portico

portico is italian for porch, or covered terrace. we are fortunate to have an expansive portico off many rooms of the tuscany house. in the summer it serves as the principal living room. we eat, play and drink there on a daily basis. when building the house spending time outside was a top priority so we wanted to make sure we created an area that could facilitate those moments even when the temperatures dropped. enter outdoor fireplace stage left. 

surprisingly this took a lot of persuading to get permission from the commune of siena, where we had to apply for all approvals during construction. while pizza ovens are a norm, outdoor fireplaces are not. i think the authorities that be were concern it was our way of setting up an area which we would later close up and do what they call an abuso, or an illegal addition to the house. we were eventually able to technically call this a bbq and it passed. here she is in all her glory, our favorite spot on an autumn evening, by the fire on the portico. rolling hills, vineyards and olive groves in the distance. i had dreams of roasting marshmallows with the kids, but so far we've only gotten as far as red wine and the occasional dinner. 

here was the same are after a little rearranging. we moved around the couches and some nearby table to create a fireside dining spot when a couple of friends joined us for dinner. 

and yes, we are still missing the second hanging light on the right. it a saying that everyone knows and for good reason, whatever you haven't completed by move in, will most likely take another ten years to complete!