Another Renovation Story

Last summer I read 'The Reluctant Tuscan' by Phil Doran. Doran is an American author and script writer (originally) based in Hollywood. The book tells his own true story and starts with a phone call from his wife... She just bought an old, unlivable 'rustico' in Tuscany, Italy.

Their adventure of renovating this property is a light and funny summer reading - interesting for everybody dreaming about settling down in Italy.

Italian Kitchen Talk

Actually, there is no kitchen in the house. And the area where the kitchen used to be is a bit small, at least for Italians which spend half of their lives in the kitchen...

So we opt for taking out another wall in favour of a spacious and open family kitchen.

My argument for an open kitchen: if you have guests and do not have an open kitchen, you miss half of the conversation.

Here are some dreamy solutions:





The last kitchen is from Boloni, a Chinese-Italian joint-venture in Beijing, China. Boloni's website seems inactive at the moment (www.boloni.com.cn). But I can tell you that Boloni is known for its high standard kitchens that are produced in Beijing since 2001. They are developed and designed with the support of German and Italian designers - and with the Chinese talent of copying new technologies of the west for less money.

As we still live in Beijing, it is an option to buy a kitchen here and then ship to Italy.

beds, beds, beds

Classical bedrooms in Hotel Particulier, Arles, France via Desingers Block and bedroom in Casa Fresco, Florence, Italy

Tropical bedrooms in private villa and Burirasa Resort, both Koh Samui, Thailand

Bedroom via Marie Claire Maison and a bedroom in private villa in Phuket, Thailand

Bed from B&B Italia (AC) and bedroom via AD magazine


Bed by Lambert, bed milleunanotte, steel bed, wooden bed by Maitland Smith, bed Arezzo by Niermann Weeks, Louis XVI canopy bed

It is crystal clear, that I want a 4-poster-bed. And I need a good picture for a carpenter in China, where we actually live.

links:
Designers Block
Hotel Particulier, France
Burirasa, Thailand
Marie Claire Maison
B&B Italia
Lambert, Germany
Sorry, for the incomplete source

More beds at my flickr set for interior decoration.

baths, baths, baths

It is crystal clear, I want an old fashioned iron bathtub.
Accordingly, the sink, toilet and bidet should be slightly classic.
Tiles on the wall, I would use only in the wet area and half way, like in the pictures 1-4, 7.

Look for my other bathroom posts here and here.

Festa sulla Piazza

My father-in-law is in Pizzo and keeps emailing me the latest news from the house and Pizzo. Today I received pics from a dinner party on the main piazza.

I wonder what the chef was cooking. Maybe risotto with porcini mushrooms from the local forests?