A Tuscan-Inspired Home by Toronto Designer Samantha Brocca

Studio Brocca designs a serene, sophisticated home for a family with Italian roots.

Writer Beth Hitchcock

Though this 3,500-square-foot home is firmly rooted in Vaughan, Ontario, its inspiration comes from about 7,000 kilometres away. The homeowners’ family tree has branches reaching to the Calabria and Veneto regions of Italy, and they travel to the country frequently. “The colours and contemporary touches remind us of Tuscan wine country and help make the grey Canadian winters a bit richer,” says one of the owners.

The husband is a contractor who oversaw every phase of the four-bedroom home’s construction. But before the team even broke ground, an important colour and material came into focus: a slab of stunning green marble. In fact, Toronto designer Samantha Brocca, of Studio Brocca, bonded with the owners over a mutual love of the colour green. “Green was one of the first things we discussed for the home,” Brocca says—it reminds the owners of the rows of cypress trees that line the Italian country roads. “We decided to use this marble in the principal ensuite for the couple to appreciate daily.”

The home, which took a year to complete, calls on tall linear shapes via the windows, oak-framed interior doors, and ceiling-high kitchen cabinets. To bring balance and sophistication to the modern lines, Brocca introduced subtle rounded elements, such as the arched metal stair balusters and rounded furniture pieces.

Though the house features a calming, neutral palette throughout, Brocca punctuated the serene mocha scheme with accents of rust and black to create visual anchor points: a copper-toned plaster wall treatment in the powder room, the spice-coloured cushions on the living room’s custom sofa by Ferretti Furniture, and the black stone surround on the living room fireplace.

The design of the fireplace—a key highlight of the living room—was one that had several iterations. “It changed four or five times in different shapes and materials,” Brocca says. “The clients were expecting their second child, so in the end, we decided to simplify the design to allow more unobstructed play area for the children.”

With both its architectural and interior touches, this home showcases the more polished side of Tuscan-influenced design. “We were going for understated luxury with a harmonious blend of natural materials, cozy tones, and playful sculptural accents,” Brocca says of the result.