On a wild 130-acre estate outside the medieval village of Roccalbegna, Crosby Studios reimagines a 17th-century Tuscan farmhouse by illuminating its past and blending it with a contemporary gleam.
Ruins often come with a particular kind of romance: stories and layers that could never exist without the passage of time. When Tyler Billinger and his partner, Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev, came upon a neglected 17th-century farmhouse in southern Italy, the wildness captured their attention. The estate had a rambling olive grove gone feral and crumbling stone walls weathered by centuries of Tuscan sun.
“The location gives us a sense of raw nature, where the outdoor environment feels more present than the home itself,” Nuriev says. “When cleaning the property, you really have to keep in mind that nature is more important than design.”
The pair chose to listen to the beauty in the imperfections. The farmhouse’s bones remain intact—rustic wooden ceiling beams, natural travertine underfoot, but Crosby Studios’ interventions are brazen provocations. On the second level, hand-laid river stones replace conventional flooring, a show of appreciation to traditional craftsmanship.
Where things start to feel otherworldly is in the reimagined feature lighting and decorative elements. Industrial and expressive, gutted automotive headlights are reborn as statement chandeliers; rearview mirrors scatter across the walls in shiny constellations.
This is Transformism, Nuriev’s creative manifesto. “Transformism is the act of turning one thing into another—not by denying its origin, but by illuminating it,” he says. Adding that, “The conceptual framework isn’t only about material manipulation—it’s about seeing the potential for new life in an object, whether that be a tattered old sofa or a neglected olive tree.”
Throughout the farmhouse, the everyday is elevated to the unexpected. A canopy bed in the main bedroom is stitched from 120 repurposed red T-shirts, a patchwork of varying washed-out shades, a hint at their previous, preloved lives. Sturdy stainless steel airport sinks and toilets find second lives in this medieval domestic setting—the epitome of juxtaposition if there ever was.
One of the big moves is a 4.2-metre-long dining table—the perfect place for hosting, celebrating and gathering, with views of the sprawling gardens.
On the hillside in Roccalbegna, Tuscany, Crosby Studios founder Harry Nuriev and his partner, Tyler Billinger, have renovated the property, breathing life into the olive farm with the launch of La Terra di Neena.
In the kitchen, a sharply detailed stainless-steel island bench with industrial stools works as a functional zone and command centre of the home.
The material palette is drawn almost entirely from local texture: wood, stone and the patina of age. All except for the glint of metal and metallic soft furnishings, what Nuriev calls the “Crosby touch”. A 4.2-metre folded stainless-steel dining table holds the fort in the room where harvest dinners unfold. It’s a winking welcome for the traditionally ‘back-of-house’ materials brought into the heart of the home.
The interplay of old and new is a measured calculation. Nuriev explains, “We wanted to preserve the traditional character of a farmhouse. It’s essentially a game of not taking away or adding elements, but keeping things as they are.”
Beyond the walls, the land tells its own story of recovery. Working with landscape architect Anna Andreyeva of Planting Strategies, the team cleared and recultivated the olive fields, pruning the ancient trees back to health.
From this revived land comes the estate’s other purpose: olive oil. The first harvest, gathered with family and friends, was a homecoming for the pair. A reconnection with their Italian roots. It has seen the launch of La Terra di Neena, the pair’s new olive oil and lifestyle brand, named after Billinger’s mother. “Everything came very naturally. We didn’t try to impose ourselves on the landscape; we embraced it,” Nuriev notes.
Part farmhouse, part production and agriculture, but truly a gathering place—this home defies easy categorisation. What Nuriev hopes comes through is a feeling, rather than a style: “I want people to feel disconnected with the outside world and tap into a real Tuscan lifestyle, with a bit of a California touch.”
This Tuscan Farmhouse by Crosby Studios was originally featured as part of our 2026 Milan issue of est magazine, ‘Italy by Invitation’.
Old meets new—Crosby Studios bridges worlds and eras with the farmhouse’s original details, laying the foundation before layering in metallic pieces. A standout is a chandelier made from repurposed car parts, while the sofa and ottoman, the chrome cubic chairs and the cocktail table are also Crosby Studios designed.
In opposition to farmhouse traditions, the bathroom fittings are distinctly modern, from the green tapware to the stainless-steel double sink and toilet sourced from a business that supplies to public restrooms.
In the bedroom, a checker coverlet and a 2021 headlight ceiling pendant designed by Crosby Studios.
While the bones of the original building—timber beams and stone—have been repaired, new additions speak to craft, including the newly laid stone floor upstairs.
Chrome folding stool by Crosby Studios overlooking the restored olive grove and landscape design by Planting Strategies.
