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Tag Archives: Italy

Thinking About Walk-In Closets During Cambio Di Stagione.

April 3, 2013
Designers, Home Décor, Me Myself and I
4 Comments

Me:  “What are you doing this weekend?”

Friend: “Cambio di Stagione.”

Yes, it’s that time of year… we have to swap out our Winter clothes for our Spring/Summer clothes.

My friends in Italy who are fortunate to have enough closet space to avoid under-the-bed boxes, still do Cambio di Stagione.  Clothes that need to be dry-cleaned are dropped off.  Boots and other other Winter shoes are taken to the cobbler.

My closet is tiny.  I guess one benefit is even if I could afford to buy the clothes I want, I would have no place to put them.

As I get ready to Cambio di Stagione, I dream about more closet space.

Aerin Lauder's Manhattan Apartment Closet

Aerin Lauder’s Manhattan Apartment Closet

Photo: ELLE DECOR

Closet designed by Lee Ledbetter

Closet designed by Lee Ledbetter

Photo: Architectural Digest

Closet designed by Jodi Foster

Closet designed by Jodi Foster

Photo: Jodi Foster

J.Crew – “Shiny Ponies” and Italy.

March 13, 2013
Design, Designers, Fashion, Italy
8 Comments

I saw this short clip about Jenna Lyons and her shoe collection and had to write about it.

Jenna is the President and Executive Creative Director of J.Crew.   She has been with the company for twenty years.

Her aesthetic is deeply embedded in the company’s DNA.

They do take fashion risks but haven’t forgotten their core customers who love J. Crew for its cool take on classic style.  It’s the only American store where I can find jeans that fit my body.  J.Crew does have killer sales, which is great for some of their pricier items.

In the film, Jenna  briefly explains how their shoes evolve from a drawing to the store.  The shoes are hand-made in Italy.

Yes, you could buy knock-offs of these shoes at Zara for a fraction of the cost.

While the CEO of Zara is worth 57 BILLION  (the third richest man in the world) how much does Zara pay the people who make their shoes? How long would the shoes last?

I doubt they are paid anything close  to what the workers in Pisa, Italy are making for J. Crew.  The manufacturing sector in Italy, along with other Western countries, is facing serious challenges in a global economy.

However, one advantage Italy has is her artisans.  There’s a reason why companies from all over world chose to have certain items, like shoes, made in Italy.

Fast fashion is here to stay, but I’m glad there are companies like J. Crew who care about quality and profits.

 

 

 

Work In Progress – Country House – Tuscany, Italy

January 22, 2013
AGD, architecture, Design, Designers, Home Décor, Me Myself and I, Uncategorized
10 Comments

I was recently hired by the very talented architect Domenico Minchilli to work on the interiors for a home in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy.

Words cannot adequately express how excited I am about this project.

Chianti, Tuscany

Chianti, Tuscany

We have a mid/late Spring deadline.

One of the bathrooms post demolition.

One of the bathrooms post demolition.

Early on, I started to pull images for an inspiration board on Pinterest. Some of the images came from books in my library, photos from my travels, or from my favorite websites. Originally, I had over sixty-five images. It was a great visual tool and helped me see the big picture. I kept that version of the board private so I could show Domenico what I was thinking.

Once I had a clearer idea of what the client wanted/needed for their home, I put together a mood board in Photoshop for each room. There has to be a separate post about Photoshop… DRAMA.

Fabric for sofas and chairs.

Fabric for sofas and chairs.

I had written a much longer post but deleted it. It was way too sappy.

However, I will say I’m thrilled to be working with such an incredible group of people and that 2013 is off to a great start.

My Word For 2013… Si

December 30, 2012
Italy, Me Myself and I, Rome
4 Comments

A few days ago I met my friend Annie for a coffee.  She was super busy this year and we were finally able to get together and catch up during her low season.

I told Annie how since September I’ve spoken more Italian than in the previous three years.  I was joking when I said my “word” for 2013 should be “Si”.   Then we thought about it and realized it’s a perfect word.

When I mentioned this to another friend, she said, “Uhm, hello, wasn’t your word last year, ‘yes’?”

It was.  However, “si” is different.

Until recently, I was living in an English speaking bubble.  I do have Italian friends (all speak several languages), but I worked only in English.  I’m not married to an Italian and I had no reason to speak it everyday, which is bizarre given I live in Italy!

Now that I’m suddenly working in Italy, everything has changed.  My getting-by-Italian is fine for dinner parties and ordering food in restaurants.  It’s a problem when I have to order meters of fabric for customs drapes and sofas.  It’s important that I’m clear and able to communicate with the artisans I’m working with.

Already, I feel a whole new world is opening up to me because my language skills have improved. I dream in Italian sometimes.  In one of those dreams Idris Elba was also speaking Italian but I digress.

As I explained in my post last year, I tend to over think things.  In 2012, I said “yes” a lot more often and took some financial risks (going to the Salone, buying Photoshop, etc.)  It wasn’t easy to step out of my comfort zone but I’m glad I did.  2012, on a personal and professional level, was a much better year than 2011.

I’m excited about 2013 and hope that the momentum from the last few months carries over.

 

Work In Progress – Prati Apartment – Rome, Italy

September 23, 2012
AGD, Design, Home Décor, Italy, Rome
2 Comments

Last week I was hired to decorate an apartment in Rome.

This is my first project in Italy.  I’m excited but also a little terrified.  Now I must speak and work in Italian.  While many vendors speak English, there are quite a few people I’m working with on this apartment, like the contractor, who do not.

I need get over my fear of communicating in Italian and just do it.

The décor is going to be understated Hollywood Regency based on our consultation and the pieces my client already owns.  I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but it just means that some of the over the top elements of the style will be toned down.  Sometimes, one can have too many mirrored surfaces!

The bones of this large apartment are absolutely stunning, as is the terrace. The layout is more formal than the other projects I’m working on.

I tend to use strong colors as accents, not on the walls, so some of the rooms will push me out of my comfort zone which is a good thing. After all, it’s not my apartment, it’s the client’s.  I want my client to have a home that they love and that reflects their personality.

Due the nature of my client’s work, I won’t be able to publish photos of their apartment.

However, I have started an inspiration board, which is HERE.

Stylish Simplicity – A Bike – Marina di Pietrasanta, Italy

September 10, 2012
Design, Italy, Travel
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At some point I will post about my first trip to the Tuscan coast. It’s been a little bananas during the last two weeks.  Summer is really over.

There were bikes all over Marina di Pietrasanta.  It’s very bike friendly.  My hotel had bikes but because I haven’t been on one in ages, I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.

However, next summer I plan to rent a place somewhere in the area, so I better get over my bike issues.

I love the simplicity of this bike.  Excellent form and function.

Bike, Marina di Piestrasanta

These bikes have too much going on.  What’s with the fur?  Of course they were located in Forte dei Marmi.

Fancy bikes, Forte dei Marmi

Buon Weekend – Il Rientro

August 31, 2012
Anguilla, Caribbean, Italy, Me Myself and I, Music, Rome
5 Comments

After a very long summer, Il Riento is upon us.  My friend Erica wrote eloquently about the return of vacationing Italians HERE.

I hope everyone had a great summer.  Mine was weird.  Seriously.  Next year there WILL be some changes.

For example, next time I go Anguilla I will not work the entire time.

Meads Bay, Anguilla, BWI

I will not spend hot ass August in Rome.  Instead I hope to rent a place near Marina di Pietrasanta.

Room with a view, Marina di Pietrasanta

I went to the Tuscan coast last weekend for my birthday.  It was my first time there (pics later).  It was lovely.  I wish I could have stayed longer.

Not sure if this song was a hit in America, but it was huge in Europe. It will always remind of this summer.

Buon weekend a tutti!!

 

 

Snapshots: Rome – Ferragosto Lunch

August 15, 2012
Italy, Me Myself and I, Rome
4 Comments

It’s Ferragosto, one of the major Italian holidays.

The city has pretty much cleared out except for tourists and people who work with tourists.

One tradition I fully support is the Ferragosto lunch.  This year my friend Erica and I decided to Treat. Our. Selves. and have a proper lunch at one of our neighborhood places Pierluigi.

Unfortunately, it was so outrageously hot, we sat inside.

We also sat next to rapper/singer Frank Ocean, which was definitely one of my more random celebrity sightings.

It is NOT a holiday in the States.  I had to work today and have a conference call tonight (the L.A. time difference can be a killer sometimes).

That said, meeting a good friend for a delicious lunch is a wonderful thing.

Buon Ferragosto a tutti!

Io Adoro – Wonderfool, A Spa/Concept Store In Rome

May 11, 2012
Commercial Interiors, Fashion, Io Adoro, Italy, Personal Shopping, Rome
7 Comments

Filippo Cosmelli of IF Lifestyle Management suggested I check out Wonderfool when I asked him for some advice regarding one of my personal shopping clients.

Prospero Di Veroli, a former advertising executive on Madison Avenue, has created a beautiful space dedicated to well-being and style.

I’ve heard people rave about the spa services.  Originally the store was a men’s boutique and spa. In 2009 Wonderfool began to offer spa services to female clients as well.  While the décor has a luxurious, understated masculine vibe, the prices for the spa are moderate.

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Prospero has a brilliant eye and finds interesting things to sell in Wonderfool.   I like that he champions unique artisan designers, like Natusko Toyofuku.  Wonderfool is also the only store in Rome that sells Orlebar Brown swim trunks (Daniel Craig, in Casino Royale).

The scarves by Rome-based Wilma Silvestri are gorgeous and made with vintage fabrics.  I must buy one of the Chez Dédé totes.  I will be writing a separate post about those.  There is a tailor on site who makes made-to-measure suits and shirts.

I’m so glad I “found” this store and look forward to bringing my clients to Wonderfool.  However,  I need to stay away because every time I walk in I buy something.   This is a problem.

Wonderfool

Via dei Bianchi Nuovi, 39

00186 Rome

http://www.wonderfool.it 

I Know There Is Beef Between Milano And Roma But…

May 2, 2012
Italy, Rome, Salone del Mobile, Travel, Uncategorized
4 Comments

I have to say I had a great time in Milano.  I don’t think I could live there with all the fog and smog.  It’s too cold during the winters (ten years in Los Angeles, has clearly thinned my blood) and too grey.

The “rivalry” between Rome and Milan is similar to the one between San Francisco and Los Angeles.  I swear when I hear Milanese talk about Rome it sounds like a person from San Francisco complaining about flaky Angelenos. Meanwhile many Angelenos say San Francisco is a fake New York and needs to get over itself.

The vibe in Milan is completely different from Rome’s. As a Milanese friend said to me once, “Milan is an European city. Rome is an Italian city.”

It’s a smaller city, with Milan’s city limits population at 1.3 million compared to Rome’s 2.8 million.  Milan is the business, fashion, media/advertising, and design capital of Italy and many international companies like Google and Sony base their Italian offices there.

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One thing that cracked me up was that every single cab driver (I took a lot of cabs thanks to the strikes. Sigh) told me they thought Rome was beautiful but could never drive there.

When people who drive for a living tell you a place has insane drivers, one must pay heed.  One cab driver said, “Look at this traffic!  See how we have lanes here and it’s orderly?  That doesn’t happen in Rome.”  I learned to drive stick in Rome and had to agree with his observation.

I’ve often heard that the Milanese were not friendly.  That wasn’t my experience at all.  Maybe everyone I met was in a good mood because of the Salone?

On Saturday morning I was looking for a textile showroom located on a small side street not far from the stock exchange. I couldn’t get over how quiet it was. I felt like I was in NYC’s Financial District.  At 10:30 a.m. Rome is already crowded with tour buses and huge groups of tourists following a tour guide holding an stick/flag/umbrella.

When I saw Cattelan’s (one of Italy’s most famous contemporary artists) piece, I gasped.  I could not imagine a work of art like that on Wall Street, especially as the finger is being given to us, the public.  I thought it was a very astute comment on the financial meltdown of 2008.  When it was unveiled many business people were not pleased but the mayor stood firm.  It was only supposed to be there for a month.  It might remain in its current location until 2013, then moved to a museum.

Next time I go to Milan, I hope I have time to see some art. And the Prada flagship store.

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