“I’ve always been drawn to the stories that homes can tell,” recalls Ethan, whose adventures into the world of design had begun with the restoration of an early 19th-century farmhouse in the English countryside. After years of modernizing traditional homes, Ethan felt it was time to dig deeper into what actually makes a home sustainable.
Located in emerald hilltops of Tuscany, Italy, it marks a turning point in his career, where history meets his contemporary sensibilities. Dating from the early 1600s, it was initially a working farm, very much tied to the local agriculture. As time went on, it became a demesne, peppered with high-octane glamour-frescoed ceilings, stone courtyards, and majestic arches. Upon his acquisition, Ethan’s mission was very straightforward: to restore the property while being respectful to history but embracing the future of sustainable living.
Old World Charm Meets New World Beginnings
The minute Ethan had set foot on the property, the grandeur of the beauty housed within consumed him. “I knew the moment I stepped inside that I had found something extraordinary,” he admits. Once restored, grand corridors, partnered with dramatic stonework and interesting architectural features, will offer sanctuary, not only to Ethan but also to any fortunate visitors. But for decades, the estate had been left to languish in neglect. The roof needed replacing, draughty windows required addressing, and plumbing needed pulling out and reworking. However, amid all these, Ethan staked every effort to bring life to the estate while never compromising her environmental beauty.
With his restoration scheme balanced with traditional on the one hand and the innovative on the other, for example, while bringing in state-of-the-art geothermal heating to replace the traditional, the old inefficient heating system now heats and cools the home with energy harvested from the natural resources offered by our planet. Moreover, Ethan ensured that all windows installed in the estate were double-glazed and produced from locally sourced woods, limiting energy loss while also lifting pressure from frequent repairs.
A Perfect Combination of Past and Present
Within the house, the interior is designed to encompass Ethan’s style-principle of sumptuousness with sobriety: the local marble di Carrara from the countertops in the kitchen to these ceramiche di Vietri in the dining room. All this Italian craftsmanship looks to pay homage to the local artisans and their age-old techniques. “I love sourcing local materials that have a rich heritage,” Ethan shares. “It’s not just about decoration; it’s about celebrating culture and supporting sustainable craftsmanship.”
However, the sun-drenched living room-the pièce de résistance of the home-Ethan calls the heart of the house. Designed with quiet colors of terracotta and soft blues, the living room presents plush seating primarily made of organic cotton and sustainably harvested wood. The living room features spectacular wall windows framed in locally made, hand-forged iron-which for both timeless artistry and environmentally conscious decisions.
Every form in the house is not just luxurious but also responsible by utilizing Ethan’s sustainable material such as tessuti di lino handwoven from Tuscany and hand-carved furniture made by local artisans. Letting light into these spaces turns them into relaxing and purposive spaces in and out of the home. Setting boundaries by permitting access from indoors to outdoors is that of a garden which boasts a rich lavender, olive trees, heirloom vegetables-all founded on permaculture techniques that promote a healthy ecosystem.
Healthy Living. Sustainable Ways.
As much as Ethan believes in creating beauty, he believes equally in creating wellness. “I believe that a house can sometimes influence very much our overall wellness,” he reflects. “When you surround yourself with natural, sustainable materials, it is a reminder to live thoughtfully and with purpose.”
Mindful cooking has one of the healthiest habits that Ethan practices in his own home. “The kitchen is where people come together to nourish each other,” he states. In sustainable practices, he contributes to this cause by using handmade ceramics from local artisans, such as ceramica Raffaelli, known for durability and non-toxic, eco-friendly finishes-to create beautiful surfaces for cooking and serving. The ceramics bake and serve beautifully, yet add an earthy pleasingness to every meal.
Ethan’s kitchen also includes locally grown produce and whole food, most of which comes from the gardens in his backyard or from local farms. For Ethan, cooking with these ingredients is not only nourishing the body; it is also keeping the economy healthy and benefiting the environment.
Deacons of Mine
But more importantly, Ethan makes space for creating places within which one can rest and be nourished. “Your surroundings influence your mood and energy, he said. Take, for example, the fact that all of his bedrooms retreat away from sound into both comforting light and airy linens such as lino italiano and warm wool rugs sourced from local producers. There’s crowding hollows with huge windows to ensure fresh air and sunlight prying through as healthy circadian rhythm.
“Well, it’s not just about good food and exercising,” added Ethan. “Creating a living environment that supports peace, creativity and wellness is what healthy living encompasses.”
A Life Well Lived
Creating beautiful, green homes, for Ethan, is not merely a profession; it is also a lifestyle. For all that, his latest project, a Tuscan estate, represents both his green passion and so-called living by intention: every restored antique, every eco-friendly design choice, every healthy habit incorporated into the house spell space made for Ethan and his guests to not just bask in the beauty of nature but to live benefits of mindful living.
At the end of it all, the home philosophy of Ethan Harrison is very clear: a truly good home is one that nourishes both the body and the soul. And as he continues to weave sustainability into his projects, Ethan calls upon all of us to find the beauty of sustainable living and to bring honor to ancestral traditions by creating spaces that nourish wellness and tranquility.