En Vacanes: Florence, Italy

Most of last week was occupied with our move from Charlottesville to Norfolk, but I'm temporarily escaping from home renovations to finish posting about our travels in Europe last month.  From the Tuscan farm where we stayed for four nights, we drove into the town of Siena know for its medieval cityscape and the running of the Palio horse race.  We spent the morning visiting local food shops on a guided tour by the Tuscan Wine School, sampling salty parma ham, sharp pecorina cheese, and their traditional sweet cake with nuts and honey called panforte.

Parma ham hangs above pecorina rounds in the mercato

From Siena we railed 90 minutes north back to Florence where, for the next four days, we would explore the city's rich history and celebrated art.  One of the highlights was walking up to the Piazzale Michelangelo where we enjoyed a bottle of Cab Franc and a glowing orange hued sunset over the River Arno.

Duomo of Florence in early morning

Rialto Bridge on the River Arno

Piazzale Michelangelo (a recplica of the original "David" statue)

arugula and pesto salad at Trattoria dei Quatrro Leoni 

Grilled mixed vegetables at 4 Leoni

We made our Florentine home away from home at the boutique guest house Casa Howard which is a completely renovated four floor masion house on the bustling Via della Scalla.  It's 15 foot iron gated door is next to the famous 16th century Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy.  Each of the twelve rooms are uniquely and often eccentrically decorated, showcasing the original tile floors and the orginal refurbished bathroom fixtures. 

The Library Guest Room at Casa Howard

Bathroom of Library Guest Room at Casa Howard

Our room (the Black & White Guest Room) at Casa Howard

Original bathtub and tiling in Black & White Guest Room

By our fourth and final day, we were both ready for something other than audio tours and battling hoards of tourists to catch a glimpse of art masterpieces.  We opted for a schedule-free morning wandering the side streets, dipping into antique, art gallery and clothing shops on the other side of the Arno.  My favorite stop was at the design studio and showroom of jeweler Angela Caputi, who has been creating one-of-a-kind costume jewelery in Florence since 1975.  Before finding a few beautiful pieces to take home with us, Angela's sister and business partner gave us a tour of the design rooms where we observed the talented Angela and her design assistants assiduously at work.

I love the bold red high gloss table against the black and white displays

Angela's sister displayed some of the necklaces for me to try on

summer 2011 collection

I loved all these colorful resin braceletes and bangels

Angela and her design assistants at work

The last night in Florence we abandoned our casual clothes for cocktail attire and caught a complimentary car service up to the spectacular Villa San Michele.  Nestled just northwest of downtown Florence in Fiesole, Villa San Michele is the crowned jewel that looks over the sprawling terra cotta roofed city and it's winding Arno River.   The building was originally a 15th century monastery with a decorative Renaissance facade attributed to Michaelangelo.  Our al fresco four-course dinner overlooking Florence was preceded with negroni cocktails in their meticulously manicured gardens. Oh la dolce vita!

Orient Express' Villa San Michele

Coco Couture

Catching up on the highlights from Europe's fashion weeks in Sunday's New York Times, I came across this ad for Chanel.  Wicker has never looked so chic, nor have I seen the classic Chanel camellia as a male accessory.  The black and white 2.55 purse may be worth breaking my shopping rule of no more Chanels in this shape.  Coco had such a vision in the early 1900s, and now with the mysterious and unbelievably talented Karl Lagerfeld at the helm, the French fashion house continues to demonstrate how black, white, and beige are simple, elegant, and glamorous combinations.  Here are some black and white interiors I like and for more, you must visit one of my favorite UK sites for color contrasting furnishings Black Orchid Interiors.  Most of their items are very affordable and they have a big inventory.  I love their black cashmere bar stools and their art deco mirrored bedside tables.  I will definitely be purchasing a few of their pieces once we are settled into our first house.

black and white rug meet black and white dog
(freshome.com)

simply decorated but the color contrast above and below the
chair railing gives it the wow factor; I also love
the pattern on the door's frosted window
(skonahem.com)

I like this circular mirror in an unexpected place
but don't you know it's rude to put your feet (foot) on the coffee table?
(jaquelinezinn.com)

  

glamorous bathroom,
the geometric tiling are balanced with the curved sink
(Elle Decor)

Mary McDonald interior, for more visit her site



Winging It

Chelsea wing chair
(casadiseno.wordpress.com)

I have never owned a wing chair, but I'm on the hunt for one for our first house.  There is something so elegant and regal about them.  Estate sales are one of the best places to start looking, but if that doesn't yield something I like, I might go true DIY.  I'll find a shape I like at a yard sale or on Craig's list, saving the money on the chair, and put it toward reapohlstering with a fabric of my choosing.  Elle Decor did a great piece on wing chairs in their December 2010 issue.  I'm thinking for my house I'll either do one statement wing chair, with a high back in a bold pattern and sleek shape, or a set of more traditional ones framing the fireplace.  Below are some other wing chairs for inspiration.  I'm hoping that soon enough we will have one (or two) on display in our living room.

I'm really drawn to art deco style black and white motifs;
these are a more modern take on a wing chair with a lower back
(2.bp.blogspot)

pale yellow and leather...i bet it feels like "buttah"
(apartmenttherapy.com)

The grey stone, the turquoise chairs, the pop yellow pillows...so fun
(thefrenchchair.com)

I usually don't like pink, but this set is so French and happy,
I would break my color rule for these
(John Kernick Photo)

a bolder fabric works for a more modern shape
(images.vandm.biz)



classic white wing chair with a zebra rug
(david jiminez and jose picayo photography)



Stoked

marble mantel and layerd mirros
Michael Bruno's Paris apartment
(citified.blogspot.com)

I grew up in a house with five fireplaces.  While we rarely used more than the largest one in our family room throughout the farily mild Virgnia winters, it has become tradition at Christmas to have fires burning in all four of the fireplaces on the first floor.  After the presents are opened over two pots of coffee and slices of my sister's homemade gingerbread, we prepare for our mid-day, three course Christmas meal.  Our family changes out of pajamas and assumes our posts:  mom and sister in the kitchen, dad bringing in firewood by the armload, and I take to tidying up the gift-giving aftermath.  I'm the OCD organizer in the family and my inability to leave messy spaces drives me to consolidating and compartmentaling boxes and bags into perfect piles by the places each of us sat.  A few hours later, the house filed with mouth watering aromas and fires crackling in the kichen, living room, and dining room, we sit down to feast.  The warmth and coziness of the fires in my parents country house is a comfort I want to bring to my first home.

(fancyhouseroad.com)

English country great room
(lodging4vacations.com)

One of the best features of our apartment in Charlottesville is a wood burning fireplace and lucky for me, my husband loves to make fires.  Here is our collection of oversized matches (perfect for lighting our Orvis fatwood and really getting the fire going.)  We keep left over Wall Street Journals and large matches by the hearth.

When my husband and I sat down to make our must-haves and our would-like-to-haves for our first home, working fireplace is high on our wish list.  Most of the homes we've seen built anytime before 1940 have beautiful fireplaces in the living rooms and we immediately ask our agent if it is a working, wood burning fireplace. More often than not the answer is in the affirmative.  In our first home I'd like the fireplace to be the focal point of the living room (not the tv!).  This can be accomplished by the way we paint (contrasting colors of black and white or dark grey and white are always a sure way to draw the eye) and by placing a statement mirror above the fireplace's mantle.  I have a gorgeous French antique mirror currently being stored in my parents' attic because of its size.  I cannot wait to debut it in our first house.  Depending on the size of the mantle, it can be another palate just waiting for decoration.  A statement mirror, perhaps some silver candlesicks balanced by an urn in a bold color.  But no matter what I decide to place on the mantle, I will let the fireplace truly light up the space.



farmhouse fireplace
(Avery Design Interiors)



dark wood floors and bright white fireplace
(decorpad.com)

plush purple sofa and a cozy fire, perfect apres ski spot
(Elle Decor)