HAMID SAMAD + SARA PARISOTTO

FOUNDERS COMMUTE DESIGN STUDIO

KEEPERS OF THE VILLA MALAGUTI

We are a boutique design firm in Toronto specializing in small-scale hospitality environments. During Covid, we saw our clients' restaurants close and, like you, our immediate community and the world at large shut down.

 It was then that we began an online journey of looking at properties abroad with a “one day, when we can travel again” attitude. What we did not expect was to fall in love with a property and, with this villa, we fell hard. The frescoes, the stables, the garden. It is so magical, the perfect escape for our imagination.

 And that escape became a reality when we purchased the property pretty much sight unseen. Our first visit was the final signing and handover of the keys and when we unlocked the door, we knew instantly that we were the keepers of this magical home – not its owners. We were meant to preserve the history and pass it forward; we were meant to share this beautiful space and region with others.

 Our philosophy has always been to keep work local. When we are in Toronto, we employ local woodworkers, metal workers and upholsterers to create our custom furniture. We take that philosophy with us to Casumaro, ensuring that anything we bring into the villa is made locally.