Resource Links for Renovating and Decorating

For our references I collected resource links which can be helpful and inspring when renovating and decorating, including some local sources:





BATHROOM

• Axor
• Bette (shower trays)
• Boffi (Italy)
• C.P. Hart
• Callipo (Vibo Valentia, Calabria, Italy)
• Czech & Speake
• Decor Walther
• Dornbracht
• Duravit
• Fantini (Italy)
• Karol
• Keuco
• Kohler
• Pozzi Ginori (Italy)
• Vipp
• Zucchetti (Italy)

You might be interested in bathroom related posts on Palazzo Pizzo



KITCHEN

• The Kitchen designer
• ALINDAR (Lamezia/Maida, Calabria, I)
• Ariston-Hotpoint (I)
• Boffi (I)
• Bulthaupt (D)
• Poggenpohl (D)
• Scavolini (I)
• Smeg (I)
• Snaidero (I)
• Veneta Cucine (I)

You might also like all kitchen related posts on Palazzo Pizzo



ITALIAN FURNITURE

• B & B Italia
• Cassina
• De Padova
• Gorgio Armani
• Kartell
• mdf
• Moroso
• unopiu
• Zanotta

You also might like Palazzo Pizzo's furniture posts.



INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER FURNITURE

• Knoll (US)
• Lange Production (DK)
• Montana (DK)
• Müller Möbelwerkstätten (D)
• Richard Lampert (D)
• Thonet (D)
• USM (CH)
• Vitra (CH)
• Walter Knoll (D)

FOR OUTDOOR - TERRACE, GARDEN, BALCONY

• Fermob (outdoor lounge, F)
• Gibus (sun protection, I) 
• Ethimo (I)
• unopiu (I)

HOME FURNISHING BARGAINS

• Fly (F)
• H&M home
• Ikea (nearest from Pizzo: Brindisi or Catania/Sicily)
• Maison du Monde
• Semeraro (Due Mare Shopping Centre, Lamezia, Calabria, I)
• Tchibo
• ZARA home

FLOORING

• Berti (Italy)
• Bisazza
• Fired Earth
• Fornaci d' Agostino (Italy)
• Francesco de Maio (Italy)
• SICIS

You might be interested in all posts about flooring and tiles on Palazzo Pizzo



LIGHTING

• Artemide
• Flos
• D'Urzo (Maeierato, Calabria, Italy)
• Ingo Maurer
• Luce Plan
• Nimbus
• Occhio
• Serien

You might like lighting related posts on Palazzo Pizzo



ART

• Antonio La Gamba (Vibo Valentia with studio in Pizzo)
• EOS Ceramica (Antonio Montesanti's studio in Pizzo)
• Francesca Procopio Photo (designer and photographer in Pizzo)
• Liquitex
• Lumas 
• Loredana Remolo (artist in Pizzo)
• Lo Studiolo Home Gallery (art gallery in Pizzo)
• WhiteWall (photo lab)

Please note: this is my personal resource link list that I compiled during our project (I have not received any money from any company for any text link above, and there is no affiliate link in that list).

(updated September 2013)

Upholstery: Sofa and Armchair ! Before & After !

I wrote about the inherited tiger sofa, the 7 different dining chairs and the funny baroque armchair before. All in need for upholstery. Then, I confused my readers and myself while searching for the right fabric - but knew how to measure and calculate the right amount of fabric.

But it is all good now.
Almost.

First, I had to travel to Italy this summer. I packed all the chosen fabric from Thailand into my suitcase. Before arriving in Calabria we stopped in Venice for a wedding. Then, I repacked the suitcase. The fabric continued the journey by car, while I travelled by air. Reunited in Pizzo, I entered the house - the sofa was gone! But that is another story that I prefer to skip.

It is all good now.
Almost.

The craftsman who was introduced to us had a look at the furniture and the fabric. We explained what we want, he made a proposal, and we agreed. Since it was summer, the craftsmen would need longer than 10 days for the work. We were awaiting guests and did not want to miss dining chairs. Therefore, we decided to have them, the sofa, and the armchair picked up after the holiday peak Feragosto (August 15). When everyone and everything goes back to normal.

One day after summer, we were long gone back to Asia, our order was ready and delivered - or picked up -  from the tiny upholstery workshop in the heart of Pizzo. My father-in-law made some snap shots and mailed the result to us.

From what I see, the sofa looks good.
The armchair looks wrong.
The dining chairs look okay.

What do you think?

AFTER: calm grey fabric enhances carved sofa frame

BEFORE: the "tiger sofa" and it's story

For the sofa, there was a big surprise: I never saw the back! I did not know we would need fabric for the back too! I am very glad, I bought some spare fabric.

always have some spare fabric for surprises

From what I heard, my mother-in-law did not like at all the new upholstery for the armchair. She "discussed" with the craftsman - got a chair for free - and asked me to buy more fabric, in order to redo the seating cushion.

AFTER: the armchair - something looks wrong

BEFORE: it looked promising

BEFORE: the real before with gold lacquer

(previous pic is a 2nd chair that needed more work) 

Apparently, I was not clear enough about the fabric direction for the armchair, as well as for the dining chairs. One chair had even a similar fabric and the fine stripes ran from front to back - and not from left to right. But who knows why the craftsman changed direction.


Now, our 7 dining chairs of three styles have something in common: a dark finish and a bluish upholstery.

AFTER: dining chair

BEFORE: backrest broken, fabric riven 

BEFORE: unstable and rotten fabric

BEFORE: unstable and broken backrest

(fabric runs in the right direction!)

AFTER: all new! (sorry for blur photo)

Lessons learned:

• Always buy more fabric than you need! Miscalculation or mishap may happen.
• Explain your idea clearly! Direction of fabric, border, nails, finish tone or colour for wood - don't leave room for unexpected creativity.
• Be sure about the finishing before choosing the fabric (silver seems not the right choice for our armchair)

Maybe, I should think about a DIY upholstery project next time? I researched some books about upholstery and think, this might be a good introduction:

Upholstery: A Beginners' Guide

A final remark and last photo:

AFTER: new upholstery with good vibes

Does anyone see the spots in the above photo? Not the spots on the wall. The two circles, below the light switch. I would have said, Angelo's camera has spots on the lens again. My friend says, these orbs are a sign for good energy in the room. Wow, my new upholstery has a great energy boost then! 

Photos: Angelo and Palazzo Pizzo

The Story of a Sofa

And then their is this sofa.... It needs upholstery too (like the armchair and the 7 dining chairs). 

I do not really know what to say about that sofa. I do not even know exactly how we ended up with it. 

Some might say, what is wrong with this sofa? Why it needs a new fabric? It looks very elegant. - Yes, it does. And it fitted very nicely in the entrance of my mother-in-law's house in the Veneto, Northern Italy. The leopard print is absolutely her style and that's how she upholstered the sofa after having found it at her favorite antique dealer in Marghera some years ago. 

Upholstery for an Armchair

Or how much a husband can accelerate fabric shopping...

When I was looking for a fabric for the 7 chairs that need repair and upholstery, I also was thinking of how to upholster an old baroque armchair and a sofa.

The baroque arm chair we found at an antique shop in Vibo Valentia was actually a pair of armchairs. We did not choose the above one, but the one that was already stripped off the remaining upholstery. We were thinking of getting a bold fabric, maybe kind of Paul Smith like stripes and paint the wood with silver lacquer.  

7 Chairs need Repair and Upholstery

These chairs are our dining chairs. We have three pairs - plus one. Two of them cannot be used at the moments since one is totally unstable, and one just got its backrest broken. The others are in a not much better condition.

In fact, since we got them, they were supposed to get a makeover, repair where needed and new upholstery. But so far we had no time. Since we could sit on them, we used them last summer and this spring. It had its charm. But now, it is really time to focus on them, before more brakes apart or people land on the floor.

Angelo will take care of the repair. Not sure, if he can do it by himself or if he is going to give them away. And my job is to look for suitable fabric.

Now, that sounds like another fun project. Since the chairs are all different, we were first thinking of different fabrics for each chair, or maybe for each pair. We could go with blues and yellows, or with purple as a contrast to the yellow wall. We could choose one pattern in different hues. Or one color in different pattern. - But don't we have enough "noise" in the dining and living area? I remember, I counted once six different colors on walls alone. And then my crazy, stunning, tile mix in the kitchen.

But why musing, when I can find out what fabrics are available at the biggest Jim Thomson outlet in only 10 minutes! (While Thailand and myself are suffering from the heat and I cannot enjoy Italy's spring right now, why not check out the cool air conditioned JT outlet with its friendly and well English speaking young salesmen? But the 10 minutes drive are generously calculated when there is no traffic in Bangkok. )

Furniture Delivery Italian Style

furniture delivery in a small village requires small vehicles

I thought this worth a photo. I almost missed the moment. The antique dealer and restorer came with a friend in his old Fiat. They had fixed the piece of furniture with some robes on top of the cute vehicle. With a bigger car they would have not made it through the small alleys to our door!

The Living Room is Coming

living area flooring done

The installation of the parquet (natural oak) is done for the piano terra (ground floor). Angelo handled it all by himself, day by day. Last night he sent me the picture with sofas without legs.

I just replied that the wooden flooring looks fantastic. Sofas look a bit bulky for our small living area ;-) and not too bad without legs. But legs can be found in the white Santa Fe tool box in the yellow guest room. It is coming along!

Recycling Furniture

Today we have mounted my around 20 year old IKEA table. It is a bit rusty, but it stands perfectly. The chair has seen many winters and snow, but with a bit of paint, maybe blue paint, it will look like new.

This again proves me, that I am right to not throw out my old things. I hate to throw away things because 1) one week later or so I need them and 2) it is a waste of resources. I love to see things recycled.

Especially when it is possible in this way, on this balcony, with this view .... ahh, what a pitty that I have to take the plane back to Bangkok tomorrow. My son and I would prefer to stay, but school and work is overthere ...

Since the internet access was a bit weak here lately, I did not post much about the progress. But I will have plenty of time next week. Wishing all of you a Happy Easter, or happy Thai New Year or just a very Happy and hopefully Sunny Springtime.

While we are on house hunting tour in Asia ... our Italian home progresses ...

Angelo, my Father-in-law, has unpacked some stuff, and felt like interor decorator ...

So funny ...  Although these Shanghai style deck chairs don't belong into this room, I wish I could relax there NOW! 

And Angelo continues to paint wrought iron gates blue.

Even if I have posted this view before, I can't get tired of it (now with new blue balustrade).

Here we got a wooden 'battiscopa' - and please note the professional fresko cover protection. 

Yes, I confirm, these tiles are for the master bathroom's floor (pavimento) and not for the bathroom wall.

This one is hilarious :

Angelo o-tone:  'I have engaged a cheap and competent woman for the final cleaning and waxing of the master bed room'.   (Editor's remark: this cheap 'room cleaner at work' is my dear moterh-in-law)

Super finish : floor after final cleaning and waxing

My husband loves antique shopping

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 ?!

Experiment: post auf Deutsch - Rote Sitzmoebel

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 !

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Iron Furniture

Wrought iron furniture is furniture made by bending, shaping, and welding wrought iron. It has a long history, dating back to Roman times (source: wikipedia)

There is almost no French country home or Tuscan farm house without an iron bed.
I do like their romantic charm !







Other popular iron wrought furniture and accessories are chairs, tables, shelves, lamps and coat racks. Here a small selection:






Wrought iron work is predestinated for outdoor use of course. I like iron chairs in gardens, so often seen in French parks with white or green finish. And not to forget the beautiful pergolas by Unopiu which offer us shade in hot summers:






Photo source:
1) shootfactory (UK)
2), 3) Caporali (Italy)
4) shootfactory (UK)
5) unknown
6),7) Caporali
8), 9) unknown
10) Caporali
11), 12), 13) Unopiu


Address/links:
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Caporali
Enzo Caporali, Santa Mama, 110 Arezzo Italia +39 0575 487033
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Unopiu
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shootfactory
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Stacking bed for guests

There are two popular stacking beds made in Germany. The first and original one is the modular stacking bed (Stapelliege) designed by Rolf Heide in 1966, produced by Müller Möbelswerkstätten.


It is not only practical in a guestroom, but also for a kids room. We decided to take the short version of 1.90 m length for our son's room (because the room is so small). For future sleep overs he can accommodate his friends. Or when we have guests over night his room will transform into a guestroom.


As the stacking bed became so popular for kids the manufacturer now also provides it in colourful and real small sizes:



The alternative to Rolf Heide's 'Stapelliege' is the 'Lönneberga' bed designed by Alexander Seifried in 2007 for Richard Lampert.



At the furniture Messe in Cologne in January 2009 a low budget version in white was presented. It will be available soon:



The overall size of this bed is 2.10 m x 0.95. No shorter version is available.

BTW, the name of this young stacking bed comes from the famous Swedish character 'Emil of Lönneberga', a tale by famous kid book author Astrid Lindgren. All accessories have names from the tale like 'Alfred' the cushion that stores bedding and serves as backrest for a fine daybed.

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This stacking bed is for our home in Germany. I am still busy with the fine tuning of its renovation. But hope to be back to the blog more often now. However I have no news on our 'Palazzo Project' for now. The outside is done. The inside to come.