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and stone surfaces quarried nearby. Just next door, the same light touch guided the transformation of Borghi's shop. Ora et Labora occupies a former ground- floor room that had once been pressed into utilitarian use. To conceal ductwork and electrical runs without disturbing the masonry, Hocker proposed lining the ceiling with woven reed mats — a technique traditionally used as lath beneath plaster. Local contractors were skeptical at first, he says, since it wasn't something they typically did. Once installed, however, the mats formed a new barrel-like vault, transforming the proportions of the room. What began as a practical solution ended up becoming one of the space's defining architectural features. T he interiors of the palazzo are guided by the Italian concept of Arte Povera, a way of living with objects that are simple, worn-in, and meant to be used — an approach Borghi and Hocker adapted for the palazzo. In and around In the kitchen, antique taxidermy boar's head. Early 20th-century arte povera farm table, sourced locally. Fornace Brioni clay floor tiles laid in fishbone pattern. Barazza cooktop burners and custom wood-fire box for cooking. Left: Sconces by Wo & Wé, France. Nineteenth- century prints of 16th-century farm workers.