How to: Shabby Chic Furniture

shabby chic furniture - i love orange and pink roses together

Note to Friends and Readers:  Anyone interested in my Painting Techniques Course for Interiors, Art and Furniture click the Image below.

Here in Italy I paint lots of Shabby Chic furniture pieces, here we mix it with modern furniture and also beautiful antiques.  The pieces that work best are the old solid furniture that have some nice detailing.  It is definitely in fashion to "fare chiara" make it light.  A big dark armoire really controls  the feel of a room.  If I paint it light it opens up the space and allows for more play with modern pieces, highlights what is put inside and just gives it new life.

sorry i forgot to get the true before shot

First I start by washing down and sanding (a bit) the piece to clean it up.


Then I paint it a pretty creamy color.

shabby chic already a big improvement

It usually needs about three coats of paint.  Let them dry completely in between coats and after, before sanding it.

i use a rough sand paper and the work goes fast

Then I sand the edges or moldings.  I put on 1 or 2 coats of water based clear coat.

shabby chic - here comes the fun part!

I like to add brown wax with a paint brush because it highlights the dark wood underneath.  Then I rub it in, not letting it get too much on the cream paint (or it looks yellow). If the furniture is not dark wood you can go so far as to stain the sanded off part, paint in the dark stain with a small brush.  I believe what makes the Shabby Chic look good is the dark wood underneath.  It adds a contrast.  The brown wax is painted on, then rubbed off, then I wait about 20 minutes and rub the wax vigorously with a piece of wool (cut up old sweater) to make it shine on the edges.

notice i didn't sand it too much,

Isn't it pretty.  I was happy with how it came out and the clients too!

do you like it?

A project like this might just help us survive January.  The hope of spring around the corner.  I'm dragging along here.  How are all you out there?  Slowly, slowly in Italy the days are getting a tiny bit longer.

Natalie

Link Party:
I'm linking to:
http://MissMustardSeed.com

Snow Quilts - Simon Beck

Simon Beck snow art

Artist Simon Beck plods though the snow in snowshoes creating these sensational patterns of snow art.  Working for 5-9 hours a day, each final piece is typically the size of three soccer fields!  The geometric forms range in mathematical patterns and shapes that create stunning, sometimes 3D designs, when viewed from higher levels.  How long these magnificent geometric forms servive is completely dependent on the weather.  Beck designs and redesigns the patterns as new snow falls.  Sometimes unable to finish a design due to significant overnight accumulations.

“The main reason for making them was because I can no longer run properly due to problems with my feet, so plodding about on level snow is the least painful way of getting exercise.  Gradually the reason has become photographing them, and I’m considering buying a better camera.”  - Simon Beck

The above is the information I got in an email from a friend.  I tried to get a hold of Simon dreaming of getting some kind inspirational quote about design.  I confess I am not on facebook, much to the displeasure of some of my friends! Anyway he is a busy guy.  My mother suggested I put up his art on my site with out his knowledge because “all artists want exposure.”  I would love to know what he thinks about as he works.  So there you are just breathtaking, stupendous, words cannot even describe.    I do understand that he uses an orienteering compass to create the perfect geometric designs, sometimes even a head lamp while creating at night and that he studied Engineering Science at Oxford University.

Go Simon you have a fan in Italy.

Natalie

Living in Design - a home tour in little glimpses

pink, red, and ocher

What is living in design?

i like to make things in wire

Most of our furniture I found on the street near the trash bins (then of course I painted it) or I made it. 

the girl and the dog

It is nice to have beautiful art. 

the inner courtyard is yellow- this is the sun set and fog making it pink 

The palazzo we live in is 800 years old.  It is Gothic and built of pink stone.  In the front it has pointy arched windows, 2 feet thick walls, high ceilings, low doorways.  People were short back then, my boyfriend Alfredo is very tall, he just passes under the doorways.

lucia's bed, i designed it back in California when she was 3

Colored walls.

mirrors and candles sticks I made, if you sand the edge of the mirror it fogs it

The girls and I have the ability to destroy a clean house within three hours, it is quite a shame.

furniture in my studio being painted

Our home is never very organized (thus the glimpses).  I like to joke with friends, come over to our messy house for a cup of tea.  It will make you feel good about your self.

classic school chair painted like a doll house

Music playing.

flower pots waiting to be painted

Home made bread in the oven raising.

alfredo taped up some inspiration for me on my olive ladder

Books.

i have a lot of paint brushes

I turned our living room into my paint studio and put a sofa in the kitchen.

lucia loves to make cushions

Flowers and candles make people happy, even if they don’t know it.

i don't smoke cigars, but i do wear pearls

What is living in design to you?

Natalie 

How To Make the Perfect Cappuccino

served with love

In this Diario di Design  - every now and then we are going to do something Italian just for fun and because they do have a simple understanding of how to live over here.

I have read that one tall cup of American coffee has 180 grams of caffeine in it. Where as one shot of espresso used to make a cappuccino has just 45 grams.  You can see why America is so wired up.  This also gives me the excuse to have many cappuccinos a day.  This could be a reason for you to go out and try to buy some imported Italian coffee.  I believe it is softer and less bitter.  In fact I never really drank coffee until at 22 I went to Venice, sat in an out door cafe and had the best coffee of my life.  I feel like I still remember it.

So today to kick off the weekend right, we are going to make the perfect cappuccino.

tools are important

I use a stovetop “mocha” espresso maker, a container to heat up the milk and a hand pump froth maker.  These creamers you can buy bigger so that you can heat the milk directly in the container that makes the froth.

add water

I fill up the “mocha” espresso maker so the water reaches just a little bit over the filter.

in Naples they add the sugar right into the coffee here

Then I pile up the coffee loose into a big mountain.

Close it up tight and heat it on a medium flame on the stove.

Then I heat up the milk (I use whole milk, because I like the taste and believe in whole food).

just fill it part way up or it foams over

I pour the milk into a cup, add espresso and sugar as desired, then I pump the steamer for about 30 seconds and let it sit in the closed container another minute, then I pour it over the espresso and milk and WALA.

cafe sette design serves it up!

Anyone ready for a cappuccino?
Happy weekend everyone around the world.
 Natalie

Color Inspiration Robin Red, Moss Green

robin red, taupe, mocha, and dark earth

 

I was alone this morning, not working and sitting at the kitchen table with my cappuch (cappuccino) when suddenly a robin flew on to our windowsill herb garden and just hung out there for a moment looking at me.  When she left, right away I went and got some of Coco’s (our hamster) seeds and put them on the windowsill, not because I have become an Italian Mama and want to feed everyone.  I don’t even believe in domesticating free animals.  Why, because I want her to come back so I can look at her colors better.  They are something like the palette above.  Man, that rusted red, mocha brown, rich earth, and warm taupe are so hip together.  I can just see a library or kitchen in those colors.

Then after my cappuch I got up the muster to go for a “little” run.  The fog was in deep and I ran along the river heading toward our beach, that my daughter Elisa has named the beach Splash Splash Splash Splash.  I love that name because it is not a splashy beach.   In fact it is not even a beach.  I force the girls to call it a beach so I can say, wanna go to the beach? We are California girls suffering in Umbria.  It is really an outlet of pebbly land.

moss green, kiwi green metallic grey-green bedroom? 

As I ran among the gray fog, green river and mossy grasses, I came across a huge swan right in the middle of the path.  What the freak kind of bird day is this?  So guess what and you are going to be so disappointed in me, I stopped and considered my options.  I saw the headlines of some tiny insignificant article in the local paper. Woman Attached By Swan, Alone On Foggy River.  Plus, swans are mean and this one I happen to know has relationship problems, because first SHE had a swan lover and then later that “partner” was gone and I saw her with a goose (I’m not kidding).  Combine this secret knowledge of mine with a long history of being attached (even dive bombed) by crows, seagulls and little black birds, I knew that I was not going to risk running by that swan.  I have this silly idea I want to live a very long time.  The veins, freckles and wrinkles are o.k., but peck marks NO WAY!  So I waited to see if she might move over, and then I turned around and ran back up the river, my long life waiting ahead of me, filled with robin red kitchens, and moss green bedrooms.

Natalie

The Game of the Gray Doors

“There are years that ask questions, and there are years that answer.”

 -Zora Neale Hurston (Writer)

Happy New Year Everyone!

2013

I am so happy to be back.  I love a fresh start, a new beginning.  I want to encourage everyone to make some resolutions especially about your creativity – do something with it this year, embrace it, enhance it, explore it.

Today I want to play a game with these Gray Doors.  I want you to image opening each door and behind it you will find some part of yourself or your life changed for the better.  Try to imagine how you will get there and how it will look, whatever blocks you, jump over it and go directly to the point where it is real.  Later you can go back and figure out how to actually get around it.

“THEY” did a study with musicians and athletes and they found that if they imagined a piece of music that they could not play, had never accomplished before or run a race in record time.  If they went over each step over and over again precisely, in their minds, when the moment came to actually perform their goal, their minds thought that they had already done it. They were able to trick their minds into accomplishing what they thought their bodies could not do. Isn’t that just the coolest.  This is what I want you to do with these Gray Doors.  Open them and imagine step by step how you will accomplish these goals.

Also “THEY” (now this a different they) did a study that found when people wrote down their goals it increased the probability of them achieving it by over 70%.

So write down what is going to happen behind these Gray Doors.  There are six doors, so you can have six little dreams or changes or goals.  Remember sky is the limit.

Lastly since this is a Diario di Design I want to say, environment matters.  Create for yourself an environment where theses goals and dreams can actually happen.  Notice what people or situations in your life sabotage your plan.  Could it be you? Stop that action right away.  I am going to do the same, and I’m going to be aware.

Good Luck Natalie 

here is my favorite and it's number 7 by chance

“The thing always happens that you really believe in and belief in a thing makes it happen.”

-Frank Lloyd Wright (Architect)

Christmas Trees

centro storico

  

Nat’s taking a break till the first week in January.

Come back to Sette Design 7.

Or I’ll miss you.

I would like to say any kind of Christmas tree is cool (fico) and hip.

In our downtown there is a tree that is very large, structural and FULL of lights.

it will be here next year

I like tiny and full of hope and simplicity.

mother christmas

Innovative and cool, plus some humor.

our tree

Homemade, crazy-joy.

I WISH FOR YOU

PEACE

JOY AND

SPERANZA

Buon Natale

See you next year!

-Natalie

Easy Handmade Winter Solstice Candelabra

Winter Solstice Candelabra

For us here in the Northern hemisphere the Winter Solstice kicks in today.  It will be  the darkest, longest night of the year.  From here on out the days start getting longer.  We are reaching for spring.

Here is my Winter Solstice Candelabra.

wood painted metallic gold and pale blue

I took a piece of wood, painted it gold and blue. 

the ribbon is transparent blue and gold motif

Then I wrapped the wood with a pretty ribbon, the kind with wire inside, taping it on the back to secure it.

make sure to secure the candles on the wood part

Then I took all the left over candle stubs from around our house and dripped on the wax to secure them to the wood.

sometimes simple is better

It’s that fun and simple.

A cup of hot cider or mulled wine and the party has begun.  See and the world didn’t even end, in fact we are doing craft projects and have a little party.

E Via!

Salute,

Natalie

Raining

days before Christmas

“If you don’t like Louis Armstrong, you don’t know how to love.”

-Mahalia Jackson

The days are quite dark and wet, black trees and charcoal-gray pavement.

I want it to snow in the valley.

If I had a temperature reader on the balcony as I have had in the past.  I would be the type to yell the degrees back at everyone in the house with joy, or elated horror.

It is almost the Winter Solstice.

It would be nice if we could find some peace in the world, suddenly an unexpected, overwhelming sense of peace calming the world.

The girls delicately suggest I put presents under the tree.  I say, but then you will feel them out, shake them, sniff them.  I’m exaggerating to make a point.

A cup of tea is in order.

Louie Armstrong is singing Christmas carols with that velvety, deep voice of his.

He sings,

“He comes a calling when the snows the most.

And all you cats are sleeping warm as toast.

And you gonna flip when old St. Nick,

takes a lick from a peppermint stick.”

I'm relieved that Mahalia thinks I know how to love - big time!

Cheers,

Natalie