Sette Design

Online Painting Class

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 21:16:00 +0000

Happy Springtime! I am above thrilled to introduce to you my painting class. If you read back in this blog started in 2011 I'm sure I was dreaming about creating a painting class online years back. Wait so dreams do come true! Only sometimes it takes so much longer than you imagine and life keeps happening all the while. Click the image above to learn more. If you like to paint, this course if for you.

Other News

Click on the image above or link below and this will take you to my YouTube Channel Sette Design Painting Techniques where I have posted videos on how to paint and I take you on some design journeys for those who love to think about home decor and design, color and light.

My Youtube Channel for Painting Techniques

Here is one of the first Painting Techniques for this pale pink dresser.

Pretty exciting right? I love YouTube because basically anything you want to learn about you can. I love it for all the mindset and neurological information you can mind there. I am leaning to soar.

Take Care,

Natalie

How to Make Home Made Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 13:06:00 +0000

Before getting to the bread recipe. I want to let you know I am now teaching a Painting Techniques Intensive online Course for Interiors, Art and Furniture. If you love to paint come join me! I have created an amazing course where all levels of painters are welcome. Here is the link:

Painting Techniques for Interiors, Art and Furniture

How To Make Home Made Bread

I love to make home made bread, it warms the heart and the home. When the girls were little, on cold foggy Winter days I used to meet them after school with warm buns of Pain Au Chocolate, wrapped up in a linen napkin. Now with my littlest in High School, she would be horrified to have Mama waiting with warm bread. It makes me giggle to think of doing it. If I were home with my family in California out at the beach house I would be making tons of little "panini" to be served warm with Thanksgiving dinner.

The thing about making bread is you can't really go wrong and you can add whatever you might like to the recipe to make it special.

Sette Design Shop

Here is my basic recipe:
It only takes about 5 minutes to mix and four hours to rise.
This recipe also works for Pizza dough.

5 to 6 cups of fine white flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup of warm water mixed with half a bag of dry yeast or 1/2 a cube of fresh yeast.
(I think in America it is often called beer yeast. I like the fresh cubes best and you can get them in the refrigerated section of the market near the yogurt. In Italy I use Lievital fresco)

Dissolve the yeast with your finger in the warm water
Add to your flour mixture

Then I get another cup of warm water put it to the side and add it as needed to the mound of flour mixture till the consistency looks and feels right. See photos

Mix the dough into a ball with your hands
You can knead it in the bowl or on a wood cutting board or marble slab, adding flour sprinkled on the board.

Then once the dough seems good I put it in a deep bowl, cover it with a cotton or linen napkin and leave it to rise 3 to 4 hours.

Once the dough has risen you knead it down again and form your rolls or loafs as you choose.

Here is the Fleischmann's dry yeast that I use in the US.

Here is the dough mixed into a ball waiting to rise

The dough covered wit a cotton cloth waiting to rise

Sorry the photo is blurry but you can see how much the dough came up

Here is the fun part, you can add dark chocolate (70% cocoa makes it a super food) a chunk to each roll, push it in the bun and cover with dough.

Glase the top with egg yolks to give a pretty golden effect.

Cut the loaf open on the top and add fresh olive oil and rosemary.

Sky is the limit now.

Have fun Happy Thanksgiving to those of you dear readers in the U.S.

Sette Design Shop

With affection,
Natalie

Fifth Anniversary Sette Design Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 21:29:00 +0000

It is crazy to think that 5 years ago today I started this blog. Happy Anniversary Sette Design Blog! I remember the day clearly, because I was living here in Italy and we had just had the first snow fall on the mountains that surround our city. Now 5 years later with climate change, it seems there is no snow insight for who knows how long. My girls were 9 and 13 compared to now 14 and 18, huge difference.

To celebrate today I thought I would give you some advice, this I secretly find funny because if you knew my life more intimately you would say (or quietly think) Nat you really are not in any position to give advice. But when you hear the advice you will see that actually is is common, simple, pure and obvious. Plus this way we can look back on some pretty photos I have taken in the years past.

Here we go life advice from Sette Design.

Make home made bread, it will make your friends and family so happy it is ridiculous and strangely it will also make you feel good about yourself. The house will smell amazing.

Light candles it makes everything look and feel good.

Flowers add color and joy.

The sky is the limit.

Go for walks alone,

and with family.

Change is something we can count on.

Paint something white, it will reflect light into a dark space, of course paint something colored too. I love colored walls.

Too much at times can be splendid.

Just as simple and empty is pure and lovely.

Paint something it deepens our souls, or play music, cook, write, sing or dance.

Home is where you make it.

If possible make love on vintage Italian sheets.

Embrace whatever kind of creativity you have that makes you purrr.

If something feels wrong run for it.

Rest assured you are not the only one who is crazy.

Drink lots of coffee and remember love is what matters most of all.

Now I will leave you with a good quote and a cool scene I came across years back.

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder."

E.B. White

With affection,
Natalie

Peace - ramps, docks, alleyways and vicoli

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 16:59:00 +0000

It is interesting how little empty passageways can bring us peace. A via waiting to be chosen, explored, journeyed through. Both of these photos are taken in places I know well and have walked through often.

The first is on the docks in Sausalito, CA on the way to my mother's houseboat with Mt. Tamalpais elegantly tranquil in the distance. The alleyway (vicolo in Italian) below was passed through for years, day in day out on bicycles on the way to the Elementary School for my girls.

Do you remember a beaten path from your childhood that even now to think of it brings you peace? You may have one now, in the city that you live, cutting behind buildings, a break in a fence. A secret way to get there faster or to be seen less. In my childhood we even had a name for our path, "Meet you at the top of the Huckleberry Trail".

Today as the hot summer winds down in Italy and in California and where ever you are. I encourage you to find a path to travel that brings you peace, name it, walk it, bring someone with you.

With affection,

Natalie

Graduates and Glass Bottles

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 22:39:00 +0000

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.

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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

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 02:17:00 +0000

Structures covered in vines.

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

Beaulieu Vineyards

Vines to the sky

The vines they take over and a have a life of their own.

Here in Napa Valley they are also curated, sampled, trimmed and deeply loved.

Now the mustard flowers are as high as the vines
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Design Question:
Could you, would you live in a home covered in vines?

Do you already?

cool done modern and sharp

To be honest for a moment, something about it seems a little scary to me. Then I'm intrigued by the beauty and grace of a house that grows and changes with the seasons.

Visually, I am obsessed with Houses Covered in Vines and that is why I brought them to you.

With affection,
Natalie

Sette Design Shop

Create Something Pretty- Blue Wall Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 21:53:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 00:18:00 +0000

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.

Linens at Sette Design Shop

Other ideas could be.

A table cloth for Easter lunch.

Way cool tent (fort) for the kids, clothes pins can do amazing things!

Bed sheets

Bed cover

I love the idea to add an outdoor curtain on the porch for shade or romantic dinners. Soon I'm going to do a post on porches, we have some great porches in the Wine Country.

Sette Design Shop

Sette Design Shop is looking so pretty now with a mix of handmade, hand painted, Vintage Italian and Country Napa Valley. Imagine brass candelabras, colored glass, wire and pearl baskets!

Here is the link directly to the Linens section of my shop. Click Here
You can go to Products to see other treasures and joy.

Happy Spring my darlings, on March 12 in the US, we change our clocks forward. I love the saying "Spring forward - Fall back".
Arn't we all just trying to spring forward and not fall back?

With Affection,
Natalie

Red Italian House - Exterior Color

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 18:12:00 +0000

Wait … is it really a Red Italian House, or is it Deep Pink, Burnt Orange, Rust, Coral? What color do you see? I like to argue about color and the funny thing about that, is we always think that we are right because it is what we see!

I have been driving by this house for years and from a distance it looks deep pink, then when I come in closer it becomes harder to define, so therefore I actually get to argue with myself. Whatever color this house is, it is fabulous, amazing, splendid, an excellent color choice.

Here is why.

The color encompasses the countryside around it, the brown earth in Winter and brilliant yellow sunflowers in the Summer, Pink Crepe Myrtle trees.

The earthy toned tile roof is perfect (absorbs the hot color).

The classic dark green (almost black) shutters are a good accent.

The wide boarder of Creamy-Yellow around the windows is what makes the color contrast interesting (white would be too much).

This is my simple inspiration for today. I wonder if you have the courage to paint your home this color? Would your neighbors talk behind your back? I know your answer? Yes if I lived in Italy.

Cheers,

Natalie

The Game of Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 20:53:00 +0000

Buon San Valentino.

I love stones. You may have heard me mention this before. I do not love games, but today for Valentines I'm going to tell you about a Game of Peace that I have created. It is really simple and fun (classic Sette Design stuff). Secretely and openly I'm hoping all the cousins, sisters, daughters that live on our compound here in the gorgeous Napa Valley will join in and play too.

All you do is move a chosen stone around the garden, courtyard, front porch, drive way where ever you choose, and create a scene that is beautiful or just that it looks like the stone has been placed with thought and with love and care. Then when members of our family walk by they can note that the stone has moved and as they pass by, take a moment of peace in their heart, breath and think of peace.

Believe for that moment that peace will come to the world and to your family.

Whenever anyone wants to join in the game, they can move the stone and therefor bring peace to others.

Soon if the game works, just seeing the stone will bring a trigger reaction of peace in your body.

I am absolutely certain we all need and desire more PEACE!

Join in the game!

Here is a link to Stones for Peace from my blog years back- other crazy stone design stuff.

Cheers and with affection,
Natalie
I'm linking with these parties:
The Turquoise Home
French Country Cottage
Remodelaholic

Repetitive Behavior

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 01:55:00 +0000

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

Inside Winter Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 18:35:00 +0000

I remember when I was young and going to Art and Design School in Brooklyn, I loved to look at the bare black trees reaching for the Winter sky. Here presently in California the spring flowers are already starting to bloom, even if the Winter rains are still here in force blowing apart the streets and trees and branches falling, rivers rising. It is nice to create a calm sanctuary inside.

I like to bring a little Winter inside and light candles, drink tea and read books.

Candle holders available at Sette Design Shop

I used a fallen branch with lichen and moss tied to a hook in the wall with a forest green velvet ribbon (gorgeous), white roses (with a hint of pink) in tiny tomato can, voltive candles, simple and easy Sette Design style.

Cheers!

With affection,
Natalie

Distressed Country Table

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 22:05:00 +0000

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.

Sette Design Shop

Then I used the boards for styling for this blog and for many of the photos on my online store -here you can see Sette Design Shop.

When I decided to use the tressel table boards and build a kitchen table. I wanted the legs chunky and fat, so that they would be heavy and stable enough to support the top without adding cross sections and my little family with all their long legs would be able to sit directly at the table.

Once the stucco flaked off on the boards, I just painted it with this off white – pale white-grey color

(Benjamin Moore 2133-70 Satin finish). This color is amazing because it adds another level of tone to white and makes everything look so incredibly hip. What was cool is when the stucco flaked off it did remain in some places in the form of the wood grain and therefore adding a beautiful effect to the distressing.

Sette Design Shop

I can’t really do a DIY on this project because of all the accidents that affected the finish, but here is some advice for you, when you are painting and distressing furniture it is a good idea to just keep adding layers, wiping and sanding them off, add wax add gold leaf, use colors that you love in similar shades and it will turn out amazing.

Good luck!

Go paint something or just go make a cappuccino and think about your next creative project.

settedesign7.blogspot.com

Cheers,

Natalie

I'm linking with these fun parties:

Sweet Inspiration

Peace Love Link-Up

Remodelaholic

Finding Silver Pennies

Mid January

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

I like to watch inspirational videos on TedTalk. I love all of www.tedtalk.com it makes me feel smarter just to take part in it.

I also find it shocking and funny hear that by January, 15 most people have already failed to keep their New Year's Resolutions. I think resolutions can just be picked up again at the point of failure with new resolve and that sometimes we have to force ourselves, through failing again and again to accomplish what we set out to do.

Here are some cool quotes to keep you going on these dark, stormy January days.

"We gain strength, and courage and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face...we must do that which we think we cannot."

-Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and First Lady

'To be ambitious for weatlth, and yet always expecting to be poor; to be always doubting your ability to do what you long for, is like trying to reach east by traveling west. There is no philosophy which will help man to succeed when he is always doubing his ability to do so, and thus attracting failure. No matter how hard you work for success, if your thought is saturated with fear of failure, it will make success impossible."

-Charles Baudouin, phychiatrist and writer

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."
-Winston Churchill, former prime minister of Great Britain.

I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot... and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's precisely why I succeed.

- Michael Jordan, basketball player

"I go to my studio everyday. Some days the work comes easily. Other days nothing happens. Yet on the good days the inspiration is only an accumulation of all the other days, the nonproductive ones."

-Beverly Pepper, artist

This last quote I'm sure I have quoted on this blog before and I will do it again, because it is supreme.

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit."

Helen Keller, author and activist

It might be fun for me and for all of you to think up your own quote. It could be a secret for a while, until you were ready to share it and set it free in the world. Then other people might quote what you said. As I like to say Alfredo says. "Non sara' sempre cosi" It won't always be like this.

Cheers,
Natalie

NEW

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 02:51:00 +0000

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See You Next Year!

I love to say "See You Next Year", it is something we said when we were children and it always makes me giggle. It will be a New Year. I still can’t believe we are now almost in 2017. Do you remember when it was 1999 and we were moving into a new century, seventeen years have past since then!

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Nuovo Anno

Here is what the word new COULD mean for you.

New Perspective

New Life

New You

New Give

New Man

New Heart

New Home

New Design

New Color

New Creativity

New Money

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New Eyes

New Land

New Hope

New Forgiveness

New Courage

New Effort

New Body, New Mind, New Soul

New Love

NEW YEAR!

I know you can add to my list.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE NEW in 2017?

New Chance

Cheers and See You Next Year!

Natalie

Christmas Eve -Eve Heart in Two Places

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 07:37:00 +0000

Sette Design

Happy Christmas Eve Eve

I love to say that.

My heart is in 2 places this Christmas.

It is also in some Christmases in the past and some in the future too.

It’s funny as the girls grow up, I feel nostalgic remembering back to a Christmas when they were little. I can remember one Christmas when Elisa was still a little one, she decided to move all the presents from under the tree into the kitchen. We would go get the tree and strap the Christmas tree on to the back of my bike and push the bike home.

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1. Small Town Cali.

2. City Italy.

I love the small town California Christmas, red brick, white clapboard, black wet roads. We have a huge wreath at the beginning of Main Street, from both directions, a wreath of white lights. The south side entrance has a live Redwood tree, strung with colored lights.

Sette Design

Italian ciy life feels bustling and loud comparatively, crazy-dreamy Italian architecture and everyone walking about bundled in winter coats and scarves.

This is not my house. It is just so pretty, gorgeous California Victorian ice blue house.

Here is a flashback from life in an Italian city. The tree by the balcony in our bedroom.

Sette Design Shop

Flashback to Elisa's small hand on homemade cushed peppermint candycanes in sugar cookies.

Sette Desiogn Crushed Candycane Cookies

I hope you all find yourselves warm, and loved and full of hope this holiday. If you found you gave a little sneer as you read the word “hope”, then I’m going to giggle with you and say – you can choose to have that sneer or to have hope.

Cheers and laughter and dry up the tears. Make it full of love.

Natalie

A Christmas Scene

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:18:00 +0000

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!

Here now are my ingredients for “The Scene” that clearly defines it as Noel, Natale and Navidad.

Green velvet (moss green in abundance)

A huge gleaming red pomegranate

A nude (Christmas is art, no?)

Ancient books with gold trim

A hand painted-stucco’d tiny set of drawers (present to be by Sette Design)

Pears - (and a partridge in a pear tree)

Sprigs of rosemary tied with twine and satin ribbon

old books, pomogranite and nude

It is a Christmas Scene.

Cheers,

Natalie
Link below is to my shop
Sette Design Shop

It Is Christmastime

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:27:00 +0000

I don’t believe in PERFECT. It was never something that I wanted to achieve. There are many cultures in the world that believe if you make something perfect you are trying to imitate god and that imperfection lets the soul in. In creating art they would intentionally make one color woven off or one imperfect form. When I look at the wall motifs in Italy, each hand painted motif is not the same as the next. I love that. It frees us up to have fun.

Yet isn’t this house above just perfect! I love the scale of big tree, little house. While going for a walk at twilight with Alfredo (who is here visiting) we came across this house, oh it is just so lovely.

I think that when Christmastime is done in a simple pared down way, it can be heart warming. Here just a dark green wreath on a kiwi green door – heaven! I look for other kindred souls as I go along my day. People who understand simplicity and trying to live in simple design.

Candles and hot chocolate with (American) marshmallows.

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And a chalkboard sign I had Alfredo write in Italian IT’S CHRISTMAS!

It's Christmas!

The lights go up to our loft bed. I keep them up all year round.

Cheers,

Natalie

Pink Wall- Apricot Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 21:55:00 +0000

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.

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I also wanted to show you this amazing pink wall, if you are thinking to go pink, this is a fun color. This is an underconstruction photo, I took while painting this wall for a very cool home, filled with Mid-Century furniture and vintage coolness. (Paint Name: Benjamin Moore Creamy Peach 2012-60). It is a crazy color because in the morning light it is pink and afternoon and evening it become a rich apricot.

This quote I like because I find it motivates me in a simple way, makes me feel empowered as if it is actually possible to follow my dreams.

I am wishing you all a wonderful week and holiday.
Cheers,
Natalie

Ideas for Holiday Table Settings

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 18:31:00 +0000

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

settedesignshop

I have gorgeous Italian linens from before World War II, they would make any table simple or even fancy. For all the designs you can click on the link below the photo and it will take you to the shop, then click on products and many designs pop up. Enjoy!

settedesignshop

I absolutely love this dark amber colored glasses, they are perfect for a table setting and low enough to allow your family and friends to still be able to see each other across the table. They could also be pretty lining the entryway to your house.

settedesignshop

The crown as center piece, then remove it when the turkey arrives to put in place of the crown on your holiday table.

settedesignshop

This is a enamel painted metal tray that could be lovely on a sideboard with a cake or pie, mountain of sweets or bread rolls warm and wrapped in linen. Bring glasses of Champagne to your guests.

settedesignshop

These classic silver pedestal candleholders could become the highlight of the table, decorated with ribbons, or greenery or even a welcome sign strung between them.

settedesignshop

Here is the perfect basket if you are traveling and want to bring along something special to the party.

There are many special handmade vintage designs that will warm any home for the holiday and lovely as gifts too.

Cheers,

Natalie

www.settedesignshop.com

Return to the Simple Life

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 22:13:00 +0000

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.

A cup of tea helps too.

Find something old to be near.

Life is strange, that is a given.

If I go for a walk at dusk, the light makes everything dreamy.

Growing something, nourishes our minds and souls.

Rosemary Topiary www.settedesignshop.com

Return home, whatever that might mean to you, love wins.

Sette Design

There is this "crazy-splendid effect", which is even if you have no hope, the hope will wait for you around the corner. It is up to us to embrace it and carry it forward.

With affection,
Natalie

Patina II

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 00:13:00 +0000

One photo today. This is our courtyard floor with the rain dripping and the leaf shapes stained into the stone. The squirrels ate the grapes that hang above the granite tiles, and the grape remnants fell and then the sun and air and dew caused the stone to patina purple-black.

Just gorgeous!

Cheers,
Natalie

Patina

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 01:24:00 +0000

The Simple Life

It’s raining and I’m drinking hot apple juice with cinnamon. I just made classic old fashion biscuits (out of Bisquick no less!). It may be a crime to make biscuits from Bisquick in Napa Valley. It certainly would be in Umbria if they only knew- the crimes of my heart. Oh the lovely starchiness of Bisquick.

Now back to design as usual. I love the backs of buildings. Sometimes they are prettier than the front side, less junked up and squished and cluttered. The patina is authentic, they give a call to the past, something about Autumn makes us think of past days.

http://settedesign7.blogspot.com

pink and charcoal gray

This backside building shines and fades with a glorious patina. The metal shutters and pink and grey and orange-rust. I adore the heavy stone and warm white lights.

Autumn days in Napa Valley http://settedesign7.blogspot.com

Fall is here and the days are darkening . It is time to remember (and I’m reminding myself now also) that peace lies in doing something with our hands.

Write

paint

move

cook

tend

create… something.

peace www.settedesignshop.com

With affection,

Natalie

Painted Stucco Box -DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 06:27:00 +0000

Distressing a Box with Stucco Paint and Wax –DIY.

Today I want to try to explain this Do It Yourself project as simple as possible.. This process is not simple, but if you take it in parts, it isn’t hard to complete. It is a process I invented (although I understand nothing is new) Elvis Costello sings “there is not such thing as an original sin.” You get my point?

I love to play with different mixed media, and I love to distress a piece, just by adding another layer of paint or wax or stucco.

Here is what I did.

I painted this jewelry box with a pale grey latex paint two coats inside and out.

I added 3 layers of Venetian Stucco, pressed on smooth with a spatula (in Italian it’s called “Un Americano”) let it dry to the touch and sanded between layers with 400 grit sand paper.

I then mixed some watercolor a lovely black, and dark blue and some purple to make an gray-indigo color. I painted over the whole box. Now the texture of the distressing is starting to show because of the fake crocodile embossed on the box. I let it dry.

Then I painted on leaves with a liner paint brush metallic silver acrylic paint and outlined the leaves in black. I added black to the metal feet and to the closure.

Sette Design Shop

I let it all dry a couple hours and then rubbed on some Bee’s Wax, let that dry 20 minutes and polished it with a soft cotton cloth.

There it is all done. I think it looks so much prettier than before.

I also did this same process distressing walls of a restaurant in Umbria, Italy. If you want to read more from an old blog post you can Click Here. I just added the watercolor to normal wall stucco (joint compound it is called in America) I have added some photos from that project below to inspire you.

Distressing Walls with Stucco and Watercolor

Sette Design

Cheers,

Natalie
I'm linking with these parties:
The Turquoise Home
Costal Charm
French Country Cottage

Exciting News!

noreply@blogger.com (Sette Design) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:40:00 +0000

www.settedesignshop.com

Hi everyone!

I have really exciting news. I have been working on a secret for a long time. I have wanted to tell you all and have held back waiting for the right moment.

I have opened an on-line store! Sette Design Shop. Are you surprised or did you see it coming? For months I have been searching and hunting and (gathering?) the lands of Napa Valley and Umbria, Italy for treasures to put in the store. I have curated, designed, painted and transformed many designs for the shop. I believe for a beginning it is really quite pretty.

It is interesting because the past I have had a retail (brick and mortar). I have been painting interiors for retail spaces and working on them in Italy and America for years. I have also painted furniture that I sold in a stores in Italy, the U.S. and to my clients. So the bottom line is I love to work in home décor it is just such fun for me. Yet an on line store is very different beast, I do feel like I’m learning as I go and I’m sure to make mistakes, technology is not my forte.
I want it to be splendid! I hope you will come for a visit.

Here is the link - Sette Design Shop

Come visit www.settedesignshop.com

CHEERS and with affection,
Natalie