Bring a Taste of Italy Home With 12 Design Touches
Every other year my family goes on that which we call a “big trip” For our last major trip, my husband chose Tokyo. We had a lot of pleasure — Japanese civilization is wonderful. This time around it’s my turn, and I’ve chosen Italy. I am Italian, and I’ve never been to Italy. My ancestors are calling, so I am prepared to answer the telephone. Got for a trooper, right?
I love Italian architecture, especially old Tuscan farmhouse style. I love Italian furniture, along with the fabrics just make my heart race. So you can imagine how excited I am for this particular excursion. There are many methods to deliver the very best of Italy to your house. Join me in taking a peek at some wonderful Italian touches.
Cecilie Starin Design Inc..
1. Textiles. The fabric on this armchair is called Fortuny, known for its developer, Mariano Fortuny. Born in Granada, Spain, Fortuny transferred to Venice and stayed there until his death in 1949. In his Venetian workshop, he designed textiles, costumes and lighting, and engineered the machinery which created his fabrics. His workshop still remains now in Venice as a museum.
Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home
2. Vintage furniture. That is a classic Florentine chest of drawers. The end includes gold leaf. This style of furniture has been common in the 1940s and ’50s. Other common pieces in this style are nesting tables, mirrors, picture frames, picture frames, and accessories, known as Florentine toleware.
Peter Vitale Photography
3. Rustic accessories. I really love this old bull’s mind across the range area. When I was a child, I loved going to the butcher. (I know, why? Not certain, but my family ran a deli, and I was always around meat) The butcher my family used was an old Italian guy, and he had a faux bull’s mind just like this one in his shop. This is a little touch that states old-world Italian to me.
Branca, Inc..
4. Formal dining room settings. I love setting the table. Some of my favorite things my mother ever gave me were several of my grandmother’s classic Italian tablecloths. I cherish these tablecloths and use them often for family dinners. This apartment in Rome is set beautifully with fresh bread, flowers and Italian linens.
Tiffany Farha Design
5. Al fresco dining. I really like eating out. A little table and chairs for collecting are great in hot weather. I find the notion of more hardscaping versus grass appealing for this purpose. There’s also the opportunity for low-water landscape layout with hardscaping.
Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc..
6. Loggias. A loggia is almost like being outdoors, but needless to say the collecting areas are coated. A loggia is a fantastic addition to a bedroom or dining area. This one includes groin-vaulted ceilings and hanging pendants.
Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc..
7. Gravel driveways. I really like the sound of gravel. It reminds me of home. Gravel is a low-cost and low-maintenance material. Available in many colours, it fits right in with Italian-style architecture.
Don Ziebell
8. Exterior stone. Common at the Italian countryside, rock exteriors exemplify rustic, casual living. I simply adore this architectural style. The imperfect, jagged stripes match my carefree side.
Kikuchi + Kankel Design Group
9. Olive trees. The sage green of an olive tree reminds me of my grandmother’s backyard. She used to grow berries and have olive trees. To this very day I think of her when I smell tomatoes on the vine. Olive trees can be found in non-fruit-bearing varieties if you do not like the mess of the falling olives. They’re also very hardy and require little water.
Stephmodo
10. A farm table. Picture this farm table using fresh fruits and cheeses, crisp bread and olive oil for dipping. Oh yes, and wine, a lot of wine. Now envision about 15 people cramed around the table together with all ages represented, from babies to 80-year-olds. That’s what my family’s dining area looked like when I was a child — dishes were practically a contact game. Farm tables, together with their rustic appeal, are great for gatherings.
Susan Newell Custom Home Builder, Inc..
11. Reclaimed doors. Using reclaimed materials is a win-win. They look great and add instant character to rustic Italian architecture. Doors with faded paint and rusty hardware are authentic, and you get to prolong the life of these beautiful architectural remnants for future generations.
CoorItalia
12. Terra-cotta roof tiles. On that exact same note, reclaimed terra-cotta roof tiles are my favorite detail in Italian style-architecture. Reclaimed tiles are the best looking in my opinion. The patina from years of weathering is really a bonus. Notice that the great combination of exterior rock and terra-cotta tiles. Now that’s Italian!