Latest News
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Italia! Magazine - A Gourmet Guide to TuscanyAdded: 13th December 2016Read Wanda's insider guide to the culinary delights of her adopted home....... http://www.italytravelandlife.com/2016/05/insiders-gourmet-guide-tuscany/ |
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Italia! Magazine: "Our Home In Tuscany"Added: 13th December 2016Read about Alex and David's quest to find the perfect Tuscan home.... |
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Italia! Magazine May 2016Added: 15th April 2016We have been SO busy that we have not updated for ages!If you have seen some of our scrummy properties (or food!) in Italia! May issue please get in touch on (0044) 01328 730856 for further details (we have got a temporary problem on 0039 338 793 5130....and we don’t want you to have to wait!). Spring in Tuscany is looking good! |
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Italia! Magazine ArticleAdded: 27th November 2014We live and breathe restoration at Toscana Restoration. In fact we have so busy working that we have slightly neglected to write about it! It is the old ‘only one pair of hands’ syndrome.....my colleagues frequently remind me of it! However Fleur Kinson has written an article in Italia! magazine about our favourite topic. She just happens to quote us in it! Have a look here!https://www.dropbox.com/s/7fao7l2avmw8094/Restoration%20.pdf?dl=0 |
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Time Flies!Added: 25th November 2014It is that festive time of year again and our favourite Fair at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. Toscana Restoration and our sibling the Tuscan Farm Shop will be taking Tuscany to Chelsea. This year for the first time we will be bringing our Toscano Rosso IGT 2012 wine to the Fair! It was my first vintage and (you might have guessed) I am intensely proud of it!As well as our outstanding e.v. olive oil, farm produce and vintage this year we have got some truffles and exclusive truffle products of guaranteed origin in the Province of Siena, Tuscany! Come along to the Fair on Saturday and Sunday 29th/30th November. |
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Read all about Restoration in Italia! magazineAdded: 9th October 2014Restoration, our favourite subject at Toscana Restoration! Have a look at Fleur Kinsons article in the latest edition of Italia! magazine.......you might see us there! We also hear that there there is an article on food in our home town too. It's out now! |
Artisan Tuscany at Country Life London!Added: 24th September 2014
We will be bringing the taste of Tuscany to London again this weekend, at the Country Life Fair, Fulham Palace. Find us in the East Artisan section, where you can sample our delicious 2012 vintage Homagium as well as our Extra Virgin Olive Oil and lots of other lovely things! Hope to see you there! |
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The Tuscan Farm Shop in the news...Added: 8th September 2014The Tuscan Farm Shop in Burnham Market is now in it's third busy week. Here is an article about us in local lifestyle publication KL Magazine.....http://issuu.com/klmagazine/docs/klmagazine_september2014/25?e=2527299/9113653 |
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The Tuscan Farm shop is coming soon!Added: 12th August 2014Have a look at our Facebook page here for a blow by blow account of the shop being put together. |
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The Tuscan Farm shop; news!Added: 3rd August 2014The lovely people at Facebook have seen fit to take down our page (temporarily?). Obviously not in touch with the small Tuscan Farmer trying to bring her goods to a pop up shop in Burnham Market, Norfolk in the UK. Please look out here for further news on the pop up (imminent!). Jose Bove we need you! |
Pop up UK!Added: 15th July 2014Toscana Restoration, the farm and our little part of Tuscany are definitely appearing, for a limited time only folks, on the east coast of England at Burnham Market. Take a look at all the latest on this at Facebook here ! It is a huge undertaking for us ( it is a long way from the farm gate!) but we hope a lot of people are going to like it. If you have ideas of where you would like to see us pop up do get in touch. We can’t continue to keep the good stuff all to ourselves! |
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Tuscany comes to Norfolk!Added: 13th July 2014Join us for a temporary fix of Tuscany in the UK!For August and September we are bringing a little piece of Tuscany to Burnham Market in Norfolk, get ready to welcome the Tuscan Farm Shop in the suitably rural surroundings of the Green at Burnham Market. Delicious wine and food from the farm and Montalcino friends will be accompanied by the opportunity to hear the latest about Toscana Restoration and see photos of our latest projects. Come and raise a glass with us or see more on Facebook. Salute! |
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Tuscan Summer!Added: 23rd June 2014Spring has sprung into summer and we have been busy! Lovely Tuscan Summers Leases are being prepared. Not quite cottages to castles but certainly Townhouses to Farmhouses.....no extra charge for the sheep! Get in touch to beat the flocks to our handful of great holiday homes. Scented roses on warm Tuscan stone; it takes some beating! |
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Tuscan Spring in LondonAdded: 17th March 2014We are back in London from Wednesday this week, with our 2013 harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the Country Living Spring Fair. It’s simply delicious – come along for a taste and maybe take some home with you for a little bit of Tuscan sunshine in your kitchen. We’ll have lots of other delights from Tuscany on sale too (including some of our hand-cream - always a best seller!). We’re on stand M104! |
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Italia!Added: 13th March 2014The Italia! magazine Tuscany Guide is just out and we would suggest that turning to page 105 is a good idea for all those who have an interest in Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia. The name of the writer might even be familiar to some of you!It is available to buy online here: http://anthem.subscribeonline.co.uk/Products/italia-guides or in most WH Smith outlets and other independent retailers. It is a whistle stop tour around the area that we call home, some things you may be familiar with and a few probably not. Another reason to look on this site or its companion http://www.tuscanyhomeandliving.com for a ‘Summer's lease’ or a home in Montalcino. And email or call with any queries; you will get more up to date info than is on the site....and we like to hear from you. |
Got it nailed!Added: 25th February 2014 Except that with a Tuscan roof, specially a Toscana Restoration ventilated roof, no nails are involved. Just lots of beautiful old terracotta tiles like here on this example of a recently finished roof. Solid copper piping that will weather beautifully to blend in with the patina of age on the tile......and someone’s nice TV aerial as evidence of more modern times. If you look carefully you will see the deep insulation and air chamber just under the guttering, though it is partly disguised by some good lime mortar. In all just what is needed to keep the heat or cold out. |
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Well, well!Added: 28th January 2014We are looking forward to March, longer days, the Country Living Fair and what promises to be a very interesting article in Country Life’s International edition featuring the Val d’Orcia, where all of us at Toscana Restoration live and work. It is a special place and dear to our hearts, we hope the article will do it justice.Water is, as I have written rather often, very important in our area, so wells (full, when I need their contents!) are high on my list of favourite things. To learn more about the one in the photo you will have to visit Tuscany Home & Living....or wait until Country Life International comes out! |
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All is fair!Added: 18th December 2013We will be in the UK again this weekend, not in the city but with good Norfolk mud on our boots! Our just picked olive oil will arrive at Creake Abbey Farmers Market a stone’s throw from Burnham Market and the North Norfolk coast (an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). There are some similarities between this part of Norfolk and our part of Tuscany; the buildings are of stone, it is very rural and very beautiful.......but I think that everyone would agree; olive growers they are not!So come along on Saturday 21st from about 9.30 until 3pm to add a taste of Tuscany to some good Norfolk ingredients. |
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A Fair SuccessAdded: 4th December 2013We enjoyed the Fairs in London, Chelsea Physic Garden and Elizabeth Street, and it seems that you did too! Over on our sister site http://www.tuscanyhomeandliving.com you will find a competition for those who went to the Fairs and those of you who join us virtually. Do look and enter; this year’s oil is delicious, if you were not in London all the more reason! |
Tuscan presents in London!Added: 29th November 2013This weekend Toscana restoration is coming to London, so come along to taste our just off the press Olive oil or to buy the VERY generous present (for yourself?!) of one of our lovely properties in and around Montalcino. Father Christmas may not be able to get it down your chimney but I think any lucky recipient would not blame you for that!We will be at the Chelsea Physic Garden Christmas Fair on Saturday 30th November-Sunday 1st December. On Sunday the 1st we will also be at the Belgrave Christmas Sunday in Elizabeth Street SW1. Have a look at www.tuscanyhomeandliving.com where you will find some links. |
Raising The Roof!Added: 17th November 2013No we are not partying at Toscana Restoration (traditionally that happens when you finish the roof!) but we are making another of our ‘ventilated roofs’ on a beautiful old farmhouse just south of Montalcino. The principle of a ‘ventilated roof’ is that it by incorporating an air channel and lots of insulation (eco friendly cork or wood fibre) you keep the house underneath cooler in summer and warmer in winter. With the winter winds and summer breezes that make this area just south of Montalcino prime wine growing country, extra comfort for houses and their inhabitants is always welcome. Whilst we are up on the roof the olive grove at the farm is also a hive of activity; it is olive harvest time. From sustainable building to sustainable farming. Have a look at http://www.tuscanyhomeandliving.com ......for oil or farmhouse rentals! |
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A Gentle Hint!Added: 8th November 2013For more sales and holiday lettings please look at http://www.tuscanyhomeandliving.com . Since we spoke to many of you at the Country Living Christmas Fair last week we pointed out that this was a good place to look, but that then calling or emailing us for further details was the best way to access some beautiful properties that will not be found elsewhere. So if you want a ‘Summer's Lease’ or a winter city break, a truffle hunt or to get married in glorious Tuscany just look and get in touch for something tailor made. You may like it so much that you buy after you have tried! We can, of course, help with that too! |
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A Fair Old Time!Added: 8th November 2013Well Toscana Restoration had a fair old time in Islington, London, at the Country Living Christmas Fair, even though we did explain to people that our larger gifts (houses) were too big to wrap up and take away! Holiday lettings proved a very popular idea; looking at the grey skies through the roof of the Fair I could see why! Some of you have details and others are going to look at this site and our sister site www.tuscanyhomeandliving.com. Do look but as we said; you will get most information by contacting us! Write to me at info@toscanarestoration.com and I will be able to help you to find the most appropriate holiday home for you. So; large or small, country or historic small town break. Just ask. |
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All the fun of the fair!Added: 8th November 2013Toscana Restoration/Tuscany Home & Living will be back at the Country Living Christmas Fair from the 30th October until the 3rd November 2013, bringing Tuscany to London. From our Ribusuoli artisan extra virgin olive oil for your kitchen to olive oil bath products and Tuscan vintage for the rest of the house. Come to see us and talk Tuscany; Montalcino is the perfect place for an autumn or winter break. We have a house to let with beautiful open fireplaces for roasting chestnuts .....or cooking Tuscan style. http://www.countrylivingfair.com/xmas/ |
Good Buy!Added: 15th October 2013Toscana Restoration has not been standing still though you might have thought so from our website! We have been so busy working that we have not had time to catch up with the website. Our clients in contact with us know this and use the telephone or email to get in touch. Try it! We have some interesting sales possibilities, including a wonderful characterful large town house with a lovely garden which is in good condition. It is a snip at €300,000 ! Ideal for a B&B or lots of guests. In a good position too. Ask for more details. |
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Toscana Restoration comes to London!Added: 22nd March 2013We will be at the Country Living Spring Fair in Islington from the 20th to 24th March, come along and find uson Stand M75 on the prime mezzanine floor of the Fair. We will be bringing our passion and enthusiasm for our area; Montalcino, the Val d'Orcia and our wonderful Provincial capital of Siena. Property, to buy or to let, for holidays or otherwise will be there as will some of the things that we love to furnish our houses with....right down to our own artisan Olive oil in the kitchen. Whatever the weather will be like in London we will be bringing a little Tuscan sunshine to London. |
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Farewell to the casali dream?Added: 13th March 2013We've been in the Country Life International Spring 2013 magazine:It used to be the quintessential dream property – an ancient, enormous, stone casale perched up on a remote Tuscan hill off a dirt road. In these more practical days, however, international buyers have shifted their preference towards smaller, more manageable, easily accessible homes in towns or large villages. However, some people still hanker after the class Tuscan casale – so they get them as summer rentals instead. 'Large rural properties with a pool have summer-lettings demand, if less purchase interest,' says Wanda Djebbar of Toscana Restoration (00 39 338 79 35 130; www.toscanarestoration.com). Nonetheless, she advises people against buying a sprawling country home (or, indeed, any other Tuscan property) purely in order to let it. 'There are too many imponderable factors at the moment. We manage various properties and margins are not large. Buy to enjoy – and you will.' She believes Val d'Orcia, in southern Tuscany, offers a good compromise for buyers who love the idea of living in the Tuscan countryside, but can't face the hurdles (and costs) of a large, isolated home. 'Montalcino, Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia are all attractive towns that still enjoy a community feel and offer you the opportunity to live the Tuscan way of life in a historic area.' Toscana Restoration is asking €520,000 for a two-storey apartment in the centre of Montalcino, currently undergoing full restoration, which combines town living with country views. |
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The current market...Added: 31st January 2013Is the market up, down, sideways or spinning like a whirrlygig? These are questions often asked by clients (well maybe not the last).......oh for a crystal ball.Here as in most parts of Europe the economy and the property market are going through testing times. Newly built starter homes are in oversupply at a time when young Italians are even more reluctant to leave the parental home. However Tuscan Planning laws are (rightly) very strong and renovation in historic centres or country house building are tightly controlled. Thus the most sought after properties are in no greater supply than they ever were. Our belief at Toscana Restoration is that such good quality property in Tuscany is still in demand as most of the things that people come here for remain the same. The beauty of the landscape, architecture, historic towns, unbeatable cuisine and wine are still all daily pleasures here. While Tuscan charm remains it will continue to exert a pull on those wanting to share in it. |
New Restoration Project!Added: 4th January 2013We have bought a new property to restore! A (will be) lovely townhouse in an atmospheric walled medieval Borgo ten minutes down the road from Montalcino.The ancient stone built house is on the main street of the village, it has marvellous views out towards the Romanesque abbey of San Antimo at the back and has a cellar hacked out of the bedrock underneath the house. It will be a challenge! It will one day again make a lovely home in this very special Borgo so full of beautiful architecture and community spirit. Before and after pictures guaranteed. There is a lot to do! |
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Tuscan Winters...Added: 12th December 2012We are back in Tuscany after a successful time in London at the two Fairs, Country Living and the Chelsea Physic Garden. Unsurprisingly many people were keen on the idea of getting away to Tuscany, either for a holiday.... or more permanently!I think that winter is a perfect time to look at houses if you are considering buying. If you feel drawn to a place in winter it is unlikely that you will be disappointed in it at other times of the year. Tuscan winters are usually of the crisp but bright variety, which comes as a relief from London grey, but even so winter is the most testing time for a house. At least it will remind you to think of heating and consider insulation levels and do not forget that this latter comes in useful in summer as well as winter. Good insulation keeps in warmth in winter and prevents the sun overheating your house in summer. Take a look at the insulated roofs we install, they make a great difference in comfort on the upper floors of our houses and use 0 energy to run! |
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Fair at Chelsea Physick Garden, LondonAdded: 23rd November 2012Toscana Restoration is back in London Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd December at the Chelsea Physick Garden Christmas Fair. Their centuries old Olive trees make us feel at home!After the great success of the Country Living Christmas Fair, where Toscana Restoration and our little bit of Tuscany was well appreciated we will be back for a Chelsea weekend (yes, most people there long for a weekend-or a lifetime- in Tuscany; we know) expounding the delights of Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia. Buy a house, come for a holiday or taste the incomparable new seasons olive oil and dream of Tuscany! |
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New Eco-build for Toscana RestorationAdded: 12th November 2012Eco-building is a principle that has long been dear to the heart of Toscana Restoration (before it was ‘fashionable’!). We were therefore delighted to be asked to build a straw bale studio for a client with rather impressive eco credentials of his own.The studio combining best Val d’Orcia straw bales and finest lime putty rendering has been a great success. We are looking forward to doing more such builds, but must admit that rammed earth is a technique we would love to get our wellies into as well. If you have similar ambitions for Tuscany let us know! A new year bottle of Brunello to the visitor who tells us who we built the straw bale studio for. Correct answer names out of hat on New Years day! |
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Truffle Fair in our neck of the woodsAdded: 6th November 2012....well it is at San Giovanni d’Asso, which is only five minutes up the road from our office and some of our properties. We will probably get blissed out by the scent wafting over.You are probably wondering what truffles (NOT chocolate ones) have to do with house restoration? Well they are very traditional to the area, everybody at Toscana Restoration loves eating them and some who we know, who will be nameless (very secretive truffle hunting) even hunt them. So November has a rather truffley theme. Come along on the weekends 10-11th or 17-18th November and you will find a village in festive mood with crowds swirling around the ancient Sienese castle that houses the truffle museum and down the street, with food, entertainment and brilliant pop up shops all round. And a heavenly scent! |
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Country Living FairAdded: 1st November 2012We decided that what visitors to the Fair needed for Christmas was a dash of Tuscan sunshine; and maybe even a house (or at least holiday) in Tuscany!We will be offering our properties and services along with easier to pick up and take away goodies from our sister company Tuscany Home & Living, who are taking over single estate olive oil and vintage items among others. It will be the perfect opportunity to see a little of what we put in our Tuscan homes. The Fair runs from the 7th to 11th of November 2012 at the Business Design Centre Islington. Come and get a breath of Tuscan air near the Angel! |
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