Eight years ago

Let’s celebrate together, 

the eight anniversary of my Blog.

On October 15th, 2008 my first attempt to write a post resulted in a short description of my intent…eight years later I still love to talk about Italy, books, art, old and new design, food, lifestyle.

Classical eye, contemporary flair: you can see them in some of my posts on different subjects. Clicking on the links below each image will bring you to my posts and from there to other posts and from there…well you know…

  

Houses

        

   How to...

 

  

  Lifestyle

  

Food

I Saloni, Milan

Interior Design Show, Vancouver

Movies

Travel

Designers

Books

Even if at times I have taken a few weeks or months away from my Blog I still love to read other blogs and I continue to post even if not as regularly as before.

I confess, a few years ago I started to use Facebook much more and...now I am addicted to Instagram, so you can see there is not much time in my life to be on all social media.

Pinterest is also a success, with more than 3500 followers
Returning to my blog...almost from the beginning I found my voice, or so I believe, being Italian, from Milan, being a designer...it was easy to choose my path: write most about Italian design or Italian way of life; not sure if I was truly successful but certainly I had many followers appreciating me.

So thanks to you, my dear readers, I am officially 
starting tomorrow my 9th year of Blogging!

©2016 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.  We love your comments! 

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us 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!

At Home with Stella Jean

Stella Jean is an Italian fashion designer, but she seldom designs her creations, not many drawings in fact… because instead she loves to play with fabrics until she produces what is already in her mind.

Stella’s father is from Turin, the mother from Haiti and she grew up in Rome!  No wonder that her house, which she shares with her antiquarian husband and their children, is very eclectic and full of colors.

Dining table is an original by Carlo Mollino, the superb architect-designer from Turin.  I love the trompe-l’oeil on the wall and the skirt on Stella paired with a simple jeans shirt is fabulous.


Black and White photography invites the eye to rest and it is always an elegant touch even in the most colorful surroundings.

A classic sofa becomes contemporary with a vivid color textile draped asymmetrically over it. What an inspiring idea!

A modern kitchen by Arclinea is ideal to prepare Italian and Haitian dishes.

Stella Jean with one of her colorful creations.

Photography of interiors by Helenio Barbetta

©2015 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.  We love your comments!
If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us 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!

Cabana, a Brillante choice

Ask any Milanese, including myself, about his city, …and you’ll have the same answer:  Milan treasures don't come toward you, but you must go find them. Same applies to the old generation of authentic Milanesi who never liked to show their wealth but cultivated more the taste for stylish understatement.

For all these reasons we consider Milan still like a "secret" city that wants to be discovered slowly and now an amazing tour of Milan’s hidden passages and fabulous residences could be found on the new biannual interiors magazine Gianluca Reina started publishing a year ago: Cabana.

In this era of mass market mentality, it is a real pleasure to come across a unique magazine that  is about style on many levels. Cabana explores the “intellectual and emotional intimacy with buildings and their surroundings … the intense relationship of thought, place and the person.”

All the amazing interiors reflect an intimate, comfortable feeling, which is the vision behind Cabana, as editor in chief, Martina Mondadori says in an interview:

“Not only big and grand rooms, but that corner, that detail, that object that makes a room feel unique and yet personal (…) People need constant inspiration and nothing more than a beautiful interior set can inspire you for the combination of colors, objects and materials (…) Cabana is an inspirational magazine, a snapshot of an ideal lifestyle where aesthetics have a central role. It is dedicated primarily to interiors (…)”

To give you an idea, one of those articles presents a story by Taiye Selasi, accompanied by the following photos by Guido Taroni.

 

A stunning home, full of fearless style and personality…somewhere behind the closed doors of Milan.

©2015 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.  We love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us 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!

Indoor–Outdoor

Now that the season allows it we can start living more outdoor and what is best than having a few friends over for a simple lunch on a terrace, a patio, a balcony or if we are lucky to have it…in a garden.

This beautiful house in the South of France can give us some inspiration, even if we live in a much smaller place, we can be inspired by the mix of styles, the palette, the use of simple objects to create a vignette.

 

The whole house presents a neutral and soft palette with pale greys and off-whites, powdery tones that allow the greenery outside to shine through large windows and to diffuse the strong light of long summers.

 

Last year I visited Luberon region, in the south of France and I was enchanted by L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Avignon, Uzès and the numerous brocante and antiquarians in the region, not to mention the flea markets full of treasures. I am sure that in this house some objects were rescued from those places, and they mix so well with contemporary or more expensive  pieces.

 

The classic Le Corbusier white leather chairs are produced by Cassina, the floor lamp is an original Serge Mouille. In the large living room there are also white linen sofas and XVIII century original decoration and antique accessories  blending so well with contemporary style.

 

Another floor lamp designed by Serge Mouille, near an antique small table.

 

Beauty sometimes is very simple, old stones, ivy, perennials, no need for vibrant colors, just quiet and harmony.

Photography by Nicolas Mathéus

©2015 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.  We love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us 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!

Paris: classic soul, contemporary function

In this elegant and charming Parisian apartment the classic soul of the building shines accompanied by contemporary comfort and style. Fireplaces, frames, millwork of late 1800 were restored to create a background for a young couple lifestyle. The sofa Groundpiece is designed by Aldo Citterio for Flexform.

 

Many pieces are vintage, like this amazing desk and the re-upholstered green chair in the main bedroom. The scheme color for the whole apartment envelope goes from off white to luminescent grey to charcoal grey. Great choice to make colored pieces pop unexpectedly.

 

Danish 1960’s chair surround a table made of oak and natural stone designed by Studio Double G, the unusual suspension light is Mykiss Fish by Minke Van Voorthuizen.

 

In the modern kitchen the cabinet has mirrored doors to maintain the antique atmosphere.

 

Another vintage discover at Flea-market Paul Bert: the red-orange leather chair and stool. A pop of vibrant color against the charcoal walls and millwork.

 

The bathroom is stunning, pure luxury, with a carved fireplace mantel, antique mirror, chandelier.

 

Devon & Devon tub, Stella faucets.

 

 

3 dimensional art on the wall, found at Marché Paul Bert, like the black leather chair and industrial lamp in the previous image.

The young couple has obviously a good eye in discovering treasures to add interest to an already stunning surrounding.

Photography by Helenio Barbetta

©2014 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.  We love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us 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!

Six Years of Blogging

Let’s celebrate together, you my faithful readers and I:

the sixth anniversary of my Blog.

On October 15th, 2008 my first attempt to write a post resulted in a short description of my intent…six years later I still love to talk about Italy, books, art, old and new design, food, lifestyle.

Classical eye, contemporary flair: you can see them in some of my posts on different subjects. Clicking on the links below each image will bring you to my posts and from there to other posts and from there…well you know…

 

Unusual houses

 

Art

 

Music (enjoy the concert)

 

Designers' houses

 

Artists' houses

 

Books

 

Old houses and new design

 

Travel

 

Milano

 

Venice

 

Food

 

How to...

 

Lifestyle

It has been a wonderful journey, through my Blog I connected with many people, I made friends, I received awards and recognition in the design world, I wrote articles for magazines, I discovered new paths, I learned every day something new and …most important…I had FUN.

A big thank you to all my followers.

 

©2014 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.  We love your comments!

If you need help to enjoy your home more, please send us 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!