Artist Sandro Chia returns to Italy

In a new book on Artist’s houses in Tuscany there is among others the house of Sandro Chia.
Near Montalcino, Tuscany, the internationally famous artist bought about twenty years ago a medieval  castle, a twelve-century fortress called Il Romitorio, on a hilltop, surrounded by oak  forests.  Here he spends time during the year when he needs a rest from frenetic New York or sunny Miami, also to reconnect with his native Tuscany, that he left for North America in the 80’s.
Original stones, fallen roof tiles and original beams were restored and reused to give new life to the castle, at the same time of the restoration the vineyards were planted and now, after several years, Il Romitorio produces fine  wines and grappa with the help of expert oenologists and tasty but light olive oil  comes abundantly from the surrounding olive groves.

The library with  large and well used bookcases, antique cotto floor

and charming pale green antique armchairs.

 

Sandro Chia’s paintings from 1980’s and 1990’s on the walls of the library.

The large living room with a gorgeous original floor restored to perfection, 17th century chairs,

a large tapestry and a wooden religious sculpture on the walls.

The attic was transformed in the artist’s studio, with a perfect light for

reading, meditating and working.

A luxurious retreat but with the unpretentious atmosphere of a country house, well lived and full of personality.

The book “Toscana, case d’artista” is written by Mariella Sgaravatti,  with photography by Mario Ciampi.

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section.  I love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.  It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

And the blanket goes to…

On a previous post (HERE) I was giving away two beautiful blankets kindly offered by Manito Luxury Silk: one Queen size silk blanket and one Baby silk blanket.

And the winners are…

Winner of the Queen size silk blanket in Camel color is Tamara of Delish Magazine (2nd comment received)

Winner of the Baby blanket is Peggy Braswell of Peggy Braswell Design (13th comment received).



 

Congratulations to both and thank you to all the other readers who took the time to comment.



©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section.  I love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.  It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

Timeless Gabriella Crespi

 

Gabriella Crespi, 1970’s

 Gabriella Crespi is turning 90 this year but her creations are still very young.

From Vogue Italia in the occasion of last September great retrospective exhibition in Milan:
“ Gabriella Crespi, a unique figure in the world of decor as were her furniture and objects. Curated by "our" Cesare Cunaccia together with Elisabetta Crespi, the designer's daughter and her assistant for years, the exhibition tells the story of this luxury craftsman through her creative process, who was born in 1922, and was particularly successful in the 60s and 70s. Her multifunctional furniture, often inspired by nature, and by precious materials have won, through decades, the hearts of people as the Shah of Persia, Gunter Sachs and Grace Kelly (…)”

Gabriella Crespi and one of her lavish metal sculptures.

Cesare Cunaccia says: "Gabriella Crespi's creative path is nothing but an urgency of the soul,  an even cathartic and necessary motion, until, at the peak of her career as an artist and designer, she decided to abandon everything to settle the inner conflict had torn her existence forever.   These extraordinary furniture, objects and sculptures, cannot be understood, as its double meaning of pure abstraction and emotional mirrors without first understanding Gabriella's personal story."

Brass and leather stools, one of her many innovative design.

 

She was the wife of  Giuseppe Maria Crespi, part of one of the richest family in Italy, with a huge textile empire and owners of the Italian major newspaper but she did not have a factory or even a studio. She made detailed drawings of her ideas and brought them to skilled Milanese artisans, woodworkers and metal smiths. 
But in 1987 she suddenly stopped. ''I rid myself of everything,'' she said. ''The showrooms, the warehouse, the Rome apartment, the house in Sardinia. Everything.'' Then she began searching for “the Truth” in India, following the ascetic Hindu holy men.  She still lives in her Milan apartment part of the year, but her life there is more spartan, her diet is vegetarian, and she has become more frugal. ''But rich inside,'' she adds.
Read more on Gabriella Crespi in this 2005 article on The New York Times.

2011 exhibition of Gabriella Crespi design at Palazzo Reale in Milan.

 

 

There is now a renewed interest in her designs, she used a vast range of materials:  metal, especially brass, bamboo, ivory, wood and marble to shells and gemstones. She produced mainly in the 1960's through the 80's, with forward and innovative pieces, furniture, accessories, jewelry, all signed and numbered, highly collectible.
You may remember this beautiful desk in Erin Lauder’s house, published in Elle Decor last year.

 

Timeless Gabriella Crespi!

Don’t forget to participate to my:

“TWO FABULOUS SILKY GIVEAWAYS” (HERE)

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section.  I love your comments!
 
If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.  It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

Brillante choice

Heart Cone chair by Verner Panton

 

In 1959, a few years before the explosion of pop art, Verner Panton introduced the Heart Cone chair, a variant of his previous Cone chair. Can you imagine that when the chair was exhibited in a shop window, in New York City, police had to order to remove it because of the chaotic traffic the futuristic, shocking chair created?!  The world of design has changed dramatically since then. Vitra has re-issued this iconic piece in collaboration with the Panton estate.

 

"Most people spend their lives living in dreary, beige conformity, mortally afraid of using colors. The main purpose of my work is to provoke people into using their imagination and make their surroundings more exciting." -Verner Panton

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things". If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section. 
I love your comments.


If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.
It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

Milan, where else?

From April 17 to 22 Milan will again host I Saloni, the annual exhibition of furniture, lighting, design, accessories that started 51 years ago and grows every year larger and better.
This year novelties: EuroCucina (everything for the kitchen, from cabinets to appliances to new technology) will have the addition for the first time of accessories related to food and conviviality and the general public will be admitted  two days, on Saturday and Sunday, to visit the Fair, while the other days will be, as usual, trade only.

As I mentioned in the past (you can check all my posts on I Saloni scrolling on the right side of this blog and clicking on the corresponding image) the Fair is just one aspect of the Design Week, the parallel “Fuori Salone” with events, exhibitions, theatre productions, lectures, not to mention parties given by major brands, will be a  way of immersing ourselves in the world of design and meet interesting people.

With Barnaba Fornasetti at Fuori Salone 2011

One of my favorite booths last year: Gervasoni

With Patricia Urquiola  at “Fuori Salone”2011,

 in the background Ross Lovegrove.

Riva 1920, gorgeous table at I Saloni 2011

Luxurios Donghia, at I Saloni 2011

An exhibition on the best designers at I Saloni in 2010

Fuori Salone 2010

See you in Milan?

Photography ©Albarosa Simonetti ; top image unknown source

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY “TWO FABULOUS SILKY GIVEAWAYS”

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE!

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things". If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section. 
I love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.

It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in.

Two fabulous silky giveaways

 
To a fortunate reader Manito Luxury Silk will send a Queen size silk blanket, valued at $ 299.00. Spring is coming so they will be just perfect for warmer nights.

 

Queen size silk blanket in Silverstone color

Manito’s silk blankets are 100% Mulberry silk with a simple, 100% silk border, unlike other brands which use polyester borders. Woven to be incredible soft, lightweight, breathable and warm.  Available in three colors: Camel, Rose and Silverstone.

***

A second fortunate reader will receive a Baby silk blanket, valued at $ 149.00, which can be also used as a throw on a chair, an extra layer at the foot of a bed or… for your furry friend if you wish (we know already that many beautiful accessories are “gone to the dogs!”)

 

Manito’s silk mini- blankets (36” x 48”)  are 100% Mulberry silk with a 100% silk border. Hypoallergenic and woven to be incredibly soft, lightweight, breathable and warm, they are the natural cuddle buddy for the little ones. Great as baby shower gifts! Available in three colors: Baby blue, Rose and Sage (Sage is a new color, not yet on Manito website). Due to the blankets’ unique, tightly woven design, you  will appreciate that they are machine washable.

Mini- silk blanket in Rose color

How to win? With simple two steps:

1) Browse Manito Silk website (HERE)

2) Come back to my blog and leave me a comment on the item you most like of their production: silk robes? blankets? duvets?… In the same comment please also specify the color of the blanket if you would be the lucky winner (please specify a color for Queen size and a color for Baby size). Since the giveaway is restricted to Canada and continental USA please tell me in the comment also where you live and don't forget to add contact information or a link.

I will randomly choose the Number 1 winner (Queen silk blanket) and the Number 2 winner (Baby silk blanket) and announce the names on Sunday, February 26th.
Keep sending me comments and keep your fingers crossed!

Good luck everyone!

Photography © Albarosa Simonetti

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things". If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section. 
I love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.
It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in.

Movie director Coppola returns to Italy

Five years to restore a 19th-century mansion, named Palazzo Margherita, and now finally famous movie director Francis Ford Coppola has another luxury hotel to add to the four others, this time in the Basilicata region, Southern Italy, in the same town, Bernalda, from where his grandfather immigrated to America. The hotel is situated on the town central square, with large front doors opening to a courtyard followed by a large garden with a swimming pool.
To restore and decorate the mansion Coppola asked the acclaimed French designer Jacques Grange to help, but he also asked his family to contribute to decorate the nine bedrooms in their personal favorite style so the rooms are very different from each other and create the feeling of entering a private home with lots of personality.

All bedrooms have hand-painted  walls and ceilings, sometimes with trompe l’oeil

as in the Sofia room, adorned with  delicate trellis.

Another corner of the Sofia room. As you can see Sofia Coppola and Jacques Grange

wanted to create a summer atmosphere, with pale, fresh colors and light wicker furniture.

Sheer curtains flowing in the breeze and leading to the terrace in Francis Ford Coppola suite,

in a more exotic style recalling Tunisia and Morocco. 

Can you imagine waking up in this room?

A common area, with walls covered in a rich Arts and Crafts Le Manach  fabric

 and dark ruby Murano chandelier, where to drink coffee and read the paper during the day.

Some rooms bring us back in time like in this image, have you noticed
the simple bouquet of flowers, coming directly from the garden and casually arranged?

Hand painted walls and ceilings are a feature of the whole hotel. Every detail was studied carefully, amenities and comfort abound, heated floors, media equipment, large pool, great common areas to relax, beautiful gardens…

A stunning Murano chandelier shines against faux marble walls.

Again a “new” sofa straight from the “past” and a simple arrangement of gladioli on a whimsical coffee table. Hand painted walls look like luxurious wallpaper.

(Funny that we say of a real rose “It looks like it is made of silk”

and of a fake one “It looks real”…just came to my mind after writing the above).

For Coppola the Palazzo Margherita is about family and in fact his daughter Sofia got married there last summer. In an interview she said: "It was such a great setting, our friends all gathered in the garden, and we had a small ceremony at the end of a trellis walk with rosé from my father-in-law's winery, Château Thuerry and Prosecco at the bar after."

Francis Coppola added: "When you are there, you get the feeling that you are in a real place, in the palazzo you are in heaven. You walk out the door and there is real Italy. In the evening, everyone is out, there are children everywhere. It feels very safe, and I find it a very pleasant and authentic experience."
I agree with him, even if most tourists from around the world prefer Tuscany as an Italian destination, there are many more places to visit in that country, equally beautiful or sometimes  giving you even more the true Italian life experience, like in this, till now unknown to me, small rustic town of Bernalda.

Photography by James Merrell

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things". If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section. 
I love your comments.

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.
It will be an investment in happiness at home, because a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!

2013 Venice Biennale and more on contemporary art

 Image by Marco De Scalzi

Like a bomb exploding on the Lagoon…Massimiliano Gioni will be the director, in 2013, of the
Venice Art Biennale. (On the left a painting by Elizabeth Peyton, on the right Gioni with a work of Paul McCarthy).

Not bad for a guy who is only 38 years old, who started with Flash Art magazine and revealed immediately a great talent for communication and the ability of easily wading through the difficult art world.

Image by Marco De Scalzi                                                         Image by Miranda July

Massimiliano Gioni’s curriculum is fabulous, just to name a few positions he was director of the 8th Art Biennale in Gwangju, South Korea, he is Head curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, he curated the 4th Biennale in Berlin together with Maurizio Cattelan and Ali Subotnick, he is the artistic director of the Fondazione Trussardi in Milan and on and on…

Image by Jason Nocito

Massimiliano Gioni with Ali Subotnick and  Maurizio Cattelan in Berlin, 2006.

Image by Marco De Scalzi

Massimiliano Gioni in Milan, at Manzoni Theatre, where an exhibition dedicated to the Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist was recently held. 

He has  also founded Family Business, a New York gallery in partnership with Maurizio Cattelan,  integrated into the Anna Kustera gallery and dedicated to new, previously un-exhibited artists.
Gioni was in Vancouver a few years ago, invited by the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver and I had the pleasure of listening to his brilliant lecture on contemporary art and to chat with him at the following reception hosted by Monica Reyes.  We all agreed that he was one of the most interesting personalities we had met, so young and so brilliant.

                                                                   *****

Talking about contemporary art…if you live in Vancouver and  have an interest in contemporary art or simply want to know more about art consider joining CASV, it will be an incredible experience meeting all those great art personalities.  Just last night we were invited by Bob Rennie, principal of Rennie collection,  one of the largest collections of contemporary art in Canada, to see the latest installation of Vancouverite Damian Moppett. It was very interesting to hear the long talk of Bob Rennie about his passion for contemporary art and later to be able to wander around the building, in working spaces and best of all in his private office, of course filled with art.
I wish I took pictures but I was too busy looking around, taking mental notes of furniture, art, objects and of course talking…!

Image by Rafal Gerszak

Image by Rafal Gerszak

Damian Moppett installing his pieces at Rennie Collection.

©2012 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".
 
If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send me an email.  It will be an investment in happiness at home, a well designed house is always a good part of a great life and a beautiful room will make you happy every time you walk in!
 
If you receive this post by Email and wish to leave a comment please click HERE and go to the comments section. You’ll make me happy!