After buying the smaller house next door and opening up a courtyard between the two, the construction began. ‘‘We worked by subtraction, aiming to release space rather than adding extra rooms,’’ Panebianco says, noting that this is a very un-Italian thing to do. With their access to the garden via gothic-style doorways, these two rooms have become the heart of the house. The garden, too, has a Middle Eastern flair, and recalls a riad with its intimate seating areas and hanging lanterns. There is a kitchen garden of aromatic Mediterranean herbs, and at one end of the expanse is a narrow, raised pool inspired by those commonly found in Middle Eastern gardens.

Source: New York Times September 11, 2017 03:46 UTC