3 Little Italian Houses

a little house in Spello

I had an epiphany this summer.  I knew how I wanted to spend my old age.  I was working painting a huge villa here in Foligno, it was hot all summer, suffocating and hovering around 40C./100 F.  I started waking up early to beat the heat.

Early one morning I was biking to work through the vacant streets, on my way I passed an old woman in her garden.  There in her garden was a little out building, a studio type structure with arched windows.  I instantly fell in love with her, the garden, and her studio (even if I think she actually had wood stacked in it).  Right then I knew and I made a big wish, that where ever I was in the world, when I grow old I want to have a little house, with a garden and a studio nestled in the garden.  Then I will go to work in my studio (doing whatever I want).  Every hour or two I’ll take a break and have a cappuccino or a cup of tea in the garden, maybe I’ll even cut some roses and put them in a basket.  Isn’t that just sublime?

right below the Basilica in Assisi waiting to be loved

When you look at these little houses, don’t you just want to fix them up?  That little house in Spello, is just begging for me to put some fuchsia bougainvillea climbing down from that roof terrace.  Oh man and what color would I stucco it?

in Sperlunga, Southern Italy in front of the Tereno sea

What is fun about this Diario di Design is that I am starting to have readers from many little corners the world.  It makes me happy to think of all you the creative types out there, working in your studios or dreaming of having a studio, and just working at your kitchen table.  Then there are some of you who are getting ready, to start thinking about working at your kitchen table. I hear ya!  Promise me you will at some point SOON get a cup of tea and think about it.  I confessed about my silly old age dream.

Happy December 10^th.

Natalie