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I met Sonia when we were both studying for a design degree in London.... she is making the most amazing stitched leather bags (from Italian leather, of course).
Sonia grew up in the Italian regions of Calabria and Tuscany.
Here's her personal memory of Italian country living:
Typical Country Decor
- The walls in Italian country homes are either whitewashed or painted in warm earthy pastels like apricot.
- Sometimes walls are painted or stencilled with abstract (floral) patterns as well.
- Framed pictures of saints on the walls, reminders of the Catholic religion, are an important part of country decor in Italy.
- Interior textiles in Italian country style homes are mostly made of cotton. Some bedcovers are thick damask weaves – whites, creams and yellows are used in the summer, darker oranges and deep reds in the winter.
- Bed and table linen is generally white in Italian country decorating, and often hand-embroidered in white as well (or in a pale color), with crochet lace borders.
- Crocheted cushions, table runners, blankets and bedcovers (mostly in white or ecru) are also typical of Italian country decorating.
Keeping Cool
- The window treatments pay tribute to the relentless summer heat: green-painted wood shutters open at the bottom and filter the light while allowing the air to come in.
- An afternoon nap is very important if you don’t want to pass out in the heat. People spend their nap alfresco, on the veranda under the pergola, or indoors on a recliner chair upholstered in cotton fabric. Every country home has one or two of those!
Materials
- Wood is an important feature in Italian country style homes, with exposed beams and wooden furniture. But in this part of the world you'll see more dark wood colors than in mid and northern Europe.
- Tuscan and Calabrian country style chairs usually have straw seats.
- Floors are made of locally sourced stone; either large flagstones or smaller squares. Fired clay is an alternative for floors: lighter terracotta or unglazed, deep Bordeaux red cotto tiles.
- A country kitchen-cum-living-room has a rustic, brick-built open fireplace and brown earthenware crockery. (But this isn’t where the cooking is done any more – those fabulous Italian bean dishes are now created on gas stoves.)
I don't know about you - I just had this fantasy of sitting outside a stone cottage, overlooking the Tuscan countryside, a plateful of good food and a glass of chianti on the table. (I wish...)
Postscript (2008):
Whishes do come true! I've just returned from a two-week work visit to Tuscany. And I have to admit ...
... before I went, I used to smile about all the people who were dreaming of owning a house in the Tuscan countryside. Now, I'm one of them. You'll see what I mean when you read some of the chapters on Tuscan Decorating Style.
Alternatively, you could of course keep yourself entertained with a little more research into Country Style. Try any of the following links:
Swiss Country Style
Swedish Country Style
Country Style Home Decor on a Shoestring
Creating Country Style in the City
Country Living Rooms
Country Bedrooms
Rustic Country Style Decor
Interior Rustic Pictures
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