Inside Sextantio's restoration of a medieval village

Sextantio's rooms are scattered through Santo Stefano di Sessanio, a fortified medieval village 1,250 metres up in Abruzzo. The restoration team worked with the Museum of the Peoples of Abruzzo. They repaired the original doors and windows and kept the room layouts.

The team kept the original stone and wood. When a fitting was missing, they found one nearby or reclaimed it from a similar building. They had new bedcovers made with traditional fabrics and craft methods. The bathrooms are modern and deliberately simple. If you are choosing cloth for a bedroom, the natural fibre guide will help.

Sextantio does not name the plaster used in the restoration. I have included lime because it has long been used on solid stone and brick walls. Researchers have also tested how well it resists mould and handles moisture.

Lime, mould and moisture

Fresh lime is highly alkaline, so its surface is hostile to many fungi. In 2024, a Japanese research team tested whether thin modern lime plaster still had this quality. They made samples with different amounts of slaked lime and exposed them to 2 common indoor fungi. Every sample containing more than 30% slaked lime inhibited their growth.

Another research team studied 45 lime-plastered homes in Ahmedabad. They measured the temperature, humidity and moisture in the walls, then modelled several of the rooms. Lime absorbed water vapour when the air was humid and released it again as the air dried. In the models, that kept indoor humidity steadier.

Paint matters because it can make lime plaster slower to dry. Researchers at University College Dublin tested mineral paint, matt emulsion, soft-sheen emulsion and acrylic paint on lime plaster. They measured each paint's Sd value, which tells you how strongly the paint resists water vapour. The number is measured in metres. Lower means more vapour can pass. Matt emulsion had the lowest Sd value at 0.25 m. Mineral paint measured 0.32 m, acrylic paint 0.53 m and soft-sheen emulsion 0.95 m. In this test, matt emulsion let more vapour pass than mineral paint, while soft-sheen emulsion let through the least. This matters most when the wall is already damp. A high-Sd paint makes it harder for moisture to leave, so the wall stays wetter.

There is no official standard for calling a paint “breathable.” Ask the manufacturer for a tested Sd value before buying. Historic England has a practical guide for people who own older homes. It warns that modern repair materials can trap moisture in traditional walls. On solid stone or brick walls, use plaster and paint that let moisture escape. Limewash is a traditional option for lime plaster.

Solid wood and what holds a board together

Sextantio repaired its wooden doors and windows, then used local or reclaimed pieces where replacements were needed. If solid timber is damaged, you can often sand or patch that area without replacing the whole piece.

Medium-density fibreboard, usually called MDF, and particleboard need resin to hold them together. Some of these resins release formaldehyde. In 2012, researchers in the Czech Republic put solid wood, plywood, flooring and blockboard into test chambers. The result depended on the type of wood, the glue and the coating. Painted birch blockboard, a panel with a core of wood strips glued between outer layers, gave the highest reading at the start: 0.048 mg/m³. The readings fell as the materials aged. Formaldehyde was also measured from solid wood, but at lower levels. A label that says “wood” does not tell you whether the piece is solid timber or held together with resin.

The US Environmental Protection Agency sets limits for formaldehyde in composite wood because high exposure may cause some cancers. When you buy furniture, ask whether the piece is solid or composite, then ask about the glue and finish. The Fogo Island article has 3 useful questions to ask the maker. For cutting boards and cookware, use the separate kitchen materials guide.

In an older house, use plaster and paint that suit the wall. When you buy new furniture, solid wood with a disclosed finish keeps the materials list short. If you choose composite board, look for recognised low-emission certification.