo: where everyone naturally gathered, what they loved, what created friction and what we wished worked differently.

The Borgo already had extraordinary bones. The goal was never to reinvent it. It was to take what was already special and make the experience considerably better.

Now that the permits are behind us, that next phase is underway.

On Monday, our construction team will begin the demolition work. Fortunately, this project has a strong base. The villa was in excellent condition when we bought it, and we only need to remove a few interior walls and an extra staircase. Then we will work on replacing HVAC systems and getting all the rough work completed. While all that is going on, we are getting a jump on placing orders for light fixtures, bathroom supplies, custom cabinetry, appliances, furniture, tile, marble and more.

Of course, while we waited for our permits to renovate the interior of the villa, the pool renovation continued on with delivery of the new travertine tiles that will be used to expand the patio around the pool. Last week, they poured the concrete slab that the tiles will be installed on, along with new drains and access hatches. The liner is scheduled to be installed May 4th.

Which means we should have a working pool by the end of May.

The very first project to be completed. It almost doesn’t seem real.

Concrete poured for the new travertine tile

Render of pool

The construction team is targeting completion of the renovation by the end of December. We expect to have the first finished rooms completed in November, which will finally give us a chance to show more of where all of this is headed.

Once construction is complete, we’ll spend the following months furnishing, testing, training and putting the final pieces in place before welcoming guests to the updated Borgo Santolina in 2027.

Here are some construction renders of what we’re building toward:

Bedrooms are getting new limewashed walls, new custom furniture, lighting, ceiling beam paint, refinished floors and new HVAC and electrical.

Guest bathrooms are being fully renovated with microcement floors and vanities, glass showers, new electrical, lighting, paint and new doors.

We are turning the upstairs conference room / theater into a tavern.

The kitchen is getting a complete makeover with everything new except for the classic Molteni stove.

All of our outdoor spaces are getting freshened up with new outdoor furniture, new gravel driveway and pathways and landscaping improvements.

While our primary business model is renting the property to groups for exclusive use, we will have opportunities to come visit for individuals, couples and families. As the original idea for Borgo Santolina was to be a hotel, we are exploring the various ways we would like to open it for individuals, such as celebration weeks and retreats. In the coming months, we will release more information on these weeks, along with information about how to get on the waiting lists or book directly.

We’ll continue sharing different parts of the renovation and the thinking behind them as the work progresses. We appreciate everyone who has followed the project through the slow parts, the complicated parts and now, finally, the part where we get to watch the new Borgo Santolina take shape.

And finally, we’d like to do a big shout out to Scott and Alex for being the most adventurous of all our readers - let’s get you and the group back on the schedule!