Palazzo Pizzo

Inspired by Sweet Paul

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Since I have not been reading or writing blogs for a while I had to catch up a littele bit. I started by checking blog by blog from my blogroll (inspiring blogs). After a while I came across a list of "50 of the world's best design blogs" by the London Times online. Some of them are already in my blogroll, but most have been new to me and fun to discover. However, a list like that compiled by a single person is never complete or pleasing everybody. So I did miss some of my favorite bloggers (you can find them in my blogroll). - Anyway. I am writing all this, to let you know that I discovered one interesting blog in that top 50 list: Sweet Paul by Paul Lowe, a stylist who works with both food and interior decor:

Photo by Victor Schrager, stylist Paul Lowe

This blog is so clean and serene - not overloaded with tons of colourful mosaic photos as it is now popular in many blogs - Paul's pictures are styled by himself and photographed by professional colleagues of him. The above photo - he writes in his "Holiday countdown" post dec 17 - was shoot on a hot summer day in August for Country Living and he discribes how to get the style. Right now, Paul posts everyday until dec 25th a new fun craft or recipe that sets you in the right peaceful Christmas mood.

Photo by Studio Dreyer Hensley

Paul loves "chasing the sweet things in live" (this is the subtitle of his blog), and so all the sweet recepies are by himself. During his childhood in Norway he used to bake gingerbread cookies with his mum while his grandmother used to make a gingerbread house every Christmas. Enjoy Paul's recipie and house making instruction here.

Sometimes a good blog is inspiring other bloggers. Sweet Paul definately is inspiring me and gets me back on the creativity track. I also realise how much styling is important for a good photo and got familiar with the job of a prop stylist.

*
* Happy Holiday to all of you ! *
*

This is not an anniversary post

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:21:00 +0000

This is not an anniversary post - but should have.

This is almost three years of blogging (wow !) and almost my 200th post (I like slow blogging) !

The Holiday Season is starting and I know I am not going to make the 200th post on time to match the three years anniversay.

It is all the swine flu's fault and the other virus and bacteria that followed on top. It is unbelievable how many weeks it took and still takes me to recover. To ensure the food supply for the family was core - writing or reading posts was absolutely not interesting to me.

However I checked my statistic counter regularly ;-) ... and I am glad to see that some new readers dropped in.

I promise to be back with inspiring posts before the New Year. Probably from Northern Italy where we will visit our Italian family.

Until then, all the best - especially HEALTH to you and your beloved ones !

photo: il palazzo e la chiesa Carmine

My husband loves antique shopping

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:20:00 +0000

A while ago, when we still lived in China, my husband was on a business trip to Europe. Over the weekend he went to see his parents in Venice, Italy. One of their favorite activities is "antique shopping". Sometimes they just stop by their friend's restoration warehouse in the industrial zone of Mestre to say hello and check the "new" arrivals and lately restored furniture. And sometimes they would drive to one of the monthly antique markets in the area.

Anyway, while I was not around, my husband found antique chairs and beds for the "palazzo". He bought four chairs which his father wants to refurbish himself. The "beds" were only header and footer for one or two beds.

Well, not a bad habit, isn't it ?!

To preserve : the green room

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:22:00 +0000

The green room of the palazzo was the only room that was not over coated with white paint when we first inspected the house. We have not changed the green colour, but we have changed the layout of the room. Since the old kitchen was too small we had to sacrifice the old bathroom which space today belongs to the (future) kitchen. Hence, in need of a new bathroom the green room had to give away part of its space. The other part remains side entrance area.

the arch in the middle, with no function, had to go

the green room divided

remaining side entrance area (right) and wall with glass bricks for additional light in the new bathroom (left)

And since I want to preserve or restore as much as possible of the old atmosphere (that however I have never experienced myself) I thought we will colour the future bathroom that was part of the former green room in the same green shades. Although green is not our favorite colour the house is big enough to give different rooms different touches.

The colors for the new bathroom could be these:

(colours via Farrow&Ball)

maybe the ceiling needs an additional touch of light rose to go with the green paint and the white stucco

Living in Argentina

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:43:00 +0000

walls : grey, floor : black, column : gold, lamps : 6, accent colour : coral

wow ! what a glamorous eclectic mix !

Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America

curtains used as closet door and room divider

countryside house in Argentina (reminds me of a "maison de campagne" around Fontainebleau)

All above beautiful images and many more can be found in this book :

available via :

Amazon.com (19.79 USD)

Amazon.de (19,99 Euro)

I browsed this book online here because my blogger friend N. was so excited about Buenos Aires after she spent a couple of weeks in Argentina. And I heard other people saying that Buenos Aires is a mix of Paris and Barcelona. So I got curious and checked this book by Taschen (language: German, English, French) which of course is not a travel book but purely about interiors. However, these eye-candies make me want to travel to Argentina right away.

And that's what the editor says (summarized): Argentina considers itself the most European of South American countries as Argentineans have a strong connection to the old world. When it comes to decorating, they have a great talent for bringing together the old and the new, with subtle touches of color and rich textiles.

FYI : in case you order this book or any other product via my amazon links I receive about 5% commission through their associate program. In this case about 50 cent ... so if you order 10 copies, it would buy me a coffee !! (ha ha! thanks !)

Photo source: Taschen

Creative Tuesday

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:35:00 +0000

this morning I saw colours ... of course, when you have followed my last posts, no wonder ... 3 bold fundamental colours (red, blue and yellow) and 4 complementary colours (red-green, orange-blue) on my dining table ! Of course I had to take out my camera. This could be a motif to paint:

My painting class was right after (I am doing water colour every Tuesday morning with my neighbour architect, his friends and an art teacher). But we paint what the teacher proposes. Today we had to paint a frozen lake near our town. She, the artist, always brings a photograph and one or two versions she already has painted. Then she paints in front of us showing her technique and how we could compose the picture - and then its our turn. It is always interesting to see all the different results. Here is mine:

And after this post I can say, that I have been really creative today (photograph, painting, writing) !

Decorating with Colours

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:31:00 +0000

Maison Jaoul (finished in 1955), Neuilly (Paris) by Le Corbusier

(photo from a book "Le Corbusier" by Taschen)

If you have a house with many white walls and surfaces and not that much art work to hang, the best way to decorate your house is to paint large surfaces with bold warm colours that are rich in contrast.

Lately I got inspired by my friends new house. She used a Feng Shui colour consultant and ended up with a colourful house that radiates warm and cosy feelings from the very first moment, although the moving boxes were still unpacked. The result is quiet interesting and I have to ask her if I could post some pictures. In some rooms walls were painted with three different colours. Seems too much to me, and many others. Lets wait and see until they have lived in there for a while. But also magic colour tricks made disappear corners and widen small windows.

And since I need to add 3 doors for buil-in closets in my (German) home, I think to use bold colours for the surfaces. At the moment I fancy a kind of lobster red for a single door for my bathroom. And around the corner, in my home office, I fancy some fresh green or blue or yellow for a double door. As the 3 doors are so close to each other (the sliding door to the bathroom is always open) they can create a fun colour contrast. A bit of "Bauhaus" style in my appartment...

I played a bit and matched the above 3 colours (via Farrow & Ball).

This colour combination was often used in the 50ies by architects and designer.

very similar colour match in a loft in Paris via Cote Maison (photo by Philippe Garcia)

"arty" colours of the 50ies (jade, coral and yellow) used in a French appartment via Cote Maison

more interior of maison Raoul (via "Le Corbusier" by TASCHEN)

bedroom in maison Raoul (via flickr)

One more time the Claude and Duval factory by Le Corbusier (via wallpaper) to show the colour combo that keeps me fascinated.

Mediterranean Escapes - online eye candies by TASCHEN

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Leaf through "Great Escapes Mediterranean" by TASCHEN - online !

click on "leaf through"

302 pages of eye candy online - better than any magazine !

Although the writing is too small to read the book online - my eyes are more than happy !

Hotel Stella Maris, north of Portofino, Liguria, Italy

(click on above pictures to enlarge)

Mykonos Grace Hotel, Mykonos, Greece

Did this excite you ? Please help yourself and browse this book at TASCHEN.

Taschen was founded in Cologne, Germany in 1980 by Benedict Taschen to sell his comic collection. Today his company is known internationally for producing great value coffe table books about art, architecture, lifestyle and design. I will introduce you to more soon.

Le Corbusier colour experimentation

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:29:00 +0000

Le Corbusier (*1887-1965), mainly known as an architect, also worked as a painter and writer. His creativity seems endless. Between planning houses, villas and cities, he designed furniture, sculptured, published books, studied and traveled a lot. He was born in Switzerland as Charles-Edouard Jeanneret and started to use his pseudonym "Le Corbusier" only in 1920 after founding a magazine.

Recently I bought a book about this fascinating artist - and I am impressed by Le Corbusier's use of colours, his choice of quantity / proportion and contrasts - thus I thought I blog some of his interior related work.

The online version of wallpaper magazine recently published an article about Le Corbusier's Claude & Duval "Dream Factory" in France. Here an extract:

(...)
The factory, a true architectural gem, was designed according to the famous Le Corbusier modular system, also featuring his intense block colour experimentations, covering ceilings and walls, to the plumbing system, contrasting heavily the naked concrete used as the main material.

Le Corbusier’s Claude & Duval factory in St-Die-des-Vosges was built in 1952 and has been a working textile factory ever since. This factory produces today high fashion pieces for the likes of Balenciaga, Chanel, Celine and Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester, who owns her own Le Corbusier designed house in Antwerp.
(...)

Text and photo source: wallpaper

playing with colours

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:06:00 +0000

today I see rain and I see sunshine - I see huge rainbows - and colourful autumn leaves -
and I think about colours and about colour combinations - for doors, walls, rooms

since a while I am collecting, researching and observing all around colours
- and I came across Le Corbusier and his use of colours in architecture and interiors.

Here you see the 63 colours from the colour palettes LC 32 and LC 43 by Le Corbusier :

Le Corbusier’s sophisticated color theories, outlined in his Polychromie Architecturale writing (Le Corbusier Polychromie architecturale: Farbenklaviaturen von 1931 und 1959 / Color Keyboards from 1931 and 1959 / Les claviers de couleurs de 1931 et de 1959 (German, English and French Edition)), were influenced by his experiences as both an artist and an architect.

The color palettes he selected for Salubra (a swiss wallpaper maufacturer) were systematized in chromatic ‘keyboards’ with accompanying cut-out cards to isolate color combinations.

The LC 32 series are organized into groups based on mood, from which a smaller palette of three to five harmonious colors can be selected.

The stronger colors of the LC 43 series appear on one page, with color proximity and the cut-out cards enabling selection for two to three vividly contrasting colors.

This sounds like a perfect tool to find the best colour combinations, maybe some you do not even have thougt of. But the price of the book (299 Euro) scares me off and makes me try to trust my own feelings.

In case you are interested to know where to source these colours for your own painting project:
The swiss based company, kt.COLOR, founded by the chemist Katrin Trautwein, is a highly specialized manufacturer of fine paints for interior use, licensed the exclusive rights to manufacture the original Le Corbusier colors from Fondation Le Corbusier in 1999.

kt. COLOR showroom

And because I do not want just to name one colour company, I am going to link to a video that is procuced by Farrow & Ball and shows ideas how to use colour in your home :

Interesting isn't it? That's what I learned :
- dark dramatic entrance creates contrast to brighter rooms
- dark (painted) floor makes a room appear wider
- small dark room: no white but bright colour
- grey is an elegant and cosy wall colour for a bedroom

----

more about Le Corbusier's colours used in interiors to come ....

Shopping in Venice: VENETIA STUDIUM

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:20:00 +0000

In the heart of Venice you might come across a little shop that has beautiful silk lamps, handbags and scarf, elegant velvet cushion covers and table runners in modern and oriental style. The shop windows always magically attracts me and my husband. And you can read the magic Roman letters : VENETIA STVDIVM - which is the Venetia Studium company that has several showrooms all near San Marco square.

Fortuny silk lamp "Cesendello" on the rod and silk scarves.

We like the style of the lamp, that is influenced like all the Venetia Studium products by the "history of Venice and its links to the Byzantium and the East". However, we have no idea (yet) where to use it. Actually we look at this lamp as long as we visit Venice together, since over 13 years!

Scarves, shawls, handbags and cushion covers made of silk or velvet - and the elaborated glass lamp Saraceno.

Another Venetia Studium shop with similar window display ...

... and another shop specialised in cushion covers and table runners

Here my friend from Bangkok needs to shop for a friend in Thailand (that's why I saw all the shops!)

Little detail: I especially liked the typical Venetian terrazzo floor

(and the interesting Italian shoes of an Italian male)

PS: Venetia Studium has a showroom in London and selected products can be ordered online

Window Shopping in Venice

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Window shopping is something I like to do - it is ispiring and joyful - and it does not cost much. Do you like to join me for a window shopping trip to Venice ?

Here we go :

illuminted lighting shop in Venice

See, the gondolier is waiting for us in the background ...

Venetian chandeliers made of Murano glass by Zanetti

a fancy shop at the end of Piazza San Marco

Can you see the red Murano glas chandelier ? (click on pic to enlarge)

Murano glass chandelier with a modern touch by Venini

Venini has a long history (since 1921 in Murano) and is famous for its modern classic style and great craftmen's skills

This shop in Mestre has more affordable products, and they are not less pretty

The pinkish Venetian chandelier is seducing, but ...

... these "Balon Venexian" caught my eyes - simply charming and affordable.

Maybe for the guestappartment's entrance that leads to the vaulted cellar?

And this artist shop caught my eyes too - love these baloons made of Murano glass !

Livio de Marchi is a Venetian artis who is famous for his carved sculptures.

Ferrari red pops up among grey and attracts the male shopper

A chair and a vase at Dolce& Gabbana ...

.... can't tell what I like better - the big stone vase with the tiny cactus is quiet interesting (having my terrace in mind)

Christmas decoration at D&G (12/2008)

including reflections of Gucci 2m across the aley

Window shopping can be exhausting. I recommend an expresso or prosecco (anytime), cappuccino (before 11am), hot chocolat (in winter) or an aperitivo (before lunch or dinner) at Caffe Florian or Caffè Quadri, Piazza San Marco. If you feel you do not have to sit down, take your order at the bar and save some Euros. However, after a window shopping tour we can afford to sit down, right ?! Salute !

PS:

Thanks to Anita from 1richtungsblog who featured photos of our renovation project and an interview with me last week, I have received many more readers from Germany than usually. To welcome them and also just for fun I wrote a post in German language, my mother tongue. This was just a one time experiment as I do not want to loose any subscribers !!! And my German readers seem to not mind English. - Welcome back !

Experiment: post auf Deutsch - Rote Sitzmoebel

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:43:00 +0000

Gruess Gott, Guten Tag und Servus auf diesem Blog !

Ich heisse alle deutsch sprachigen Leser herzlich willkommen, die diesen blog post gefunden haben und vorallem diejenigen, die aufgrund der beiden 1richtungsblog posts, hier und hier, heruebergekommen sind.

Wie gestern versprochen, blogge ich heute mal auf Deutsch, um zu sehen, wie sich das anfuehlt. Lockere Sprache ist auf Englisch ja voellig normal. Aber auf Deutsch ? Vielleicht muss ich mich da erst eingewoehnen ? Zeitungsdeutsch hat auf blogs wenig zu suchen. Zumindest nicht unbedingt in der Katergorie Haus&Garten.

Jetzt aber die Frage an Euch Leser : wuerdet Ihr diesen blog lieber auf Deutsch haben ? Oder macht es nichts aus, dass ich auf Englisch schreibe ? Englisch versteht doch fast jeder. Zumindest meinen begrenzten Wortschatz, oder setze ich da zuviel voraus ? Ausserdem, wer liest schon all die Artikel Wort fuer Wort - wenn doch die Bilder schoen sind ? Zugegeben, ich ueberfliege sehr oft, auch in Zeitschriften. Daher also die Frage: Wie haetten'S denn gern ?

Und nun schnell 'was Buntes bzw. Rotes - 3 x rote Sitzmoebel - passend zur kalten Jahreszeit :

Sofa Alcove, Design: Ronan und Erwan Bouroullec, 2006 fuer vitra

Ei Sessel, Design: Arne Jacobsen, 1958 Daenemark

Ameise Stuhl, Design: Arne Jacobsen, 1952 Daenemark
(mit Filzauflage auch im Winter gemuetlich!)

Das Bildmaterial kommt von cairo, einem deutschen Design-Versandhaus, das auch schoene Kataloge versendet. Die Bestellung vom Katalog geht online und ist kostenlos (wahrscheinlich nur innerhalb Deutschlands). Um Produkte bei Cairo zu bestellen, muss man nicht unbedingt - wie angegeben - Freiberufler, Dienstleister, Gewerbe oder Handel sein. Man muss auch gar nichts bestellen - nur schmoekern ist auch erlaubt!

Und bitte sagt Bescheid, ob Euch dieser Artikel (post) auf Deutsch gefallen hat. Und, ob Ihr wieder kommt, wenn ich auf Englisch blogge. Entschuldigt auch, dass ich keine Umlaute kann mit meinem Computer aus China, wo ich drei Jahre lebte und hier bloggte.

Auf Wiedersehen (bzw. -lesen) und schoenes Wochenende !

Palazzo Pizzo featured in German "1richtungsblog"

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Today this blog is featured in 1richtungsblog written in German language by Anita. Her American experience of 7 years in Dallas definately brings a fresh spirit into her daily updated blog. Style Spion a leading German blog calls her the "German Decor8".

She frequently features private homes, fellow bloggers and artist. And I am happy to see that the German blog scene has developped. All the German language blogs in her blogroll are inspiring as well. And I am happy for the very friendly feature - in German language of course - about our renovation project in Italy.

Maybe you wonder, why I am writing in English language and not in German, as I am not only born in Germany but also at the moment based in Germany.

So, here is my explanation, why blogging in English :

When I started blogging - almost three years ago (!) - I wrote my first posts in German language :

My very first post on December 31, 2006 : Ein Abenteuer beginnt
Then, January 7, 2007: Haus am Meer gesucht
The third and last in German language on February 7, 2007: Der Grundriss
(not sure where the pictures have gone)

Okay, I am admitting that one post per month was not enough to attract a crowd of readers and commentators, but I felt that the German blog scene was somehow boring - at that time. I could not find anything interesting or inspiring I would have liked to link to.

And then my absolute favorite blogger of that time - Maryam - left a comment on my blog : I wish I could read your blog:-(

That were the magic words that made me start writing in English.

I do really enjoy the English writing group that blogs about interior design, home & garden and all inspiring beautiful things. However, I am open to meet the German scene as well.

And that's why I am going to greet them in my mother tongue :

Hallo und willkommen auf meinem blog !!!! Schaut Euch um, fuehlt Euch wie zu Hause. Mehr auf Deutsch spaeter ...

cool products for bathrooms

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Shower Pluvia by Rapsel

Recently I came across this fancy shower. The wall mounted shower's spiral column not only ends in a rainshower head but also functions as shower curtain rail ! (diameter about 80 cm). - It seems like a space saving solution.

I do not have experienced the above shower, but I am a very lucky girl to have this one at my home (in Germany):

It is a steam shower ! It is the Wellbox Easy by megius

We love it. Especially in these cold days, after sport or just to relax and get a nice skin. Of course you can also use the shower function alone without the steam funtion. It is an Italian brand (sure, nice design!) and you can choose among different versions (size, colour, finish). We have a white one (125cm x 90cm) with wooden floor and wooden chair.

steam shower Wellbox by megius

We got the idea from our friends who are renovating an entire house and they were telling us about getting a steamshower and all its advantages. - When you get a built in one, it could be more expensive then a ready box.

The same friends told us that they are going to get a Turkish toilet. What is that ? we asked ...

Since I spent a weekend in Istanbul I know that all toilets in Turkey - whether in five star hotels, night clubs, museums or simple restaurants - all have it - the bidet funtion. It is two in one !

"shower" toilet by Temtasi

Since we have one in our newly renovated bathroom (in Germany) we are very happy. Italians always have bidets in their bathrooms, however sometimes you just do not have enough space.

"shower" toilet Tuana with bidet funtion by Temtasi

(this seems the best looking model)

And to finish my post about fancy bath equipment I would like to share my favorite sink :

sink Gran Kanal by Rapsel

I posted it before - I love it because it is the smallest double sink that we could find. It is only 111 cm long and is big enough for two people to use at the same time. It is space saving and has an aesthetical modern look. (The Vero serie by Duravit is similar and less expensive.)

PS: I hope you like me sharing some of my favorite bathroom equipments. Sometimes when I want to make up my mind about products, I like to read customers comments. (I am not getting paid for that post.).

Update: I want to mention another post of mine where I am praising some less fancy and cheap DIY bathroom ideas.

How time flies - with capers

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:05:00 +0000

Over the weekend I checked my photo files about our palazzo. That means I had to go through summer holiday files of four years ! And we do not have just one summer holiday file per year. It was quiet a lot ... but of course very enjoyable. Not only to see the progress (the slow progress!) of our renovation project but also to see our child grow.

I found these funny photos below, that we apparently took every year. I call the serie "capers harvest on our terrace" (capers = caperi).

caperi August 11, 2006

This picture was taken when we saw the house for the very first time.

My Italian mother-in-law - always having space in her handbag - is collecting capers with our son.

This is still at the very first visit to the house in August 2006.

One year later: July 2007

Meanwhile the house is ours.

But we have not started the renovation yet.

Still harvesting capers ...

... and enjoying the view (summer 2007)

March 2008: renovation in progress

The terrace is the roof of the second floor and needs sealing.

The caper plant was taken out and the balustrade paint plastered.

Tow years later, August 2008 : uups ! A tiny caper plant popped up again !

The roots must be very stong and resistant.

Not good for roof and walls underneath. Water could infiltrate. Special treatment is necessary.

Three years later, August 2009 : Done !

No more capers. New tiles and security grid.

Although the tiles are beautiful and the iron grid is necessary - I still can't stop thinking that I like the charme of the old dilapidated condition - more? This is one of the difficulties, I think, when renovating. How to stop dilapidation without changing the character of a building or interior too much.

To get a broader picture, I am posting the sea side facade before and after:

August 2006, not our house yet

Sea side facade March 2008

August 2009

The palazzo from the sea, 54 meters above sea level

Some readers might know my sea side pictures. But since I am posting for almost three years and the renovation progress is so slow, some of you might have forgotten about the "look". Here are some more before and after posts.

Happy Weekend with my background photo

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Wishing you a happy weekend with my computer screen background photo of our house - photo from January 2008

10 Simple Actions to contribute to save the Planet

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Today is Blog Action Day and I am participating because our planet is in danger. Every human being that is able to think should be aware about how much our planet is threatened by climate change, global warming and shortness of resources, to name some environmental problems which again cause social unbalance that can result in poverty, terror and war. It is a very complex subject. Our children and grandchildren will face tough times.

But where to start and who to start ?
Today, blog action day is focusing on the environmental problem "climate change".
Please take a minute and read the following what you could do today and maybe next week and more and more often :

10 simple actions to contribute for a better Planet :

1) Replace a regular light bulb with an energy saving light bulb

2) Move your radiator down one degree in winter (and the aircon up 1 degree in summer)

3) Use less hot water (it costs energy to heat water)

4) Air dry your clothes instead of using a dryer as often as possible

5) Only run your dishwasher when there’s a full load and use the energy-saving setting

6) Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them (even when turned off, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. The energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working may account for 5 % of total domestic energy consumption !)

7) Plant a tree - or think twice before cutting down a tree ! (a single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%.)

8) Buy locally grown food (transportation is polluting and consumes energy) - and buy fresh food instead of frozen (frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce).

9) Eat less meat !!! (The production of 1 kg of beef consumes about 13,000 liter of water !!! And methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.)

10) Drive less ! Walk, bike or use public transportation !

(source: Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth)

Today I will buy fresh food at the local farmer's market, eat no meet and use public transportation ! (easy in't it ?! But every little contribution of every human being counts !)

What is your contribution or tip ?!

Follow these links for more information about saving the planet (who is thinking, what to do and how to contribute) :

Club of Rome
Global Marshall Plan
An inconvenience truth

---------------
Update:
I would like to recommend the following posts on CLIMAT CHANGE
http://flowerhillfarm.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-action-day-2009-climate-change.html
http://selfdestructivebastards.blogspot.com/2009/10/wake-up-humanity.html

If you have another interesting post let us all know with a comment !
To check the other 13 thousand something participating blogs go to --> blog action day 2009

Remark: I had to change the publishing time, delay 2 hours in order to have this post appear on Oct. 15, blog action day. Now my two posts on Oct. 15 just appear in a different order. That's all. Sorry for confusion.

Blog Action Day in your shower

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:07:00 +0000

A cute little reminder to save water and energy !
Shower shorter - and less hot !

Please read my related post for blog action day : 10 actions to contribute for a better planet

Modern Furniture in Rough Rooms

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:55:00 +0000

Recently I came across the photographer Michael Himpel via Lumas Gallery and his shots of beautiful old interiors, all with that fascinating dilapidated but luxe feel, all empty and all belonging to historic villas in Havanna, Cuba.

Only little later I saw the actual advertising campaign of the German furniture manufacturer WK Wohnen in the print media. And I recognised the rooms ! Their modern products were placed into these old villas in Havanna for the shooting - by Michael Himpel. The rooms were all empty because the owner's furniture was taken out before.

See here the photographs with and without furniture :

via WK Wohnen

Villa Eulalia, Havanna by Michael Himpel via Lumas

"the charme of past times is present in Havanna ..." via pmi publishing

Villa La Guarida by Michael Himpel via Lumas

What a ballroom !

via WK Wohnen

Villa Carlos, Havanna by Michael Himpel via Lumas

What a ceiling lamp ?!

via WK Wohnen

via Eulalia, Havanna by Michael Himpel via Lumas

What a flooring !! Love the tiles !!

And when writing about advertising modern / luxe furniture in rough / shabby rooms, I want to post two more samples :

red sofa (Charles) above by B&B Italia ...

... in the same room that I posted it in Feb. 2007 !

However the above picture is not taken from an advertising. If I remember well it was the furnishing of a house in Italy. The style was called "neo-shabby chic" by the magazine it was featured in (Casa International, Beijing does not longer exist).

I do love the fresco !

This is clearly advertising for an Italian divano - the location looks like an abandoned church , similar feeling to the other two pics before.

While the German advertising campaign was this year, I am not sure about the Italian ones. The last (mantelassi) is from about 2 or 3 years ago. However, I do not care if a style is in or not. It has to fit. This shabby chic or rough luxe style just fits to old historic buildings that have a past to tell and to preserve. I hope that I can preserve some interior walls and ceilings in our palazzo in Italy that are testimonies from so many years.

My next post should show some dilapidated walls, ceilings and fresci of our Palazzo Pizzo ...

To round up my recent posts about rough luxe - or shabby chic - I want to provide a few links to some similar content, posted recently or a bit ago, here for the interested reader :

Rough luxe and the new antiquarians by The Architectural Antique Review (09/2009)

Rough Luxe by Wall Street Journal (WSJ, 09/2009)

Rough Luxe Hotel by Designers Block (03/2009)

Cote de Texas about Belgian Design (01/2009)

A description of Boho Modern by Decor8 (01/2008)

Axel Vervoordt

Rough Luxe Experience

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:27:00 +0000

Some of you and myself are fascinated by "rough luxe" - by the style and the term. And the Wall Street Journal writes "the world of interiors gets a new manifesto".

But where does the term "rough luxe" come from ? How has created it ?

I googled - and found the "Rough Luxe Experience Network", a kind of platform for businesses that "share an understanding of a different definition of luxury".

And there I found this room combining colours and beautiful fabrics with existing distressed original walls :

The photos above and below are all showing interiors of the Rough Luxe Hotel in London, "transformed" by Rabih Hage.

What an interesting bathroom !

Of course I selected all the bathroom photos as I have to do six for our palazzo.

And I wanted to show the rough part of the rough luxe style - the original walls. For me a bit too much (above).

The "Rough Luxe Network" seems to me like a "Charming Hotel" kind of network that is still new and very trendy. I deem their criteria to become member very interesting.

Read some interior related criteria here:

ROUGH LUXE NETWORK CRITERIA :

* Unique location of the business in an exclusive site or address (maybe our palazzo's guest appartment should participate !?!)

* Special or unique architectural and/or historical building where the (Rough-Luxe) business is established or operating from.

* The interior and architectural design are based on the mix of old and new elements; showing original parts of the building, preserving the memory of the site and built environment as well as adding new, useful and original elements to the property.

* The design is based on a mix that looks random but in fact is done with a conscious transmission of social and philosophical messages that put intellectual enrichment prior to the physical well being.

* Physical comfort is important. However, it comes second to intellectual exchange of ideas and personal enrichment through the time spent in a Rough-Luxe business.

* Rough-Luxe will only have original art and design pieces (no copies or prints of existing art or design).

* In a Rough-Luxe business: Luxury is original materials with a unique appearance and historical elements not solely rare materials and expensive finishes.

(...)
----

The red section above is exactly what I think is necessary for our renovation of our 200 + years old palazzo !

However the grey sectio above means for the Rough Luxe hotel guest that : "they might share a bathroom or have a small room or a small shower cubicle, but the luxury is in the choice of the wine, the bed linen, the art on the walls and the people looking after you." (o-tone hotel website).

Sharing bathrooms is not really what I like to do when travelling... but I am fine with the rest.

Rough Luxe Style

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:07:00 +0000

Today I came across this beautiful living room featured by Remodelista :

Timothy Haynes and Kevin Roberts of New York based interior design firm Haynes-Roberts designed this living room for their summer house on Long Island.

I am not only impressed by the rustic, reclaimed flooring - that we could consider for our guest appartment in the vaulted cellar.

Isn't this an interesting mix of rustic old and contemporary elegance ?

If you want to read more about "rough luxe" style :
Remodelista points to a recent article by WSJ magazine that talkes about this maybe new trend - not only in interior design but also in furniture design and fashion.

Venice Shower Curtain by Izola

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Did you see the pictures of my wedding in Venice (nine year ago) ?
Guess what arrived and surprised me on my wedding anniversary (yesterday) ?
A Venice shower curtain by Izola ! Shipped from New York via DHL.

I was amazed by both, the coincidence of the timing and the new look of my "redecorated" bathroom.

I will give you the before and after photos :

Isn't this a quick change ? A fresh new shower curtain can spice up your bathroom - and save you lots of money.

My bathroom (in Germany, not in Italy) is floor tiled with Brasilian slate and wall tiled with Roman travertine. The sanitation is all in white.

Above, another funny match: the name of our double sink is "Gran Kanal" (we love it because it is the smallest and best looking douple sink available, 1110x505x150 mm, by Rapsel) - and the new Venice shower curtain shows the "Canale Grande" with gondola and part of Rialto Bridge.

(the shower curtain from inside the shower)

Sweet memories of our wedding day !
Grazie Izola !

BTW Izola, a New York based company, offers plenty of fresh and sophisticated designer shower curtains and accessories. The shower curtains present the work of artists or feature subway maps, photography and bold patterns. And they do ship worldwide !

- - -
PS: I hope you don't mind that I am posting sometimes from my main home in Germany, where I am also still renovating (more to come).

(images: SC for Palazzo Pizzo)

My Italian Wedding

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:57:00 +0000

Usually I am too shy and scared to publish private photos and info.

But let me do an exception today.

Today is our wedding anniversary.

Nine years ago, on September 30, 2000, I arrived with the above water taxi at the island of Torcello. Torcello is the oldest island in the lagoon of Venice. Unfortunately the weather changed over night and it rained cats and dogs.

"Aqua alta" (high water) urged me to make a big jump with my tight wedding dress before reaching the church.

This was the most scariest step I did that day.

In Italy they say : "matrimonio bagnato, matrimonio fortunato"

(wet wedding, happy wedding)

That's is probably one of the reasons our marriage is still happy.

The above photo is not the best photo in our album, but my favorite.

Today is not only my wedding anniverary - but also my father's birthday.

He walked me down the aile. Happy Birthday !

Oh, and while the guests where waiting for the bride in front of the church, my single German girl friend met my future husband's 4th degree Italian cousin, single as well at that time. The group pictures prove that they met early that day.

Needless to say that today they are happily married with a cute daughter.

And that's it.

Since here I am married !

Restoration progress of the Vaulted Cellar

Writing.Suzie@yahoo.com (- Suzie -) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:47:00 +0000

One of the beauties of our house in the South of Italy is a spectacular vaulted cellar.

Formerly used as warehouse for the storage of olive oil and handmade soap this vault is carved into the cliff below the ground floor of our house. From here, many years ago, the traders sold olive oil and soap to the merchant ships by letting down the cliff roped up baskets with the goods.

A separate entrance leads from the piazza downstairs and opens up to this long gallery with high stone ceilings. We call it our 'seminterrato' (basement).

The former storage area was in two large rooms (on the right). The storage area in the ground is still visible (not in the picture). We still think of recovering it and illuminate it below a glass top.

The gallery and the second room have doors that lead to a small garden. Here we added the two iron doors (older post).

The garden offers breath taking views as everywhere in the house.

Our architect, who is specialised in restoring old stone walls and ceilings, did a great job.

Okay, here the close observer will recognize that we have a humidity problem. This seems to origine from the outside wall that we have not touched so far. It is a stonewall on which a few wild plants grow and their roots might cause the dammage and rain water finds its way through.

I would solve this problem before the wet season starts. But it is a question of money ... to restore properly the outside wall my father-in-law calculates another few thousands of Euro ... the dammage will be minor. The walls are not even painted yet (just plastered).

This is the gallery from the other side. On the far left starts the steps that lead up to the piazza by passing by a small bathroom.

Here we are. This is one of the future bathrooms. Under the vault (on the right) will be the shower ! And the window has seaview !

Opposite the shower will be the toilet and bidet - a must in an Italian home - with a lighting on top.

Let's summarize: the vaulted cellar has a long gallery with space for a small kitchen and dining area. It has two rooms for a living area and a sleeping area. And it will have a pretty bathroom.

And ....

.... it has a small garden with spectacular sea view !

And a 'balcony' with an even more breathtaking view.

Remember the separate entrance - what do you think ?!

Isn't this an ideal guest appartment ?

For family and friends - and maybe to rent as well !?!

The 'balcony' with the renovated iron railway.

Next step:

We think about flooring. What kind of material. I would love to try concrete or Venizian terrazzo. Maybe too much 'stone' on ceiling, walls and floor ? And maybe lack of working skills. Concrete floors often have problems with cracks. What about wooden panels ? Antique oak ? Wood providea a warmer atmosphere. But humidity might be a problem, air must circulate underneath the wood. Terra cotta tiles ? Delicate sometimes. Not warm enough ?

We have time. But your input is welcome !!!