Home Fashion Italian Style

Fashion and home design are two separate disciplines always intertwining and taking oxygen from one another.

The Italian word “abito” (English: dress) takes from the verb “abitare” (English: to live, to inhabit). The dress is the first place our body lives in and the body offers infinite possibilities to relate ourselves to the surrounding space. Fashion gives us the freedom and fantasy to dress how we want and the freedom to compose our style in homes.  To dress a home goes far beyond colors and fabrics, it is the thread, which resolves the human body’s architectural spatial challenges and satisfies the human desire to be surrounded by functional and beautiful objects.

Dressing an Italian home interior is quite simple as long as lines and forms are kept at a minimum. As an Italian born, I can say that Italians live in antiquity, we open our windows and history surrounds us, but in our homes, we are very modern, we like simple, straight lines, and very few bold colors.  A leather red floor would be perfect for a home studio with satin chrome furniture frames mixed with glass, as much as a white/beige striped closet doors would look so elegant on a white marble floor. Play its tone on tone and never go wrong.

Italian kitchens are not at all fussy, but functional is a must, color is optional, they are either very colorful, we like Ferrari red by the way, or very black, greige (a combination of grey and beige) and rivers of white. Forget the kitchen knickknacks all together.

Italian living rooms are made for “fare Bella figura” – an Italian philosophy to present a good image, to make a good impression. Our guests, when entering an Italian home, musty be greeted by beautiful things and be seated in …

Frugal Home Fashions – Home Fashions on a Budget

Interior design can cost an absolute fortune – but it doesn’t have to. Read on for some quick and easy tips to give your home a new look without breaking the bank and on a budget. Whether you have recently moved or just want a new look – home fashions come and go after all – here are several ways to get a new look for less.

Declutter before you Redecorate

Do you need to redecorate? Or do you need to simplify? Try getting rid of some of the clutter (hey you could even sell it on eBay and make a bit of cash) – it will make your spaces look bigger without any building work or design tricks!

Clean before you Repaint

Clean everything – have you ever noticed just how clean show homes are? You probably can’t live in a house without cables, remotes, or towels, (all tricks used in the trade) – but you can at least give everything a good spring clean. Before you decide you need a new carpet or drapes – hire a steam cleaner and see how they come up – you may well be surprised.

Rearrange before you Purchase.

Rearranging furniture costs nothing but time – but can make a huge difference. Maybe its time that decorative trunk came out of the master bedroom and into the family room – or vice versa. Try out new arrangements – if its winter you probably aren’t using the indoor-outdoor flow to the patio as much. Move furniture around to focus on the fireplace instead of the outdoors.

Check out the Second Hand Shops

Currently, there is a lot of furniture which has a retro 1970’s look – particularly sideboards and entertainment units. They cost a mint and look great. Guess what you can buy …