Showing posts with label design idea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label design idea. Show all posts

Graduates and Glass Bottles





June is actually here, the graduates are taking over the world and I am thankful  for that!  I have Lucia my big girl graduating High School and Elisa from 8th Grade.  It is a nice feeling to think of the new one's taking over and possibly doing a better run of it than we have done.

I must confess that I find myself posting to Instagram a lot more than this beloved design blog.  Come join me there also, you can easily find me on Instagram under Sette Design and you can look for the purple blue store front logo - instagram.com/settedesign . What I should do is post to both.

So here now is a quick review of Sette Design’s opinions, desires and work.

I am thrilled with the Glass Bottle Chandelier I made out of chain, wire, and vintage bottles . 
Gorgeous with mixed colored flowers or just white roses, to decorate as you desire.  Available on my shop here Sette Design Shop
Sette Design Shop

Sette Design Shopn


Happiness note:  A smoothie and flowers for a new garden (in the same pallet of colors no less) helps anyone feel good. Right?  Does anyone have the courage to paint a wall this berry color of the smoothie drink?  I think if the room had enough Southern facing light it could be amazing.




the simple life



Here is the view from a home I have been working on for a wonderful client who feeds me hot American coffee with cream, and a fudgesicle dunked inside, our invention.  You can imagine the job has gone splendidly.



A grouping of Vintage Green Glasses also available on Sette Design Shop.  I do love to create the feeling of a still life, that can be put under happiness note.  Make a Still Life and you don't have to paint it because we are living it.


Sette Design Shop



On my drive to work - I like this kind of "macho" gazebo in a field of wildflowers, the contrast of delicate flowers and big wooden beams is nice.

Sette Design


Cheers to all of you.

Get the Summer going right.

With affection,

Natalie

Houses Covered in Vines - Napa Valley



Structures covered in vines.





Here we are in Vine City.
There is too much going on for this little simple life of mine.


Create Something Pretty- Blue Wall Heaven





Another rainy day in gorgeous Napa Valley, mustard fields glowing day glow yellow, black tar country roads with the white lines polished and wet.  I always believe when life gets crazy and overwhelming it is a good time to take 5 minutes and Create Something Pretty to look at.  Then when the house is a complete mess, like backpacks, dirty Converse sneakers in the middle of the doorway, and even my contribution an electric drills plugged in, sitting on the kitchen floor – ahhgg! It is definitely time to Create Something Pretty


Here all for you I created a glimpse at a fabulous piece of Blue Wall Heaven in my Sister’s home.  The funny thing is, this wall is actually dark Teal Blue, Not Robin’s Egg Blue or Sky Blue as we see here. It is insane how the light changes this color!  Does it make you want to paint something blue?


For this still life  I used, pruned and fading pomegranate branches, daffodils, and a delicate wisteria blossom and a little whiskey.

Sette Design Shop

Happy Weekend my darlings, go Create Something Pretty.

Mexican Aztec Goddess Coatlicue replica done in styrofoam By Artist David Garden

With affection,
Natalie

Springtime and Vintage Italian Sheets




Now that it is Springtime,  I want to highlight my amazing Vintage Italian Sheets that I have for sale at Sette Design Shop.  They are made of heavy Cotton and some of Cannabis from many years back.  They can have many different uses.  I had a 8 foot long one that I used as a curtain in my paint studio in Italy.  I ran a cable from one wall to the other and use clip curtain rings, then I took the corner behind to fill with junk I didn’t want to see.  It became useful as a backdrop too for styling and photographing my designs. Here is an old post with the backdrop.


Repetitive Behavior




I’m always saving little bits of information that I find interesting.  I like to find them again and see what effect it might have on my life.  I do this also with my journals, pick up an old book, randomly open a page and see what I might learn about my life.  This of course is emotionally risky and can run the gamut from depressing to elated joy.

This week I found this note written clearly on a square piece of paper.  It is interesting to plug this information into some sector of your life from HEALTH, MONEY - LOVE and of course DESIGN.

It takes 14 to 21 days of repetitive behavior to form a new pattern in your brain.  Once that pattern is formed it becomes an automatic behavioral response.

What would you like to change about yourself?
Cheers,
Natalie

Distressed Country Table





I’m very excited to show you this Distressed Country Table, my design for our kitchen table.  The boards were originally being created for a long table to be put on trestles (saw horses) that I want to wholesale to stores in my area and have my clients be able to order it in any size they want. When I put the stucco on the boards it flaked off after about a month.  Big disappointment, now I’m working with kiln dried wood and we will see if that works better.

A Christmas Scene




I was creating this beautiful Christmas still life, when Lucia walked by and said, “Oh it’s so pretty.” 
I said,  “It’s my Christmas Scene.”
“No it’s more fall.”
Shocked (and dismayed), I tried to look at it as an Autumn scene and it just wasn’t.  Ok, I’ll admit that I can conger Christmastime out of nothing, for example I have been known to say “Look at the headlights glowing in this rainy night – It’s Christmastime,”  boots by the fire, of course, peppermint hot chocolate, certainly it is Christmastime!


Pink Wall- Apricot Wall




Hello my darlings,

It is almost the holiday here in America.  Thanksgiving a day is a day to be thankful.  When I'm in Italy and I explain the holiday to my Italian friends (we get the whole family and friends together, eat a huge amount and fill your hearts with gratitude), they often joke - so basically like every Sunday Lunch in Italy.

Ideas for Holiday Table Settings



settedesignshop

Today I want to show you a few high lights from my Online Shop, treasures from Napa Valley, California and Umbria, Italy.  It might give you some ideas for your table setting for Thanksgiving and there is still time to ship out these treasures before the holiday swings into full glory. www.settedesignshop.com

Return to the Simple Life


Today in America it is definately a day to return to the Simple Life.
I know from past experience that design can be a solice.
I think about form and function, light and color and I feel a tiny bit better.


Wall of Grapes - Italian Design




We returned to the Napa Valley to a wall of grapes and streaming grape vines out our kitchen window.  The courtyard glows at night with soft pink sky sunsets and the white lights that are strung above.  We eat dinners outside on our long farm table.   

DIY - Subtle Blue Sky Wall



Before I get into the post I wanted to tell EVERYONE that my Painting Techniques for Wall, Art and Furniture is now available for anyone truly inspired to up their game and skill level for painting.



I've been painting a brick and beam ceiling white, the work is grueling but the effect is uplifting.

For years here in Umbria I have wanted to paint these Umbrian ceilings white.  I find some of the rooms dark and heavy.  Other clients in the past have wanted me to do it too, but the project is messy, costly (pure labor and lots of paint) and time consuming.  It is hard to live in the space when the ceiling is being painted.  This is the practical part of the work.  If in fact you have a new space to paint I would suggest renting a spraying machine and spraying all the wood and brick, then you could paint the walls with roller or brush. The whitening finished effect is just stunning, to me it looks so much more Northern European.

Living in Umbria, Italy/Mixed Styled Chairs





I’m excited to show you the house of my friends and clients Jessica and Filippo here in Umbria, Italy.  I love their home because they integrate all the important elements to make a home alive and full of love, amazing food (lots of parties) books galore, art all over the walls, music hard rock, rap, jazz and classical and Filippo and their twin daughters all play musical instruments.   

Magnolia and Tulips Inspiration

The Simple Life
End of May beginning of June.



I can't believe it is actually June tomorrow. This means crazy end of school activity, exams and ballet recitals and my little family heading off to Umbria for the summer.  We are all overwhelmed and thrilled.


The Perfect Blue Door


First off I would like to preemptively apologize for not showing you the inside of this barn.  Believe me I would like to see the interior.  I'm just "stalking" this art studio.  I don't know the people who own it, use it (rarely) or live here.  I visit it often and dream of how amazing it would be to have it as a place to paint furniture and do all my projects.  I love this space because the blue door is perfection.  Perfection as a design choice is rare to find, simple and decisive, this point just thrills me.


Here are my other points of inspiration.

Painting on Leaves - Inspiration for the Table



Happy Easter Weekend!

I have seen someone paint on dried leaves in Italy very intricately and just gorgeous.  Today I thought it would be inspirational to show how I painted on these fresh citrus leaves very simply, to use as a little touch of creativity for your table setting or just as a vase of leaves and bloosoms.

Embellishment at Sette Design




The Simple Life
Embellish
Verb (used with object)

1.  To beautify, by or as if by ornamentation; ornament; adorn.

2.  To enhance, (a statement or narrative) with fictitious additions.

DIY Wire Heart




Hello my beloved readers
Buon San Valentino

Today I have a quick DIY heart.

Red Walls





Probably all of you at some point have considered painting a room in your home RED.  Maybe you already have… congratulations!  I have not, shameful as it may be.  Right now I’m obsessed with the right shade of blue.

I believe that there are many ways to make a red room work.  Here is what made it work in my opinion in this space that I painted in San Francisco.

Winter Bouquet Inspiration




I’m back in California and the rain won’t quit.  We have little breaks and the sun tries to come out, but the air and ground are always.  We are all thrilled, after 4 years of draught, the rain is a big celebration.  I like to go for long walks and then scavenge for a winter bouquet.  It is easy just to pick up Lichen, branches of Rosehips or fallen Camellia blossoms.  They are often covered in dirt or mud.  At home I rinse them off and put them in a crystal bowl and an old olive oil bottle.  Even if they faded or browned at the edges the effect is still stunning.