Pia Baroncini — entrepreneur, creative director, and podcast host — lives in her childhood home in the historic, leafy Los Angeles enclave of Pasadena, California, with husband Davide, daughter Carmela, mother Margit, and a new litter of puppies. Mama energy permeates their household, and that suits Pia just fine. “I appreciate spending more time with my family,” she says. “I’m learning that the practice of finding ways to implement quality time in your everyday life is key to maintaining happiness.”
A poignant homecoming
This idyllic, old world life comes from a confluence of happy and sad events. After the couple met in the most modern way — Davide DM’d Pia on Instagram with a message that read “You look interesting,” she recalls, smiling — their courtship was quite traditional. Davide, who was splitting time between Sicily (where he was born) and New York City, came to LA, and the pair recognized they were kindred spirits.
After a whirlwind romance, Davide moved to LA. Two weeks later, Pia’s father passed away. The couple quickly decided to purchase her childhood home, moving into the house with Margit, who had lived there for 37 years. The couple married in the backyard in 2019 and settled into life and work.
And there’s no shortage of that. In addition to being the creative director of the fashion brand LPA, Pia oversees two companies with Davide: Ghiaia Cashmere, a clothing brand, and Baroncini Import & Co., which sources Sicilian olive oil.
Carmela arrived in 2021.
Becoming a mom reaffirmed Pia’s choice to live in a multigenerational home. "It honestly feels natural," she says. "Being around others and navigating through various personalities and opinions is important to me and important to the growth of my daughter. She is so loved. Hopefully, it will teach her the value of family.”
“We care for each other. No one is more important than the other — it's a unit."
Davide is equally at home. "The first baby that we made together lives in this house, and Margit is the connector of the previous life that this house had," he says. “I would not want to live anywhere else."
While many might see this arrangement — living with one’s mother as an adult — as being fraught with complications, Pia sees it as a gift and an opportunity. “I know most people would never consider something like this, especially after we were just married and so soon after my father passed,” she says. “But having a child ourselves, it is everything. Carmela has a grandparent present to share in so many memories, even if it is simple things like doing her hair.”
When asked what being a mom means to her, she responds, “Being a mom means having an expanded heart, and expanded patience (lol).”
The evolution of home
The house’s aesthetic, which Pia describes as “meaningful,” is a work in progress. The original structure was one story with three bedrooms and two baths. Pia’s parents eventually added an upstairs primary suite to accommodate a blended family of seven.
Pia and Davide are committed to keeping the original details they love, such as a cozy living room with a fireplace and the kitschy Virgin Mary artwork. At the same time, they are eager to update some rooms, including the expansive kitchen and primary suite. (Pia is not a fan of the brown backsplash tiles and is testing new paint colors.) But, overall, she has come to appreciate the house as a whole in a way she could not while growing up here. “I think I took a lot of things for granted,” she says. “Like the bathtub. It has become a special place for me to escape.”
The couple and Margit are slowly updating the home with items they source from auctions and from Italy, as well as vintage pieces to blend in with what exists. “It's a cool combination of everything that's very meaningful," Pia says.
A celebration of family
The home is the site of most holidays and reminds Pia why she wants to live there. "I am the youngest of five kids, and Davide is the youngest of six," she explains. "The first thing we thought when we moved here was, 'How do we keep these holiday gatherings going?'”
The house continues to be the place where everyone comes to cook, drink, and hang out. Mother's Day is a chance for the family to express gratitude while setting a layered, lovely table. The day's main events are a yummy brunch and the exchanging of meaningful gifts. It’s a time to relax and enjoy each other's company without distractions from work or other outside commitments.
Old and new traditions matter here. The table is set with the pieces Margit has collected over the years, from Royal Copenhagen china to an assortment of vintage glassware. But Pia and Davide will add more casual spatterware to keep things from getting too fancy.
The meal is full of family recipes and will include olive oil from Baroncini Import & Co. Heirloom vases and pitchers overflow with Pia's favorite flowers, such as peonies, a perfect bloom to celebrate mother and May. A present exchange includes homemade cards from Carmela and some chocolate-covered strawberries.
The power of flowers
Even when it's not a special occasion, the family fills its home with flowers. To Pia and Davide, they are a way to communicate and show gratitude. "Nature always gets me fired up," Pia says. "I'm a big flower lover. On our refrigerator is a note about the flowers Davide gave me that happened to be on the day we found out I was pregnant. It was a huge bouquet of white flowers with a note that said "Ti amo" (“I love you” in Italian).
What makes flowers special to Davide is that they have the power to convey a wide range of emotions. “Whether it's one flower or 300, they can express love, empathy, affection, or sadness. Flowers are great communicators."
Pia has vivid memories growing up of flowers being a powerful expression of love. "My dad always got flowers for my mom and me. Not many dads buy their daughters flowers, because it's seen as a romantic gesture, but my dad always did that for us. Before Davide, I never dated a man who gave me flowers."
Davide adds, "Flowers have nothing to do with status or access. Everyone can give flowers."
AUTHOR
Kerstin Czarra is a writer/editor covering design, culture, and entertaining for publications like domino, T Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and others. She resides in Los Angeles, and her dream interview will forever be a tie between Joe Strummer and Agatha Christie.