Almost Christmas



Winter Solstice

It is the darkest night of the year.

From now on it starts getting lighter.

Making a Forest Christmas Wreath



I'm now on the “Flipside”.
All the way across the world in Cali (California).
I got my freedom.
We are moving into a tiny cottage and I don’t exaggerate when I say tiny.  Now the Simple Life will be truly tested.

Big News



Sette Design
The Simple Life (ha!)

Hello my darlings.

Do you like to be shocked and surprised?

I hope you answered YES.

The girls and I have moved from Italy to California.

After 12 years abroad we are now moving back home to start a new adventure.
IT IS SO EXCITING!

Sette Design

Cheers,
Natalie

Painted Ceiling in Perugia





Here is the café at the train station in Perugia, Italy.

The ceiling is fantastic!

I also love the crumbling effect on the walls painted over in deep rich red.  I can see having a loft space with the walls aged in this manner.

A Little Shabby Chic and French Provincial



Happy Friday it is almost the weekend.

Today I’m just showing an after and before photo. 

I fell in love with this piece the moment I saw it.  I like the curved legs and curved door, plus a corner piece is always lovely.

Happy 2nd Anniversary Sette Design Blog



Can you believe it we have made two years.  We are still kicking!

It sure has been fun.
Will we make it to three years.  Will you still be here?

Stones for Peace



The Simple Life

You never know what you might find here at Sette Design.  I hope this is a tiny part of why you keep coming back.

I made a simple discovery recently, if I leave stones around the house it makes people happy.  I love to collect stones from the river or from the Adriatic and then display them around the house, sometimes with art or sometimes just randomly left around.

How To Grow Rosemary Topiaries




Hello EVERYONE

Yes I did tint the colors on the photo above, did I get your attention?

I have been working on this project for so long and I have been excited to show you.  Why, because it is easy and simple and so pretty. This is what we just love here at Sette Design.

Marcus Aurelius


The Simple Life

Today just a few words from my hero Marcus and then some pretty photos.
Sending joy across the world to YOU!

Painting a Restaurant - Distressing Walls





Here are the finished shots of the restaurant I have been working on in the center of our city, Foligno, Italy.


Everyone was thrilled with the the final look, rustic, distressed, aged walls and two smooth plum colored back walls, which gave a nice accent.

Autumn, Apples and Apple Pie


The Simple Life


How are you?  Are you an Autumn type of person?  Do you thrive as the weather begins to turn cold?  I must say that I’m more of a Spring and Summer California girl but I do love the golden light of Umbria at this time of year.  It is crazy how the light really turns orange or sepia.

Glamour Moment


I’m having a little glamour moment at work.  I’m painting a restaurant right in the main Piazza of our city Foligno, Italy.

I’m must say that the space is gorgeous with vaulted ceilings and a stone wall and beautiful old wooden tables.  

Antiquing and Distressing Furniture




For a long time I have wanted to paint a piece that was painted brown underneath and then creamy white on top.

A while back I found a beautiful antique dresser that was already painted a good chocolate brown.

Lavender in Umbria, Italy




The Simple Life

Just a few words today.
Lavender lavender lavender,
Umbria not Provence,
A whole heap of lavender.
The smell is so pungent it almost knocks you over when you walk in our door.

Wall of Furniture




I love the idea of furniture or living in design being alternative, day dreamy or fantastical.  I believe that if our eyes are intrigued, our minds expand.

I took a class in University called Architecture Futures.  I was so in awe of the professor that I hard time speaking to him (I think my eyes watered or my face became blotchy, some bad action) he was splendidly smart and interesting to listen to, he believed that in the future our rooms and interiors would be made out of water in an organic way. 

Almost September





The Simple Life

I cannot believe that it is almost September.  Here in Italy it seems like the heat is hitting us now. 

My girls still have another 2 weeks before school starts.

I’ve started lighting candles in the morning at the breakfast table, even if no one wakes up to come to breakfast.

Earthquakes, Espresso and Ice Cream




The Simple Life

Yesterday at 3:20 A.M. there was a huge Earthquake in Napa Valley.

My family in California is fine.
We have a house in the Napa Valley and even one on the coast that the San Andreas Fault passes under.

DIY Beaded Painted Crystal Lamp




For a long time I have wanted to make a beaded lamp.  I  wanted a tall freestanding one, but this is what I had in my studio.  The shade has a good structure to start with because the frame of the lampshade had many parts to attach the wire and beads.

Paint It White - Add Color





The power of white is grand.
If you read this blog you know by now that I love color!

White always looks modern and fresh.  I adore interior spaces with white floors and walls and then color added in the furniture rugs, art and flowers.


Here are a few before shots.




I also believe that it is a good exercise in design to paint a few items from your life WHITE and then just add COLOR as you choose.

This little side table I’m creating a special process for my E-Course on Painting Techniques and as you see it here, it is in the white primer phase.  Doesn’t it look so pretty?



Go around your house and grab a few items and paint them all white.  I took a lamp, a cigar box, perfume bottle, side table, basket and a jar.

Sette Design White makes color pop!

My kiwi-green floor is still holding up Click Here for is the post on how I painted it.  I think the key here was I used an anti –scrap finish at the end.  The green floor is doing far better then the floors painted without the anti-scrape varnish.

Sette Design
Next post I’ll share how I made the lampshade, it was so fun and easy.  Do you like it?  There are some people in my life I won't mention who, they sarcastically question my sanity after seeing that lamp creation.

Tomorrow is a big summer holiday in Italy.
Buon Ferragosto a tutti.

With affection,
Natalie


I'm linking with these fun parties:
French Country Cottage
Romantic Home
Miss Mustard Seed
Between Naps on the Porch
Mod Vintage Lif

A Little Bohemian at Heart






Here is the dictionary description of
Bohemian.
As a Noun

     1.     native or inhabitant of Bohemia
     2.     a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free or regard to conventional rules and practices.
     3.     The Czech language, especially as spoken in Bohemia.
     4.     a Gypsy


I say a little Bohemian at heart referring to design. Yet it may have to do with my lifestyle too.  What about YOU?  Do you have a little Bohemia in your heart?

Summer Morning



The Simple Life 

Just a few thoughts
on this almost rainy
summer morning in Umbria.

I know that Toni Morrison is “troppo forte” way tough and I at times am too weak to read her.  But I would like to be strong like her.

“If you want to fly,
you got to give up
the shit that weighs you down.”

Toni Morrison

Inspirations in Grey




I'm sorry my readers I disappeared for about 10 days there.  Life gets complicated sometimes...no?

Today I want to post up some inspiration in Grey.  I love grey as a neutral color.  Here in my home I have grey and taupe checker board painted floor and a grey and white kitchen and a dark taupe colored floor in my bedroom.  I love how grey looks with color and how it absorbs color.

So I’m going to show you some inspirational photos with uses of grey.

Plethora of Apricots



The Simple Life
Good Morning my sweets.

It is beautiful warm blue sky day in Umbria.

I wanted to just pause a moment and show you these photos of apricots that I took.
I must say I want to learn to make Jam and be one of those woman who know how to make preserves and I'll even wear a white apron when I do it.  The white apron will not have paint smeared on it.

Chalk Paint Recipe





I promised I would post up the recipe I did for painting this little shelf cornflower blue. 

I do love chalk paint because it so easily adheres to old furniture.

Red White and Blue Interior Scenes

Happy Fourth of July




In America it is our independence day.  It is also my mother and Louis Armstrong's birthday.  Happy Birthday Mom!  My mom is as cool as Loui.  I know that is hard to be, she is creative and artistic and very funny.  She does not sing anything like Loui.

I came up with the great idea to post up some photos for The Fourth of some scenes I took of Red White and Blue.

Summer in Italy



I won’t mention the Mafia or the political or economic situation. I won’t even mention what went down in the World Cup.  We are so thankful this is a design blog.

Aged Mocha-Black Armoire




Before we begin with the how to paint an Aged Mocha-Black Armoire, anyone interesting in my online painting class can click the ad below.  Come join us in this intensive, uplifting, inspiring painting techniques course.




Hello my darlings!

I must confess that it torments me to post badly lit photos and not styled.  But I really wanted to show you this armoire because in real life it came out just gorgeous.


It was simple to paint.

F. Scott Fitzgerald



The Simple Life

It is raining cats and dogs here in Umbria, and then the sun comes out and I optimistically think it is over.  But no....

Is this old door and rose vine just the most delicious view?

Medicine Bottles and Flowers





Do you ever have a simple little design obsession that just makes you so happy to think about it? O.k. you probably have a thousand little design ideas going around in your head and this is what makes life pretty when times get tough, escape into the world of gorgeous – for the moment, do not think about … all that troubles you.  Then once you have added a little “bellezza” to your home, things begin to improve.  I understand it all has to do with perspective.

8 Photos with Some Design Advice





The Simple Life

Living in design.

1. Blue is always fabulous!

2. Wherever you go look for pattern.


Flowers in a Box



Let's add come color!

Oh how I love flowers in a box.  I just put a couple jars of water in the box to not rot the wood and arranged the flowers from there.



Here is an arrangement I created by for the arrival of my niece, Rosalie I put them by her bedside table as a welcome. I did not make up her name just to fit this floral gone crazy blog post.  I collected the flowers on a bike ride to Spello, resting them in my bike basket on the return home.

Blood Red Orange Color Inspiration




 The Simple Life

Today, just a little color inspiration, I go crazy for the color of Blood Red Oranges.  I feel like it is almost impossible to duplicate for interiors.  I always have clients trying to find the right red.  Yes the juice is very good with Russian Vodka!

My Chaotic Studio



The Simple Life
Isn’t my studio pretty a mess.  Put a sepia tint on the space and it becomes uniform, just shape and light.

Today, just this photo and a quote from Georgia O’Keeffe.

“I found I could say things with color and shape that I couldn’t say any other way, things I had no words for.”

Un bacio, to all of you with a messy studio, or to those of you who want one.
Natalie