www.umamimami.wordpress.com for more blogging fun
www.tuscaninteriors.us for upscale, Italian Interior decorating
Because I can. Wednesday, Oct 28 2009
Italian Décor - General and Rant and Travel and Uncategorized Food, Foodie, Interior Decor, Travel, Umami, Umamimami 9:43 am
Interior Glow – Guest Bedroom Tuesday, Sep 15 2009
Italian Décor - Art and Italian Décor - General Busatti fabric, Fratelli Taccini Art, interior decorating, Paganelli furniture 9:25 am
Rich golden hues set against the neutral of the room. The bed was custom-made by Paganelli of Umbria, Italy. It is hand-distressed, lacquered Italian walnut in a queen size. It also has the matching nightstand.
The art above the bed between the posts is Ballo by Fratelli Taccini. Surrounded by greens and doves, it depicts a scene reflected by the artist Alessandro Taccini when he was in Spain. During a street festival, a younger man asks a more mature woman to dance. She declines, urging him to dance with someone his own age. He persists and she reluctantly accepts. As their dance progresses, the woman remembers the long-forgotten moves and the feelings of her youth and a time gone by and once again lives in those moments. It is a piece in solid terra cotta, accented with real gold leaf and Alessandro’s signature tree of life.
The linens on the bed are from Busatti‘s Avignone collection. In golden linen and cotton, the fabrics have a suble sophistication and elegance. The throw at the end of the bed has the hand-crocheted lace for which the Italians are famous. Sheeting is pure Irish linen, very fresh and soft to the touch, but not the cheap fibers that break apart and fuzz up after one use. These pieces will last a lifetime!
Panels on the bed are also of the Busatti fabric. The pattern is Giglio: 100% linen in an exquisite pattern. What makes this fabric perfect for the bed is that it is mildly opaque, lending its jacquard pattern only in gentle lighting. Thus the pattern does not overwhelm the room.
This room becomes warm and inviting with comfort and elegance. Its casual play with light and art give make it a place you can find immediate respite.
The Art of Fratelli Taccini Saturday, Jan 3 2009
Italian Décor - Art and Italian Décor - General Ceramic Art, Fratelli Taccini Art, Italian Art, La Coccinella Gallery & Home, Tuscan Interiors 11:18 pm
Fratelli Taccini
Fantastico! This magnificent piece is one of my favorites. It is the epitome of high Rafaelesque style, a signature of the Fratelli Taccini Studio in Vinci, Italy. It has been with me through my whole experience with this shop, being featured in showhouses, magazines, and in the boutique.
Fratelli Taccini is composed of 3 brothers: Alessandro, Vittorio, and Fulvio. For six generations, their family has elevated the Renaissance-inspired Rafaelesque style of maiolica to glorious heights! Their art is sought the world over for its sacred, contemporary, rustic Tuscan, and of course, Rafaelesque styles, having been exhibited from the Vatican to the World Expo in Aichi, Japan.
No piece of their works stands without garnering attention and admiration. The tone is generally happy and reflective upon the influences of Italy, Tuscany in particular. The palatte is bright and vivid. The artists’ inspiration is conveyed implicitly and with slight emotion.
I would not be afraid to have any of their pieces center the room. Rather, they are meant to be seen and felt. Any pieces that are tucked away would be a tragedy. In this sense, the art is a departure from anything else that I have had in the boutique. Everyone who has seen the art is inspired and instantly recognize the mastery by which they were created.
Choose these pieces with confidence that you will be inspired by the depth of their histories and the clarity by which the artist has sent his message.
Go to www.tuscaninteriors.us to be inspired by the range of their works.
La Coccinella Gallery & Home is honored to be the only gallery in the world to represent Fratelli Taccini art.
Deruta Ceramics – what I look for… Friday, Nov 21 2008
Italian Décor - General Add new tag, Deruta ceramics, Italy Décor 11:28 pm
There are many wonderful Italian ceramic producers. Whole towns in Italy are dedicated to the craft. One of the standouts is Deruta. They style of this town is bold colors, traditional styles. But, how do you chose amongst the storefronts, laden with all types of shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns?
Quality.
Everything will be hand-painted and hand-made. Make sure it is completely produced in Italy. Just like the Burano lace, the Venetian glass, and most of the items you find in the ‘flea markets’ around Italy, they are most likely produced in other countries. You have to be diligent and careful. You don’t want to pay quality, hand-made prices for cheaply made knockoffs!
As far as aesthetic, I go for clean lines, intricate designs, faithfulness to tradition, well-executed themes (i.e. paintings of people have to look sophisticated, not caricatures), and to be honest, good people. Most every storefront is backed by a family. You have to trust the family to deliver what they say they will, to provide the quality they say they have, and to do good business. Not every family can boast this. My favorites are Ubaldo Grazia (duh!) and Sberna.
See what I’m talking about: www.lacoccinella.us
I strive to find the best and what is represented is instantly recognizable as representative of what Deruta offers. There are other towns, but I haven’t found their styles compelling…yet.
La Coccinella Gallery & Home Wednesday, Nov 19 2008
Italian Décor - General Add new tag, Italian Décor - General, La Coccinella Gallery & Home 8:12 pm
Color…you can do it! Thursday, Nov 6 2008
Italian Décor - General Italian Décor - Color 10:41 am
I look around my boutique and see only bold colors and lively, elegant patterns. This is Italy. Never in one house would you find so much visual stimulation, but geez, it is a shop! So, how would one incorporate these lovely pieces, so exquisitely hand-crafted and reminiscent of the Renaissance, into one’s rather American abode? To quote a great sporting apparrel company, “Just do it.” (I’ll probably get sued or something for just saying that! To you lawyers out there contemplating such: Get a life. Rather sarky of me, huh?!?)
Really, if you are trying to match your walls to your sofa to your rug to your Italian home décor, forget it. I totally respect pulling a color here and there, but it is dark and boring to make your room so homogeneous.
Visualize with me: white (OMG!) walls, exposed beams in the ceiling, terracotta flooring, large doors, large windows. Simple enough, right? Add a couple of large, classy case goods, possibly from your beloved Memaw, accent with a pop of color, possibly a couple of nice pieces of pottery hand-painted from Deruta. Arrange on the nearest table, nightstand, or even cooly arranged on the otherwise barren wall. I am sure you have a nice, comfy, upholstered chair in there for curling up and book reading. Does it have, perchance, the Tuscan fabric from the House of Busatti on it? Lucky you. Enjoy.
What to do if you have a house that is not in Tuscany?: lower ceilings, walls with a bit of color, crown moulding, modern furnishings with veneers, and filled with stuff from many of your previous bright ideas. My suggestion is to clear out the outdated stuff you haven’t touched or looked at in over a year, making a lovely donation to those who can really use it (clearing out about 40% of the room too!), put a new eye on it, and add sparingly. What you will see is that an added burst of color is a delightful surprise. Let your attention be drawn to the interesting accent that you now have the space to singularly appreciate. Let your mind be curious about the piece…its origins…its creator…its history…its function…its beauty.
I never wanted the items in the boutique to be shoved wholesale into one house. Way too overwhelming. I wanted every item that you find to be interesting in its own right. Whether it was created for its traditional Italian craftsmanship, bold colors, reminiscent of the glorious Renaissance, its historical significance, or beauty that only speaks Italian. Look at everything. Pick what encourages your mind to play or feels right to your aesthetic.
To this end, I sincerely encourage you to buy quality. Quality lasts through time and trends, and is immune to the Spring-cleaning ritual. Let the quality speak. Let the color stand out.
Your decorator at Tuscan Interiors awaits…
Ciao!
Italian Décor…in a nutshell Monday, Oct 27 2008
Italian Décor - General Add new tag, Italian Décor - General 5:29 pm
Of course, there is no one definition of décor in Italy, just as there isn’t one here. There is a strong trend among the newer households toward the ultra-contemporary…very clean lines, solid color, Euro-clean. There are quite a few hotels cropping up in Italy in this style, which I am quite comfortable in, so there’s no knocking it.
For a home, however, I don’t appreciate this look quite as much as I favor the traditional…old mixed with new, family memories intwined with quality décor. This perspective tends to crop up in the rural, converted farmhomes, the palazzos, the villas. I think that THIS is what people abroad associate with Italian. We don’t travel to Italy to immerse ourselves in Crate & Barrel, as much as we like its functionality for our own homes. We seek the ’traditional’, that is, unique pieces worked by hand, utilizing the techniques that can only be perfected under the tutelage of ancestors and with time. Whether this is in wood, iron, ceramic, linens, or even art, we know when we have something special, something we care for a little bit more than our throw-away pieces for which we can get a write-off when we are done with them.
Here’s the general philosophy behind this ‘look’: well-made pieces turn into antiques as they are passed down through the generations. The younger owners then incorporate these older pieces in with the newer as needed, thus a blended look. Italian is heavy on functionality. If it doesn’t do anything, then “Why???” (Italians ask me that a lot, like I can speak for George W. Bush or convince them that all Texans don’t walk around in boots. Dude, don’t ask me, I just live here.)
Another facet of the ‘look’, that I want to emphasize to all designers who THINK they can do Italian, is that it is spare. In a relatively large room, with high ceilings and exposed, rough beams, there is not much in there. Put in your antique to center the room, add functionally. Don’t clutter the room with knick-knack here, inexplicable balls of whatever there. Simple, warm, and functional…all the while, blending your history with a touch of the present.
How was your trip to Italy? Friday, Oct 24 2008
Italian Décor - General and Travel Add new tag, La Coccinella Gallery & Home, travel to italy 8:55 pm
Those who know me, know that I am a pretty private person. Those who don’t know me, think that I am pretty outgoing. I am a mess of contradictions, and for some reason, there are people out there that love me! I am not going to pretend that this blog is confidential. So, no deep psycho-analysis going on here. Just a happy, playful rant. If you can’t have fun and be nice, read something else.
Anyways, I, unfortunately, told too many people about my trip to Italy. They are all well-meaning, nice people that I know, who are somehow associated with my shop. And, normally, I don’t mind the question, “How was your trip…” But, this last adventure was a little rough, making the answer to the question somewhat dicey.
During this trip, I fought, I fended off advances, I was stopped by the police, I froze in Chianti, I was propositioned like I was a hooker, and I missed my flight. None too nice for the usually oblivious American tourist-type. However, as a female travelling solo, we have to toughen up a bit.
Do you really want to know the details? OK, I will share just a few…;-) Well, there are a couple of incidents that I didn’t understand, and a couple that were completely justifiable. Why I was stopped by the police, I don’t know. I was on a main street, I turned the corner, and they stopped me, asking for “Documents.” I didn’t even know what that meant…will a driver’s license do? They asked me what I did, where I was from, when I was going home, and then…’OK’. Why they stopped me, I don’t know. I went on my way. At lunch I said that I was stopped by the Carabinieri, to which they asked, “Show me your ticket.” I didn’t have a ticket. They didn’t give me one. Haha. “Show me your ticket.” I said, “Why would they give me a ticket?!? I was just walking!!!” Ohhhhh, it seemed to make sense now, though not to me. The next statement was…”Be careful, they are Italian.” Pots and kettles, I say.
Another incident was outside a florist. She was late coming back from lunch. I weighed my options and decided to wait, rather than going back to the hotel and coming back. Sitting on the stoop, I was idly playing with my phone. Suddenly, some guy comes up to me and says “Hi” in Italian. I look up and say, “Hi” to be polite. I didn’t know him. I look back down. Then he continues on, saying something, but I wasn’t interested. I then said, “No, thank you.” Oh, you speak English! Not getting a clue, he says something in English like, “I am interested in talking to you…I want to go for coffee with you…If you want to go to dinner, I am ready for that…Hey, I want to talk to you!…If you want to go to a movie, I am ready for that too…If you need money, I have money.” Blah, blah, blah. Then, suddenly, he said, “OK, I am leaving now. Goodbye.” What was THAT?!?! What bothered me is that he was pushy and didn’t take a clue. What was his problem? I was getting a little scared and started to get that ‘stranger danger’ feeling. I texted my husband to call me. Fortunately, my Italian babbo, Alessandro called. I managed to parse together that there was a not-so-nice man bothering me. He told me to go to the Studio, a place where I feel safe and comfortable. But by that time, the guy was gone. My husband called. I was starting to feel better. Then, Andrea, Alessandro’s son, drove by, making me feel even more comforted. It was a disturbing thing. My only conclusion by the fact that they guy said he had money (yeah, right.) made me think that he thought I was an ‘escort’. Brother…use your ‘money’ and buy some class.
I missed my flight because the hotel gave me a wake-up call an hour AFTER I requested. What I don’t understand is why did they bother calling me at all? What good is a call an hour later? Fortunately I was up already, unfortunately, I wasn’t up early enough. The problem with me missing the flight is that the airline industry is so tight now, I initially, couldn’t get back home until 5 days later. Less flights, no ticketing offices, over-booked flights…you can imagine. To compound the problem, I am a girl. I can’t travel without an army of heavy luggage. I have gotten smarter: I start the trip with less, but I always end up with more bags that I planned. So, to miss a flight is tough. I had to get a new flight, new rental car, new hotel – all while feeling safe and in control. I cried. I was frustrated. Somehow my husband got me through. I ended up, after using all of my calling card minutes to the US, finding an intinerary that got me back home only 2 days later than I had planned.
Some good, some tough. I am probably better for it all. Italy is changing. I can’t even say if it is for the better. All that I can say is that the lovely, high-quality, unique, hand-crafted items that we have come to appreciate from Italy are becoming rarer and rarer. I would rush to La Coccinella Gallery & Home ASAP, if I were you…;-)
Introducing…Tuscan Interiors by La Coccinella Gallery & Home Monday, Oct 20 2008
Italian Décor - General Add new tag, Italian Décor - General 7:52 pm
Ricamo oil jar - Fratelli Taccini
Hello!
I am introducing this blog as a venue for perspectives on Italian interior decorating. As we are rolling out Tuscan Interiors as a interior decorating arm of La Coccinella Gallery & Home, we thought it would be helpful for you to get to know our experience and knowledge of the fine products, great companies, and interesting people we have encountered.
This may turn into a rants and raves point and pretty self- indulgent, but I hope you find something that interests you.
I am here, so let me know what interests you in Italian décor!
Ciao,
Krista
