Main Facts: A Historic Mediterranean Sanctuary Modernized
Perched amid the rugged cliffs and fragrant lemon groves of Capri, Villa Le Scale—translating to the "House of Stairs"—stands as a quintessential example of early 19th-century Neapolitan island architecture. Recently acquired by an international family based in Geneva, Switzerland, the estate has undergone a comprehensive interior restoration led by acclaimed Lausanne-based Swiss interior designer Jorge Cañete.
The residence spans a primary mansion featuring five bedrooms, complemented by a detached two-bedroom guest house adjacent to an outdoor pool. Cañete was commissioned to reimagine the multi-level villa within an aggressive three-month timeframe. The overarching directive was to translate the abstract romanticism of la dolce vita into a family-centric retreat that balances historical preservation with contemporary European design.
The property combines historical elements—including a 16th-century fireplace, an 18th-century carved marble fountain, and an original 19th-century marble soaking tub—with modern pieces by designers such as Paola Navone, Ingo Maurer, and Patricia Urquiola. The project also featured a multi-week on-site residency by British artist Philippa Smith, who produced bespoke, site-specific art installations across the villa’s living spaces.
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| VILLA LE SCALE AT A GLANCE |
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| Location: Capri, Tyrrhenian Sea (off Naples, Italy) |
| Era of Construction: Early 19th Century |
| Accommodations: 5 Bedrooms (Main House) + 2 Bedrooms (Guesthouse) |
| Interior Designer: Jorge Cañete (Interior Design Philosophy, Swiss) |
| Key Antiquities: 16th-c. Fireplace, 18th-c. Fountain, 19th-c. Tub |
| Lead Furnishings: Arketipo, Gervasoni, Casamilano, Boca do Lobo |
| Timeline: 3-Month Rapid Turnaround |
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Chronology: From Honeymoon Vow to Island Residence
The story of Villa Le Scale’s modern transformation unfolds over a five-year timeline, driven by the global mobility and personal milestones of its owners—an Australian hedge-fund executive and his Mexican-born wife.
2009: Honeymoon in Capri
└─ Couple visits island; husband vows to acquire a local residence.
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2014: Property Discovery & Purchase
└─ Friend alerts couple to 19th-century villa on the market.
└─ Wife visits, falls in love on marble staircase, closes deal.
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2014 (Mid-Year): The 90-Day Commission
└─ Designer Jorge Cañete hired; 3-month renovation sprint begins.
└─ Family input collected (including 2-year-old son's bedroom).
└─ Artist Philippa Smith completes on-site installation.
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2015–Present: Family Retreat
└─ Villa operational as multi-generational summer haven.
2009: The Initial Spark
The couple first set foot on Capri in 2009 during their honeymoon. Capri has served as a luxury retreat since 27 A.D., when Roman Emperor Tiberius directed the governance of the empire from his cliffside Villa Jovis. Captivated by the island’s topography and maritime environment, the husband resolved that he would eventually secure a permanent residence on the island’s terraced hillsides.
2014: Discovery and Acquisition
Five years after their initial visit, the couple—now raising three young children in Geneva—received a notification from a mutual acquaintance that an early 19th-century villa had become available on the Capri real estate market. The wife traveled to the island to inspect the premises.
Ascending the property’s winding marble staircase beneath a canopy of native bougainvillea and jasmine, the decision was immediate. "I wanted the house before I got to the front door," she recalled. The acquisition was finalized shortly thereafter, bringing Villa Le Scale under their ownership.
2014–2015: The 90-Day Transformation
Having recently engaged Jorge Cañete to design their primary residence in Switzerland, the owners tasked him with executing a rapid, comprehensive redesign of Villa Le Scale in just three months. Cañete established a rigorous procurement and installation schedule to prepare the home for the upcoming summer season, coordinating international logistics while navigating Capri’s strict municipal guidelines.
Supporting Data: Architectural Inventory and Furnishing Specifications
To maintain a distinction between historic architectural integrity and modern living, Cañete devised an interior scheme that pairs original classical stone elements with contemporary Italian and Iberian furniture manufacturing.
The main salon is anchored by an 18th-century carved marble fountain, left in its original position to serve as a visual connection to the island’s historical water infrastructure.
Seating: Deep-seat sofas produced by Italian manufacturer Arketipo, upholstered in performance-treated textiles by Spanish fabric house Gastón y Daniela.
Casegoods & Tables: A sculptural, minimal cocktail table by Italian design studio Mogg.
Textiles: A custom low-pile wool-and-silk blended area rug manufactured specifically for the space by De Dimora.
Outdoor Terrace Design
Designed as an extension of the interior salon, the main outdoor loggia utilizes weather-resistant furniture capable of withstanding the Tyrrhenian Sea’s salt-laden air.
Modular Seating: A multi-piece exterior sectional sofa designed by Paola Navone for Gervasoni.
Accent Seating: A low-profile outdoor loveseat supplied by Casamilano.
Tables: An art-object coffee table engineered by Portuguese luxury brand Boca do Lobo, flanked by stone-and-metal side tables from Arketipo.
Site-Specific Fine Art
To prevent the interior from feeling purely commercial or overly curated, British artist Philippa Smith lived at the villa for several weeks during the renovation phase. Smith constructed site-specific wall treatments, mixed-media paintings, and subtle graphic interventions directly onto the plaster walls, incorporating elements of the island’s local history and natural environment into her work.
Official Responses and Creative Design Philosophy
The project was shaped by a collaborative dynamic between the homeowners and the design team, with an emphasis on creating a functional family residence rather than an untouchable showpiece.
The Designer’s Vision
Jorge Cañete framed the interior narrative around a nuanced interpretation of la dolce vita, steering clear of mid-century Italian design clichés.
"It wasn’t going to be a museum to the 1960s," Cañete explained. "We wanted to capture something authentic about the sweet life. The goal was to establish a poetic balance between memory and modernism—respecting the original 19th-century stone bones while integrating light, flexible contemporary elements."
Cañete’s methodology required consulting every member of the household, regardless of age:
"Jorge is amazing," noted the homeowner. "He was genuinely interested in both my husband’s and my opinions, but also those of our children. He even interviewed my two-year-old son about the colors and furniture preferences for his bedroom."
For the owners—who balance busy professional lives in Geneva’s financial sector with a multicultural background spanning Australia and Mexico—the villa served as a physical anchor for their young family.
"We were looking for a place that offered a bit of sea and sun, where the children could run free and build memories they would carry for the rest of their lives," the wife stated. "For me, la dolce vita is about having beauty around you in a world of contrasts. Imagine a young woman on a Vespa riding on ancient cobblestones while wearing high heels. That juxtaposition is where real style lives."
The success of the brief was reaffirmed by the family’s young daughter after their first season in residence:
"My five-year-old daughter recently asked me why we couldn’t live in Capri all the time," her mother shared. "She told me, ‘I’m sure we could learn Italian very well.’"
Implications: Preservation, Island Logistics, and High-Net-Worth Real Estate Trends
The successful three-month turnaround of Villa Le Scale highlights broader trends in Mediterranean luxury real estate, historical property adaptive reuse, and complex municipal project management.
Navigating Island Infrastructure and Local Bylaws
Executing an extensive interior renovation within Capri’s strict regulatory framework presented significant logistical challenges:
Pedestrian Zones and Vehicle Restrictions: The municipal regulations of Capri strictly prohibit standard commercial freight vehicles across most historic center pedestrian zones and narrow hillside laneways.
Timed Transport Schedules: Local bylaws mandate that heavy materials and bulk furniture movements occur outside of daytime tourist hours, requiring transport via specialized electric micro-carts or manual porters operating late at night or during early morning windows.
Sourcing Strategies: Despite these freight challenges, Cañete bypassed closer regional markets in Naples to source custom pieces directly from specialized ateliers across Western Europe, balancing maritime shipping schedules with tight island delivery windows.
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| CAPRI LOGISTICAL RESTRICTIONS & SOLUTIONS |
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| Challenge: Narrow, vehicle-inaccessible island roads |
| Solution: Micro-electric carts and night-shift porter networks |
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| Challenge: Strict noise and municipal transport time limits |
| Solution: Off-peak night transport strategy for heavy freight |
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| Challenge: Complex multi-country custom sourcing on a 90-day timeline |
| Solution: Synchronized regional supply chains routed through Naples |
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The Evolution of Mediterranean Heritage Properties
The project reflects a shift in how international buyers approach heritage real estate in southern Europe:
Shift from Formal to Functional Luxury: Ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) buyers increasingly move away from museum-like restorations. Instead, they favor interior schemes that tolerate the wear-and-tear of young families while respecting historical architecture.
Cross-Cultural Heritage Fusion: Modern design practices favor mixing regional antiques (such as 18th-century Neapolitan stonework) with international modern furniture, moving away from strict period-accurate re-creations.
Human-Centric Residential Architecture: Involving every family member in the design process ensures that secondary and tertiary vacation residences remain usable, highly functional family homes rather than static investment assets.
Villa Le Scale stands as a clear case study in modern residential adaptive reuse: showing how 19th-century architecture can be adapted to contemporary international living without losing the regional history that makes the location so compelling.
