Before we dive into the details, could you briefly introduce yourself?

My name is Imke, I am an artist and designer and resident in Italy. My husband Markus is an architect. We have two children, Jakobus and Nikolaus. Both are still studying in Germany.

We would love to share a bit about you as a person with our customers. Would you like to tell us more about yourself? 

Our whole family is always interested in traveling, people we meet, also from other cultures. We are in love with architecture, design and art, also nature and at first our lovely dogs. Sport like long walks, cycling, tennis and golf we do depending on the season.

When and in what way did this property come into your life and what motivated you to make it a part of your life?

By a lucky coincidence, we ended up in Liguria 25 years ago and had a small flat, studio and atelier in the mountains where we spent as much time as possible with our children. When Markus and I took a little break six years ago in a part of Italy we didn’t know yet, the Marche, we fell in love with the magical landscape and the friendly and open people in this area, so much so that we haven't actually returned to Liguria since that day, just to organise the move to the Marche. We had fallen in love so much that we immediately started looking for a project. During all the remodelling work on our house, we decided together with our adult children that we would go to Italy completely to work here as hosts, architects and designers.

Can you tell us more about the process of renovating and furnishing your property?

Initially, we bought a wonderful plot of land on which we also made a very beautiful architectural design for a house made from recycled materials with modern technology. During this development phase, we found a house for sale in the immediate vicinity that we initially wanted to live in. However, this house was also a challenge because part of the house was a simple stable with a clay floor. The part that had already been renovated didn’t really appeal to us. The technology was too old and so we turned the house into a complete shell construction site. New window openings were planned, four bathrooms were planned and installed in addition to the bedrooms. An entire floor had to be rebuilt. New floors with underfloor heating were laid throughout the house. Outside, we planned a spacious pool and laid out the garden according to our architectural principles. We plant almost everything ourselves. A lavender field, more than 150 rosemary plants and around 100 agapanthus, as well as many oleanders and herbs. We are very proud that we were able to complete all this work in just seven months before we moved in in December 2021.

On a personal level, what makes your property truly special for you? Any standout memories or moments that make it dear to your heart?

Markus and I have been a couple since our youth and we have both always been passionate about art, architecture and design. So we have been collecting design from a young age and continue to update the collection and add young designers. This is a great passion and also the design with special materials and colours.

How would you describe the atmosphere and interior of your property?

Casa Piane Pettirossi is our first project and is very close to our hearts. It is our first work as architects and designers in Italy and we were able to reflect on our work here for the first time and learn from other ways of working. We have created extremely personalised spaces, a house with four bedrooms that form places of retreat. Our house is a kind of snail's shell and no room door is next to another. This privacy is extremely noticeable. Each retreat has its own bathroom, the large eat-in kitchen with the large table picture the piazza. The fireplace room and the living room with the hidden cinema screen are extremely cosy. It was extremely important to us that the quality of the beds was extremely good and therefore also the bed linen, pure linen bed linen and also high-quality towels and care products emphasise our spirit for high-quality and beautiful things for each of our guests. Of course, this also includes a generally good smell in the house, beautiful table linen, crockery and glasses. Because we love special tableware and have always missed this in other holiday homes.

Which part of your property do you love the most, and why?

Ich persönlich liebe das kleinste Schlafzimmer. Das hat die kleinsten Fenster und durch diese eine wunderbare Aussicht. Der Licht ein Fall ist in diesem Schlafzimmer besonders und es wirkt wie eine friedliches Himmelbett. (Translation: "I personally love the smallest bedroom. It has the smallest windows and through them, a wonderful view. The light falling in this bedroom is special and it feels like a peaceful four-poster bed.")

What makes the location where your accommodation is located unique and special?

Casa Piane Pettirossi is located in a very peaceful place. The house is dedicated to the robins, who chirp around the house and it is said that wherever robins are, there are positive places. And that's how we experience this place.

Are there any sustainable or eco-friendly applications associated with your property that you are proud of?

We have installed an air source heat pump in our house for heating and air conditioning. We ask our guests to leave a deposit for sparkling water and still water in glass bottles so that as little plastic as possible is consumed. In addition, we provide our guests with a wine rack with different legs from the region. It is important to us that as much as possible is consumed from the immediate region. That's why you can also buy our special flour, honey, pasta and of course our own organic olive oil. We are particularly proud of the fact that we also provide our guests with a small vegetable garden from which our special organic vegetables can be harvested during their stay.

What motivated or inspired you to rent your property to guests?

Even in our student days, we lived in exciting locations, large factory spaces, to make cinema films available. Making our house available to directors and photographers as well as guests from all over the world has become a kind of family philosophy. We are very honoured when guests like to stay in our premises and appreciate their stay. We have therefore always opened our home and have always been hosts at all levels. For us, it has always been a WIN WIN situation that has brought us further in life and brought us joy.

Can you paint a vivid picture of the overall experience someone can expect when staying at your property?

Be welcome, enjoy the place, the chirping of the birds and the buzzing of the bees. Just enjoy the fact that you are here, that we have created a wonderful place for you and that we want to make everything possible so that you can enjoy a relaxing stay in our house and garden.

In what ways does your property stand out from others? What unique features or characteristics make it a one-of-a-kind experience for guests?

Harmony of creativity, nature, light and silence.

Can you share the best compliment you've received from a guest?

Claudia, one of our guests, wrote: 'Your house is not just a house... it's a really home!.. We usually stayed only once in a holiday house - in your home I will return for sure.'

What do you hope guests will take away or remember most from their stay in your accommodation?

Relaxation, serenity and inspiration.

Do you have any recommendations for guests to fully enjoy their holiday? Your valuable tips will be featured on your accommodation's page!

We recommend immersing yourself in this authentic Italian landscape and life, including the wonderful people, the beautiful locations in the area, the great food and the wines from the region. We love the variety of wonderful restaurants and wine bars in the immediate vicinity. From a simple trattoria to a Michelin star restaurant or simply sitting on the piazza with a good glass of wine. The authentic Italian lifestyle is in the Marche. Especially in the low season from September to December and also from February to May, it is wonderful in our area. You can savour the new wines and eat truffles and go on the most amazing hikes in the mountains. Long walks on the beach and lunch in the sun. We have a year-round house and underfloor heating, so it's always cosy. You can swim in our heated pool even in the low season and enjoy your evening by the fire.