Design Diary- Painting Techniques- The Simple Life in California and Umbria, Italy
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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| Sette Design |
Tomorrow is a big summer holiday in Italy.
Buon Ferragosto a tutti.
With affection,
NatalieI'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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
How to: Play with Glass Paint and Silver Leaf
I’m supposed to be working on my Painting E-Course and
finishing up this gorgeous gray and silver table but instead I played
hooky. Hooky is what we call it in California
you don’t go to school and instead go to the beach or to a café. Of course, one can play hooky and
not go to work also. This Diario
di Design is kind of like always playing hooky for me.
So I played hooky because I became inspired to do a vignette
of tarnished silver and painted glass, then I thought it would be fun to just
add silver leaf to encourage more reflection.
7 Ideas To Make Your Home Pretty
1. Open your windows.
This is a very Italian action. Italians love to air out their homes, even in the dead of winter, windows are always opened. The extended light will make your home glow.
2. Cover your couch or a big chair with fresh white linens.
It is amazing how this will lighten up the
room. If you don’t have anything
big enough you can use a curtain or sheets taped together in the back.
Purple Path
The Simple Life
Today just some inspiration.
If you are looking for your purple path,
it is just ahead waiting for you.
It may have topiaries dusted purple too
and a smooth stucco palazzo.
Or just a purple path waiting for you,
meandering along.
Shabby Chic Bed, Breakfast Crate
I’m going to keep it to few words today (do you believe
me?), let the photos speak for themselves.
I do want to show you my Painting Techniques Course. SOOOOO Fun.
I’ve been working hard and waking up early is painful and
awesome I must say. I am getting so much done, life feels blissful and full of
hope.
Here is a bed I did in Shabby Chic distressed mode. A good tutorial I did you can see just Click Here. This tutorial of mine is crazy famous on Pinterest, it shows how obsessed people are with Shabby Chic. I used the same process only
a different white.
Easter Decorations
I’m on to a new stint where I am going to try to wake up at
5:30 a.m. and see if I can’t kick it a bit more effectively. I know, what you are thinking that I
won’t be able to handle it, well maybe by confessing my plans to you my lovely
readers I will be more committed.
“They” say if you want to save money, if you tell your friends, you
actually save more money and your friends help and encourage you to do so. Did you know that successful people
wake up early and then get this, they exercise. I have read studies about it.
An Ancient Wall
The Simple Life
I found a spot in the sun on a wall to sit and write and
think for a moment. A friend came
by and as usual he offered a bit of interesting information. He said did you know that wall,
pointing to the wall I was leaning against was build in the 1500’s.
Painting a Chair - Modern
I forgot to mention in my last post, not only am I giving a
Painting Class in Umbria, Italy, but I am also creating an E-Course on Painting
Techniques for Furniture, Walls and Art that can be sent to you where ever, you
are in the world. It will consist
of little films, photographs and writing.
I think it is going to be pretty cool. All I want to do is have fun and encourage others to have
fun too.
I’m working hard on the E-Course, but it isn’t done yet,
soon I hope. In the mean while I
am still have to work and be a Mama and right now, as I write to you in my
peripheral view there is a couch full of clean laundry to fold. The mound is getting bigger it might be
a mountain soon and the volcanic type.
The Italians are freaker’s for ironed clothes. I can’t get to folding let alone ironing. They actually iron underwear. Freakers I tell you. To all my Italian readers, you look
gorgeous, I know.
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