Simplicity comes to the fore at Villa Cardo – a serene Italian holiday home that offers slow living among the olive groves of Puglia’s countryside.

The four-bedroom bolthole is the handiwork of Studio Andrew Trotter, who also designed Masseria Moroseta. It resembles a series of stacked boxes and has been built traditionally near the village of Carovigno using local materials, unfolding across two levels.

Inside are serene and minimalist spaces outfitted simply with stone floors, pale plaster walls and arching ceilings. Black-framed windows help frame vistas of the surrounding hectare of olive groves and almond trees, while furniture made with natural materials and upholstered in neutral tones.

Villa Cardo is available to book directly, and guests can enjoy the roof terrace with views out to the sea – some 7km away. Afterwards, they can cool off in the private courtyard pool, which is surrounded by an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven, lounge and dining terrace before exploring the Puglian countryside.

This Puglian palazzo turned hotel mixes contemporary art with historic architecture