Leaving behind a 30-year career in children’s fashion design in New York City, this spirited Malaysian from the small town of Gurun, Kedah has embraced the tranquillity of the Italian countryside with open arms.
“It is so beautiful here; there’s something about this place that just brings peace and calmness. What’s not to like?” she said in a Zoom interview with FMT Lifestyle.
Donning a headband and dark-blue overalls, Juna, as she prefers to be called, resembled Meryl Streep’s Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!”.
And like Donna, Juna is bubbly and has an infectious laugh. She loves getting her hands dirty, tending to her fruit and vegetable garden, managing her lavender field, caring for her bulldog Rocky, and embracing country life.
Blending Italian, American and Malaysian aesthetics, Juna is turning her rustic, 16th-century home in Poggibonsi, a small town an hour from Florence, into an Airbnb.
The house, decorated by Juna and her late partner Valter using recycled materials and old trinkets, looks like it was plucked from a European period film.
“I want all the items in the rooms to look like they belong there. I don’t want my guests to experience an Ikea showroom!” she laughed.
Juna moved to the US when she was 20 to study arts. Having enjoyed drawing and sewing from a young age, “making cute clothes came easily for me”, she said.
A friend in children’s fashion saw her drawings and convinced her to work as a designer. Today, she continues to freelance, keeping her creative spirit alive.
Her move to Tuscany in 2019 was driven by the need for change after a difficult divorce. She supported her ex-husband for 18 years, enduring financial strain and emotional turmoil.
“I was drowning in that marriage. I felt empty and hollow,” she admitted.
After her mother’s passing, she knew she needed to start anew. Watching the film “Under the Tuscan Sun” sparked an idea: “I told myself I was going to sell everything and buy a villa in Tuscany, just like in the movie.”
On a whim, Juna booked a vacation in Tuscany and, as fate would have it, stayed at an Airbnb managed by Valter. They became friends and soon began dating.
Juna remembers climbing a nearby watchtower during her vacation and telling herself, “What fortune if someone could live in a place like this.” She took a photo and made it her computer wallpaper.
After returning to the US, she began looking for a countryside home in Tuscany with Valter’s help. She came across a house online with three arched windows, and asked Valter to inspect it.
“The next day, I looked at the photo of the countryside I had taken a year ago. I couldn’t believe my eyes: there it was, the exact house I had asked Valter to inspect. It’s as if the universe had heard me.
“So I told myself, ‘This is it. I’m going to buy this house. It’s meant to be’,” Juna recounted. “I still can’t believe it happened.”
Sadly, Valter passed away recently; yet, Juna feels a strong sense of community in Tuscany.
“Everyone said, ‘Juna, if you need anything, just let us know.’ This reminded me of Malaysia, where neighbours help one another,” she said.
Indeed, she cherishes this sense of belonging and cameraderie. “I miss Malaysian food! I miss nasi lemak. And I miss the people there,” she said, adding that she tries to visit her family in Kedah every Chinese New Year.
Juna’s advice for those contemplating a major life change is grounded in her own experiences. “Know what you want, what feeds your soul. Be open-minded to change and accept whatever comes your way.
“If the situation around you cannot change, you need to change the way you think. You will be surprised how many things open up,” she concluded.
Follow Juna Law on Instagram.