Studio in the Garden


garden paint studio

We actually had a Spring like day today (shock of all shockers!) and so it got me thinking about a studio space in the garden.  I have no garden and I already have a big studio space so I'm not lamenting.  Just go with me for a moment here and dream what you might do to this shack if it was your studio garden space.

Note there is a chimney so there could easily be a fireplace or wood burning stove incase Spring isn't really arriving.

First I'd fix the roof.  Then I would stucco it rich Italian pink OR gray blue, I would torment about that decision.  I'd put in a hardwood floors, wide planks and stain them dark.  Then I would put in bigger windows, full length and I would frame them in wood, plus the doorway.  Then I would take the left over wood flooring and make a couple big work tables for outside that would be on saw horses, so I could bring them in when needed.  I would have flowers growing everywhere.

Then I would get a bunch of curvy French metal garden chairs with cushions and friends would come by and have tea.  I would be able work outside while they drank their tea and told me all their problems.  I would give excellent advise that was clear and true and they would in turn laugh at my honesty, have a moment of clarity and then later do the exact opposite with their lives.

Yet a lot of amazing furniture would get painted!

What would you do with this shack?  Dream Big.

Natalie

Kindling



pruned apricot branches

The word alone is so pretty sounding.  I dream to have a fireplace, yes I’ve mentioned this before.  When I see kindling my heart feels happy.  I am willing to climb fences to just take a glimpse.  At times on my morning walk with friends, I stop in amazement to look at a good heap, then I have to run to catch up with the girls. They probably think don’t worry what happened to Nat she is off looking at wood.

small piles


Kindling is what life is all about.  It is one of the simple joys of life.  To prove my point I will now refer to my old friend The Winston Dictionary copyright 1946.

we are almost in spring

Kindle 1, to set fire to: ignite: 2, To inflame; inspire: stirrup, as the passions  3, to illuminate; brighten; as enthusiasm.

impressive heap


I highly suggest you kindle something today.

Natalie

Frescos from the 1400's Inspiration






Today I'm going to try not to talk too much and just let you look and be inspired.  This is part of Palazzo Trinci.  It is now a museum here in our main Piazza in Foligno.  It was originally a palace of the Trinci family build in the 1400's.  The story goes that at one point the Pope did not like how powerful the Trinci's were becoming and sent his men to kill the whole family within one night, 80 people were killed including all the servants and guards, one boy of the family was spared because he was away in the country  The Medieval times were brutal.








Now try to look at all this from a design point.  Dissect each motif and imagine how gorgeous it could look simple on a piece of furniture.  I love the leafy design inside the tiny diamond shape. The octagon shape has the cool perspective from afar, because four sides are outlined in white, four sides are outlined in black, the same is true of the diamonds.





You can't help wondering what it looked like in the 1400's.  I love this arched wall, with the rich parchment color, brown and blood red.



Imagine these designs on a long wooden plank table.



The mocha brown ceiling could be really modern as one wall in a living room with the dark star asterisks, even sporadically painted, not hard to paint at all.



Isn't this wall just crazy?  What were they thinking?  You can hardly notice the window, it's so cool.


Was that interesting?  Does it make you feel like we as people now want instant gratification, our patience level is so low.  Back in the 1400's life was fragile and short, but patience for art and process was long. Think how long people were willing to wait for love and when they found it they cherished it because maybe they knew it might not come around again.   I believe I could just work on my own patience.  And you?

Happy Weekend dear readers.
Natalie

Antique Finish on a Chair


this hyacinth is sitting on  english and latin dictionary
think how intellectual she feels


I found this chair on the street, much in need of love. Aside from the seat problem, it is solid.

before


First I cleaned it with vinegar and water and left it to dry out a couple of days (10 parts water, 2 parts vinegar).

glued and nailed


Then I glued and nailed the seat down covering it with plastic and then heavy books.  Another couple of days there, ahh patience is not my thing.  I may upholster it later to hide the nails.  Yet later when I put the finish they actually look good - country style. 

getting pretty now

I painted it gray.  

don't put too much you can always add more


rub off as you like

When it was dry, I mixed in a little bit turpentine with Raw Umber oil paint (just a tube from the art store).  I painted it on messy with a paintbrush, then I smoothed it around with a cloth and put it on heavier with a small brush on the angles of the chair.  Oil paint takes about 5 days to dry well.  You can mix in a dryer (I like Japan Dryer available in America, in Europe I use a drying gel medium) into the paint, this will help the drying process but is not needed.  If you want to protect it more you can put a clear coat on at the end.

the flower pot has a pearl finish (again!!) with a bronze boarder

This process comes out really nice if done on a piece that has detailing or moldings you can antique .  Try it on a dresser or armoire it will be so pretty.

this antique finish is lovely over color too!


A Gorgeous White Interior









I have a treat for you.  Here is a beautiful Italian home the house is Liberty period on three levels., with even a little roof terrace.  It is my client and friend Laura who has done it up in this calm simple perfect way.  She has created so many tiny little scenes that are so simple, to me there is a touch of art.























What is interesting about this story is that she is giving it all up to move to Zanzibar Tanzania, start a new life, opening a store in a vacation spot for tourists.  She has never lived anywhere but Foligno, Italy.  Her children are all grown up, the crisis is hitting Italy, big time and she has the guts and joy to start a new chapter in her life.
















That said, man does she have style.  You should see how she dresses.  I personally could not live in a house without tons of color, but I must say that to be in this environment is to feel a visual and an internal peace.

For this project I restored all the doors in the house 9 of them plus the front interior doors, plus the arch in the living room.  I scraped them down to the wood and then put a glaze over them.  They may look white but really the color had a hint of gray- lavender in it.  I also painted some mirror, small furniture all white, of course.















A few secrets:  I painted the banister with a metallic silver gray it was black before, this really improved the whole look of the house. I also painted all the hardware to the windows  and doors the same metallic silver and it made the windows look cleaned up and modern. The carpet on the stairs was a low-end solution, almost felt like, the curtains are from Ikea and only cost 4 euros a set, they let all the light in and Laura sure saved a lot of money there.  The bathrooms had gross brown terrible motif from the 60's Laura just put solid white contact paper over it.  Not easy to do, but great idea.





Isn't this house an inspiration?  Do you like it?  I know all you out there with children are thinking - if only.  We all arrive at different phases of our lives.  This is the beauty of life to embrace each phase.

Natalie

Link Party
Linked to:

http://www.redouxinteriors.com
http://romantichome.blogspot.com

Happy Valentines








"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

-William Shakespeare

Linked to:  www.soulemama.com

Something Funny



Blue Man


I love it when life is funny and unexpected and obscure.  So in my travels around my own city of Foligno  I came across this blue man.  I stopped to look in wonder and of course to take a photo for YOU my darling.

Then I saw Maria the old lady who lives below us in our Palazzo.

I said, “Maria look up there”.

Just then another old lady, a friend of Maria’s pasted by, Maria said.

“Who’s that? Who’s that?”

Her friend without missing a beat responded,  “It’s someone who is sitting”.  Then the two old ladies gave each other a little hug as we laughed all together, there on the cold street.

To me it is even funnier in Italian.

Maria Guarda la
Chi e’
Chi e’

E’ uno seduto .



That’s what it is, an obscure blue man sitting in the window.  That finger held up to his mouth.  I don’t believe he is reprimanding anyone.  I think he is saying, Shhhhhh, listen to the silence.

Natalie