Aplungeintotheunknownis the
bestwaytodescribeMohanKohli
andIrenaMasiulanis’sdecisionto
buya homeperchedontheedgeofLakeBracciano 13 yearsago.Thecouple,whohadmet
andwerebasedinHongKong,wantedtorelocateto
Europetobeclosertotheirnowwidowedmothersand
theirfamiliesinEnglandandIreland.Weighinguptheir
options,theysettledonRome,favouringitswarmer
summerclimateandinternationalairport.Upontyping
‘lake’,‘villa’and‘Rome’intoGoogle,Moimmediately
discoveredLakeBracciano.‘Ourhousewasoneofthe
first to come up,’ he says. But an initial appointment to
viewthepropertywasscupperedbytheowner’sfearof
thecouplebringingavianfluwiththemfromtheFar
East.Instead,theyviewedthehousethroughthegates
andfromthefieldseitherside.Thebriefestofglimpses
wasenoughtocapturetheirimagination.‘Wesawother
places,butthiswasthepropertythatwebothwanted,’
Mosays.‘I hadspentmanychildhoodholidays
windsurfingona lakeinWicklow,Ireland,andI dreamt
ofonedayowningmyownhomewithaccesstoa lake.’
Nosoonerhadthecouplesettledontheirrelocation
plan,thantheyhappenedtomeetNorwegianinterior
designerHannePoli.Havinghada chancetoseethe
house, Mo and Irena knew that Hanne had her work→inspiRation