- Follow us:
Friday, March 10th, 2017
Universal Furniture Dining Room Round Table 409657-C
Why wouldn’t you want an Italian inspired home? Italian style is quite popular and for a good reason. It is gorgeous, ornate, elegant and it presents the loveliest quality furnishings. Say Italian and you actually mean luxury.
Based on history, Renaissance architecture and interior design dates all the way back to the 15th century. This started in Florence, Italy and was dominated by baroque style furnishings and stone columns. These days, Italian interiors show the most amazing craftsmanship.
Italians definitely know how to design a home with elements that never fail to amaze. Their homes are simply luxurious and they have layers from ceiling down to the floor. Have you noticed how every corner has layers to offer? That’s just the way Italians work.
Italian interiors feature lacquered kitchens, unique chandeliers, glass crystals, and streamlined furniture. While other pieces may be modernized or have a minimalist look to them, you could still not deny the elegance of Italian style. The refined taste of the master artisans and architects show just this.
Italian Also Means Gold
Italian is always described as luxurious or elegant because it is a style that is often gilded with gold. The gilt trim is quite popular in both traditional and modern Italian designs. It can show up practically anywhere such as mahogany furnishings, mirror frames, even on inlaid tiles. Marble stone veining could also reflect a little glamorous gold from time to time.
Italian Stone, Marble and Tiles
From terra cotta to marble, and stoneware of every kind, Italians have everything to do with these. Ancient Italians worked with these rustic stones and created beauties out of them. Italian flooring even reached a point when it became the decorative standard for many homes throughout the world.
These stones also exhibit the loveliest geometric designs, inlaid art and designs. These make them a must-have part of many homes. Today’s elegant homes cover their floors and walls with the gleaming beauty of marble while others simply take shiny stones as an added glamour in a minimalist setting.
If you want to showcase the Italian design in your home, then you must be ready to use some marble tiling at the entryway, most especially in the bathroom. If rustic is the design that makes your heart beat, though, then you can always use some terra cotta on your floors and walls.
Universal Furniture Dining Room Buffet 409680-C
Modern Italian
If you want to embrace the modern Italian look, then this is also a unique way to stand out. Most of the furnishings that have been described as Italian are traditional. Some interiors these days, though, show modern designs that are still attributed to this ornate style.
The furnishings might be sleeker to look at but their level of luxury and comfort are, nonetheless, supreme in quality. The modern Italian look offers a lot of black and white with some unexpected chandeliers from time to time.
Modern enthusiasts are sure to find a glamorous piece or two with the latest Italian pieces. These also have high quality materials that add elegance in any room in your home. Or you could choose to go all Italian and embrace the concept in every room of your home.
From the 15th century design of Florence, Italy, to today, Italian style remains to be an exquisite look for homes. It makes good use of ornate, quality furnishings, tiles, artistic stones, and gilt that remain popular for many, many years. The final look that these design elements achieve is truly elegant so there’s no way to question your style.
So, whether you’re a modernist or a traditionalist, you are sure to find joy in Italian design. Now it’s time to decide if you’re altering the look of your home soon.
Tags: Italian design, Italian interior design, Italian interiors, Italian style, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, modern Italian, traditional Italian
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | Comments Off on Italian Interiors: Layering in Luxury and Elegance
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
FFDM’s Summer Collection features these lovely wicker seats complete with white cushion.
Italians are people who are known for their flamboyance. They are also one of the most stylish folks in the entire world. The Italian way of life is a dream for a lot of people. It means driving posh cars, wearing stylish clothing, and speaking the fancy accent. And what is Italian lifestyle without the tomato-based cuisine? If you want to bring in this way of life into your interior design, then you’re one of the few who has impeccable taste.
Italian Spells Beauty
Back in the 1950s, a group of businessmen and daring designers invested in design. Their group’s mission was to make objects that are not just functional but also beautiful. Of course, beauty takes different forms but the Italians thought that jewels can be hidden in most Italian designs.
A simple corkscrew, for instance, can serve as a decorative element inside an Italian kitchen. Even when it is made of plastic and metal, this thing can be the perfect companion to a baroque chandelier made of blown glass.
The Heart of Your Home
This saying means more among Italians as the kitchen is the place where they gather and socialize. Italian life happens inside the kitchen where people also cook, talk and basically just relax in the company of friends and relatives. The kitchen is also the place to be when you are feeling ill and would want to sip a warm bowl of chicken broth. This is also the place where you could sip coffee every morning as everyone else is busy prepping for their early meal.
Since most socialization happen inside the kitchen or an adjacent dining area, then you have to carefully choose the dining table and chairs.
Put more emphasis in finding the correct set of chairs. In Italy, people do not focus too much in buying expensive chairs. What they just want to accomplish is that – at the end of the day – the entire family sits together around the table while enjoying a marvelous meal.
A simple wicker chair that was handcrafted by master artisans would surely look great inside an Italian-inspired home.
Universal Furniture Dining Room China 409680C-C is perfect in housing your china collection.
Highlighting the Coffee Break
Having a shot of espresso is also an Italian way of life. Since this is so, make sure that you invest in a decent coffeemaker so you can enjoy a cup of this arousing drink in the morning. Your morning coffee-drinking ritual becomes more stylish as you place an espresso maker in the dining or kitchen area.
The coffee machine had its first prototype in the year 1933 though it became renowned after the Second World War.
Celebrate Life
The Italian way of life is also about celebrations. See if you can still find the white-and-gold plate that is reminiscent of the 1930s festive living. It was an elegant piece that distinguishes the festive days from the everyday meals. This plate is no longer being produced but see if you can hunt some in flea markets or if you can have them customized.
Get some stylish dishware but be sure to stay within the boundaries of relaxed chic.
Italian Means Family-Centeredness
You know how the saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, right? Well in an Italian home, all it takes is just one large, closely-knit family. These people also believe that the family is the very pillar that anchors the beauty of their designs. The design – whether it be architectural or fashion in nature – tells a story about families.
The Italians are also known for their warm smile. This is something that they share with every family member and people in their community. The Italian smile should also reflect in the furniture and accessories placed inside a home. Fascination is a huge part of Italian interior design. So go ahead and place a mixture of the familiar and strange inside your home. Experiment while staying grounded. Put in surprise elements such as placing a fishing rod in the middle of the kitchen!
The possibilities are endless.
Tags: Italian design, Italian interior design, Italian interiors, Italian style, McCreery's Furnishings, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, tips
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Thursday, February 25th, 2016
Hooker Furniture Bedroom Corsica Dark Queen Panel Bed 5280-90250.
The French Mediterranean style came from the countries situated at the north of the Mediterranean Sea. These countries include Greece, Spain and Italy. This is a style that is referred to today as Spanish modern.
Mediterranean furniture pieces range from the mere functional to the most formal. Most of these pieces are short and have ornate legs and feet. The wood used is often heavy and burnished. The walls of Mediterranean homes are often textured, with the bullnose edge being a common design on fireplace mantels.
Mediterranean Colors
The hues of these regions echo the beauty of the sky and the sea. Depending on the region, though, the hue could be lavender, a cool yellow, or the warmer terracotta.
Stucco finishes and tiled roofs dominate Mediterranean style houses. Spanish histories display a lot of these as do other states with warm climates.
Influences come from Italy, Portugal., and mainly Spain. Other countries from the Mediterranean regions also have some design contributions.
Hooker Furniture Dining Room Corsica Dark Round Dining Table with 1-18in Leaf 5280-75203
Mediterranean Architecture
Architecture under this style that is found in North America was quite popular from 1918 till 1940. The designs echoed the beautiful haciendas of New World Spain. Features included arches, red tile roofs, and plaster made to look like plastered adobe. Various homes in Florida and California were built in this style.
Pretty soon, developments from other European nations were already found in Mediterranean houses. Influences came as far as the Balkans and France. Cypress, Turkey and Lebanon provided the Asian inspiration together with North African nations like Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
These days, a lot of the ornate homes that fuse the different countries’ elements are categorized as Mediterranean or Neo-Mediterranean. Other features include courtyards, terraces, porticos, stucco finishes, and balconies.
During the 1920 till the 1930s, many Hollywood movies featured Mediterranean settings. Celebrity magazines also plastered stars living in Tudor, Spanish colonial or castle-like dwelling places. These years saw the peak of construction of Mediterranean houses.
Home building was dampened by the Great Depression, though. Following the Second World War, the focus was turned to stucco tract housing. In the 1960s, though, Mediterranean homes had a marvelous comeback. The rest of the United States, mostly those from the South, embraced the Mediterranean look.
Hooker Furniture Bedroom Corsica Metal Floor Mirror 5480-90009
Famous Mediterranean Homes
Some of the homes that are immediately thought of when the word Mediterranean is mentioned are the Frances Marion and Fred Thomson house; the Smith-Heberton house; and the house of Fred C. Aiken.
These homes had one or more of the key features of a Mediterranean house. The red tile roof which was copied from the Mexican and Spanish missions were made of bricks and clay pots. The half tubes were able to shed water effectively.
The stucco walls are next which protected the exterior walls from extreme temperatures which are common in Mediterranean climate. Arches are also features that go back all the way to the Roman times. These self-supporting structures are also found in beautiful Mediterranean homes. Just imagine the architectural magic of these arches and you are sure to marvel. Every stone depends on the keystone at the top of the arch, with side columns having their weight distributed on the sides then downward.
Tiles are also common, especially the mosaic tile designs. Bring this same beauty into your own floor or your kitchen backsplash. Simulate the look of a lovely mosaic tile with a stenciled mosaic border on the walls, floors or on your furniture. Wall textures can be layers of glaze and paint or sand-textured.
Mediterranean accessories include filigree light fixtures, burnished bronze urns, and wrought-iron fireplaces. Heavy wooden doors complete with ornate carvings welcome the visitors of every Mediterranean-inspired home.
Tags: French design, French Mediterranean, Greek design, Italian design, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, Mediterranean interior design, Mediterranean interiors, Mediterranean style, natural stone, Spanish, stone, wood, wood elements
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Follow us on our social media
© McCreery's Home Furnishings | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
